12-8-25 Bengals Line

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All right, let's get it going on this Monday night. Of it's Monday, it must be Bengals Line, and that means three hours of conversation breaking it all down. You'll hear from coaches and players. We'll sort through thirty nine thirty four, a loss in Buffalo yesterday. We'll look ahead of the Ravens this weekend. Lance Bacallister, Dave Lapham, thanks for joining us. Settle in. We've got you over the

It did, I mean, and it did in like four and a half five minutes. I mean, it was it was amazing. Turnovers, you know, I mean, that's the that's the plague, that's that's what every team wants to avoid if they possibly can. They want to generate turnovers, cause turnovers from the opposition, but they certainly don't want to

Boy, in a day, against the backdrop of a snow globe like environment, with the snow coming down on a Rockers crowd, you'd saying it was one of the loudest crowds he's ever heard. You got two heavyweight quarterbacks, you've got a Bengals lead, and I'm thinking of Steelers are playing the Ravens. Somebody's gonna lose in that matchup. If

Yeah. I mean when you're when you're playing against a playoff caliber team like the Buffalo Bills, like you mentioned the margin ferres nil, I mean, you have to play as perfect the football game as you're capable of playing.

And Davids you mentioned the word playoff. I was struck in and listening to postgame interviews the number of different players who alluded to the feel yesterday, and that's maybe reinforces just how missed the opportunity was, because I think everybody realized that was, in essence, a playoff game for the Bengals. If you were going to make the playoffs, you had to win yesterday.

Yeah, and it was a playoff atmosphere. Like you mention in the raucous crowd, I mean they were they were in full throat and they were off the charts.

Man.

Their support for the Buffalo Bills is second to none. I mean, their psycho that fan base.

It's a good work they were doing yesterday.

Exactly exactly. Yeah, he was. He was kind of scratching his head over that one a little bit. But you know, those are the kind of games you have to win to make the playoffs, and the Bengals came up just short.

Let's uh, let's pick up a reaction immediately after the game. Here is Dave with the coach, Zach Taylor.

Tough football game against the uh, the Buffalo Bills. Here in Buffalo, Coach, it was well played, high scoring football game. Your offense took advantage just about every position they had other than a couple and uncharacteristically, Joe Borrow gets intercepted on back to back possessions that obviously were a big factor in the outcome. What did you think about your offense overall?

Yeah, we did a great job moving the ball and found some success in the run game and got what we needed guys we need in the run game, found all success in the pass game. They made two great plays on those turnovers in the fourth quarter and gave them some momentum.

The run game. I thought that U, samaj p Ron and Chase Brown gave you a nice one two punch. Thought that, Uh Samaji in particular, really I thought showed some some power. He's got good foot speed to set the speed, but man, he was he was thumping people pretty well. He's an all around guy. I mean he can run the football with power and speed, catch football out of the backfield, tuck it away and keep the football safe and gain yards after catch. And also he's

He Yeah, he's a great player. That's that's obviously where we thought to get him back. And he and Chase in combination with each other, I think are a great danam of backs. They came from each other really well. They understand what we're trying to get out of out of each play that they're in there, and they both are are huge value for us.

You completed a high percentage your passes for significant yards and four touchdown passes to hell, all of a hell of a deal. You don't you don't get four touchdown passes every week. In the National Football League. What about your passing attack utilized the tight ends. I thought Gasiki in particularly had a very strong game for you today, didn't he.

Yeah, he did, and and I thought our offensive line did a great job. Joe understood the coverages and where they're trying to do. They do a good job disguising. They tried to do a great job of taking away Jamar, so we still want to try to get Jamar and the ball, which we did in some different ways. But it opens it up for a lot of other guys. That's why you saw t you have the game he had. I guess like he had the game he had. Andre made some big plays for us, So we're okay doing that.

Yeah, they were playing a lot of combination coverage on on both Jamar and Tegue and changing it up a little bit. That's when Gasiki obviously stepped up and took advantage of his opportunities and and made plays. Is T. Higgins he got stung a little bit there. He was out for their snappers. So he had a pretty good football game today. See Okay, Yeah he did.

He responded well, and I think they just evaluated him and he was good to go.

So let's talk about your your defensive football team. Obviously, a lot of points were scored, but honestly, I mean, I'm not saying they played a great game, but I thought that there were stretches where they were making plays. I mean, Josh Allen is a tough guy to deal with. He can he can throw the football and he's got good accuracy. Maybe not as good this year as in past years, but man, he's a big, strong guy that can run. Big boy. He's uh, he's he's he's a load.

Yeah, he's a tough player obviously, and they got a great running back, great offensive line in front of him. I think, you know, it comes down to those those fourth down plays. There was there was four of them to my eye, and they converted on three of them.

Speaking of a fourth down, you didn't really have to do too many because your third down percentage was unbelievable. I mean, I think it was like what eight over eighty percent in the National Football League. To convert like that on third down, that's that's extraordinary. It doesn't happen every single week. What was the key to the success converting on third down?

I thought we had a great point, you know, agree and players understood it, executed it, did their jobs, did a great job protecting up front. Joe did a great job with any checks he had to make and delivered a.

Balls Zach Taylor after the game. Plenty more to dissect, breakdown and analyze as we navigate three hours tonight, we'll hear from QB one Joe Burrow ahead, He's Dave Lapham, I glance, but Catleister, thanks for being with us tonight.

Can we get your vantage.

Point on on what happened on those you interception?

Yeah, great play, great plays by them. Uh, corner blitz and you know, tryna throw a hot reaction and the guy jumps up and catches it. Great play. Next one tip ball lands in the right that guy's hands.

So wow.

Yeah, good plays by Now did.

You feel like you guys were kind of playing the exact type of game you wanted to play before.

Those two, like exactly how you would have scripted.

It out to build in. Yeah, we were playing pretty good. We were playing pretty good. You know, we gotta we gotta turn over in the red zone.

Uh.

We spout it on a couple drives, but for the most part, we were moving it pretty good. Uh, we were in a good spot, a top child.

Then was that first half especially and let them down perspective?

And how did you walk out to the field in the second.

Half of when you was going through your mind?

Yeah, we we were executing, We were executing, lamas protecting, we were making plays. Uh, you know, we d we were doing a good.

Job, right, You put on differently on that? Then group.

Could have thrown it higher, I guess, but the linebacker was running out there underneath of it, so if I threw it higher, he might've gotten involved too. Not really, that was our reaction to that.

Is this just one of those games?

Did you like the playoff game with the team.

That just was able to make a couple of those plays? We was gonna wait, did doel like that? And Don went outstretch.

Yeah, you know it was playoff, a playoff atmosphere. We know what kind of game it was for us? Did them too? And then? Uh yeah, it was just it was intense out there. Guys are fighting their butts off.

Those show me anything different uh than on than what you saw a film this week.

They always do do things a little different against us, but that's what we expected. They were mixing a lot of things up. They started pressure more in the second half. I thought we handled it well. Wow, oh yeah, we we kind of we knew what to expect. We knew how they liked to play us from from past meetings. And uh we had the answers when.

You blobby hard for the team to sign the tachagainst the admission to dur this off season, y'all just say, didn't get much opportunity to see how it all looked. Is this like what you would envisioned, the type of office that you guys could be and the type of outfit that you would be to an opponent when you guys are.

All being like you did today, Yeah, we know, we know what we can be. We know what we can do and when we execute. Uh, and we were able to execute today for the most part. And uh, it's gotta do more.

School was at.

Forward, throwing forward your last four games, your mental al how'd you approach the last four names?

Just go and play well? Uh, go and have fun play football. That's what I love to do. So so I'm gonna keep doing I'm gonna keep doing it at a high level.

Is a differ to have.

Well, have played atmosphere today, but no one that you know just might be the only try to get at that deal of the season. Everyone got to do that for the last couple of years, and now a frustrating thing does that.

All of us?

Yeah, obviously we're not where where we wanna be, as you know a team or an organization. Four nine is not not good. Uh, but you know we got four games to go and show high level execution, high level play play making. Uh. I'm gonna realize the the opportunity to to go out and play play with these guys and continue to try to put on a show for for everybody watching. I hope that, uh that comes across

Is the word thing, Joe that you see most like help?

The whole offense is help.

You can help that you guys that you just might be.

Out of time now with what out the business.

Yeah, I mean that's uh, that's how the cookie crumbled this year.

Uh.

You know, obviously I would've loved to have been out there more and and be able to to make an impact by that wasn't the case. And you know, I found my found my bet off to to get back to this spot and to be able to be out there with everybody and for our organization in the city. So that's what we'm gonna continue to do. I Uh, I take it very seriously. I I love what I do and I'm gonna continue to do it.

A play with a game, right, some of the catchers that Higgins made today, what what do your so many descriptions as to your relationship with him and how would you do what to this make spectacular place like that?

Yeah, teas great. Tea's great. Uh and both of those guys that Jamorrow Tea know that teams are gonna have different plans to take one of them away. And you know they did not want Number one to beat them today, and so when that happens, then he's got to step up and make big plays, which he did and something we would have liked to have back too. Mike g made a ton of players today. We had guys making plays all over the field, and you know, unfortunately we just weren't able to pull it out.

Joe Burrow after the game and Dave I mentioned the opening drive and it couldn't have started any better. They win the toss, they decided to take the ball. They go fourteen plays, sixty seven yards, click eight point fifteen off the clock. They run seven times, they passed seven times, They convert four third downs, t had three catches coming back from the concussion, and everything was rolling right out of the shoot.

It really was. I mean, to go on a long sustained drive like that, you know, out of the box, the crowd is going nuts. You know, the best way to silence them is do exactly what they did. And you know, the crowd really really couldn't believe it. But T Higgins, man, did he have a you know, I guess, for lack of a better term of coming out party after that, after that concussion. I mean, he was he was phenomenal. Targeted eleven times, Joe Burrow was going to

On the Benford picked six and by the way he I read this morning, he becomes the first Buffalo Bill to score a defensive touchdown and back to back games in their franchise is history.

Wow.

What did you see as that play unfolded? And what a play he made?

Yeah, I think I think Joe basically was shocked that he jumped so high, you know, I mean, it's the guy. The guy had uh he had coverage on on that, but he was kind of in between should I pressure? Should I cover? You know, and and he was kind of between the rocking and rocking a hard place. And then Joe kind of was I guess a little bit too. But and he thought he put enough loft on the ball.

We continue on on this Monday night at Bengals Line, Bengals Radio Network at seven hundred WLW. LANs but cantlester Dave Lap I'm talking about yesterday's defeat at Buffalo thirty nine thirty four of the final score. Let's stick on the offensive side of things for a bit in this hour, and Mike Kasicki six catches yesterday, six targets, six catches, eighty six yards and a touchdown. He talks with Dave after the game.

Mike, what was the what was the reason for your what was the reason for your success? Did you expect it during the course of the week when the game plan was put together? Was it just something that took place today? The way they covered you the way you knew you could beat people. What took place today?

Do you think there's always opportunity in the game plan. It just depends on what comes up and how the defenses are playing and the flow of the game. So you know, you always anticipate, you know, going out there and making plays.

And today, you know, the.

Ball came away a couple of times and I.

Was able to make some plays. This was your This is a big game for you, man, biggest game of the year. You are a talented individual in terms of you got great size. Uh what six 's five? Anyway, aren't you? And U two hundred and twenty five and thirty pounds? But can run and you're in the slot today you were doing a lot of receiver work in getting matchups mismatches on safeties and corner Is that a big part of your game?

Yeah.

I mean they just allow me to be me and go out there and you know, maybe don't always run their routes the you know, conventional way and how you draw it up, but uh, you know, Joe allows me to go out there and make plays, and he trusts me to be where I'm supposed to be when I'm spposed to be there, and uh you saw that today.

Mike, I know. Uh, the goal was to win the last five games of the season, make a run and go nine and eight. Didn't happen today, you know. So now you're looking at at uh at what you're looking at four and eight. So there are five games, four games left, so you can go eight and nine. I'm not saying that that's a lock for the playoffs, but still a possibility, isn't it.

Yeah, that's that's gonna be our best that's gonna be our only chance. So it starts with Baltimore next week and that's a big one, Divisional one and at home. So uh, you know, you go out there and get that win.

I know that. Uh the locker room is disappointed, obviously, but there there's not any quitting any of these guys. I mean, you guys gave it everything you had out there today, every single snap. You anticipate that for the rest of the season, don't you.

Yeah, you know it starts with Zach and you know the the way that he coaches us, and he does a phenomenal job, you know, just getting us all ready to play, and we have great guys on this in this team, in this locker room that are gonna, you know, get get out there and be ready to work starting tomorrow.

I know the tight ends had a huge game today. I know the Cincinnati tight end room is something that you're proud of. You got a bunch of great teammates in that in that tight end room. You have a hell of a coach. To talk about your coach a little bit.

James is an unbelievable tight end coach has played seven years in the league, has seen a lot, knows how to coach, knows how to get the best out of the guys, uses us all to our strengths and helps us in you.

Know, every aspect of the game and in life.

Can't say enough good things about James Casey, and you know the impact that he's had on me in my career.

Mike is sicky on a heck of a day. Was easily his best day of the year. He had his high was four catches for thirty five yards in a game going into yesterday six catches eighty six yards, and it was a really good day for a guy who They've got tight ends who all do something, but Mike is the best of the group and he showed yesterday the impact he can have on this offense.

Right, I agree with you, Lance, You know you got tight end that that can block that sample, and he blocks, probably a little more proficiently than he is his a weapon in the passing game, although he can get it done. I mean he can run routes and catch the football and do all the things the tight end needs to do. GASICKI, you know, is a guy that can do it all really and he blocks, well, he's not a devastating blocker. That's not his trademark, that's not his mo. But boy

And you used to I think a keyword when needed, because when you have somebody like Tea and you have somebody like Jamar, they're going to command attention if you don't have somebody else to make a defense pay and that's Mike. And I think early in the season when they went through that stretch without Mike he had that I think it was the peck issue and he wasn't available. But without him, it's a different look and it allows teams to do things differently. In Mike when he's there.

Pay absolutely, and you know, and the tight end package that the Bengals can use, the third tight ends Tanner Hudson, yep, and that package that they can use. He's kind of like, you know, he's a good, good receiver. The football runs good. Rouse smart on the same page as Joe Borrow. Joe Burrow trusts him implicitly as well, and he blocks decently. I mean, they can use these guys as full backs, they can use them as wing backs, they can use them as slot receivers, tight ends at the end of

Boy and the Gasiki touchdown, I want to say that capped off a twelve play drive. Buffalo had pulled within three. Joe fires to strike down. He's sicky in the end zone. It's now a ten point lead with eight forty four to go, and you know, I'm writing down Gasiki play. They touchdown decides the game and from there. I mean that was twenty eight eighteen, and so much happened after that in the final eight minutes.

It's incredible the number of points that went up on the board in the last eight minutes. It really is was a track meet. And that five yard touchdown past you right, Joe Borrow hum that bad boy.

He put some RPM yes on that one. Did put a jugs gun on it.

He did the Kaski you know, soutam boring plucks it.

I mean, he is.

Kasiki is a talent, there's no, uh, no question about it. And he he is somebody that Joe really looks to in the in the red zone, the low red zone. That's uh, you know, that's Kasiki's where he makes his bread and butter.

Let's talk some defense when we come back. He's Dave Lapham my glance. But callister, we appreciate you hanging out with us tonight. Talk a little Bengals football and Bengals Line, the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred wl W. You we keep rolling right along on this Monday night at Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio networking seven WLW on the dock at early thirty nine thirty four, the final numbers from Buffalo. Sorting through that, we'll look ahead of

Horde, Aaron Burks, you recovered a fumble in the end zone. At the moment, it looked like that might be the play that ultimately helped Cincinnati win the game. Unfortunately that's not the way it played out. But go back to that play and how youphorick it must have felt at the moment to get a stop inside the five.

Yeah, obviously, you know, go on stand is a big deal. Taking points off the board for them, and just good things happen when you running the ball just all pop out and hopped on it right away, so give them us a chance. And then you know, office turn around and got a great drive right after that. So we just diden making enough plays to win the game. So that's what it comes down to.

But back to work.

Back to work this.

Week, Josh Allen to Unicorn, the way that he can extend plays, the forty yard touchdown run that he had. I mean sometimes you have to just say a great player made plays.

Yeah, he's a great player, you know, see it all over the tape and just being out there with him, he's able to improvise and you know, he's just a great mind. He's been lead for a while, so he's seeing every look, you know. But again, we just got to find a way to make more poison. They did and then and we weren't able to do that today.

I think in the last two weeks, you guys have showed with Joe Burroyd quarterback, you can go toe to toe with anybody. Unfortunately, with the playoff math, it's you face long odds to get in. How frustrating is it to know that this team's pretty good. Unfortunately we might not have a chance to extend our season.

Yeah, we're just going to control what we can and that's weekend a week out, just giving it our best and getting out there to put something that we can be proud of. So next week we're back on to the Ravens and that's that's what we're focused on now.

Up by ten fourth quarter, were you thinking, you know, this one's going to be in the win column.

I mean we think that the whole game. There's there's no quit in this team. And I feel like that was the mindset on the sideline. Everybody believe that, you know, even at the end, we can find a way to get that stopped and often scored to go down score, but I just didn't didn't pan out that way. And again just expect to work.

What is kind of the mindset right now for the team for where things stand after this lost.

Yeah, it's frustrating. You know you can give draw every week and just come up short, you know, one too many times. And again I just keep saying, its back to work. It's it's only so much you can control. That's in the past now and controlling the what we can do moving forward.

Appreciate your time.

Oran burks with Dan Horde and that could have been one of those moments you circle that's the play of the game. They stop a touchdown at the lot it was. It was just what you want from your defense. It's a scoring opportunity for the Bills. DJ makes the instinctive play and strips it away and oron falls on it, and you're thinking, all right, this defense has stepped up and they and they've saved the football game.

Absolutely. I mean that's the only turnover the Buffalo Bills had. The Bengals had to the Bills had one of the Bills go plus one in this kind of a game, finishing plus in the turnover department. I think it is and was a big deal. But yeah, the defense, I mean, they made plays, you know, things would jump out like, oh my God, like you were saying, oh my gosh, this is it, this is gonna clinch the game. This is the play of the game. Then yeah, then I

In fact, along those lines are our friend Paul Dayner Junior of the Athletic had this stat going back to last season, and boy, oh boy, since the first week of last season, teams around the NFL that score at least thirty three points have gone one thirty six, ten and two. The Bengals in that span, when scoring at least thirty three points have gone four and seven.

So they're responsible for seven of the ten losses to the league.

I think the league separated. I think that's everybody else. But either way, I mean, think about that one thirty six and that's a winning percentage of a like ninety five and the Bengals are four and seven.

Yeah. Oh, and Bengals have a losing record. The Bengals are sub five hundred.

I mean, and here's speaking of friends. Joel Goodberry or our friend Joe Goodberry had a stat on and it's impossible to talk linebackers without talking to tight end. How about this day. This season, the Bengals defense versus tight ends has allowed ninety seven catches for twelve hundred yards and fifteen touchdowns to opposing tight ends. Think about that, guys just rolled back at his hand. Crazy thirteen games in ninety seven catches for twelve hundred yards and fifteen touchdowns.

That's amazing. I mean, they're converting over at seventy percent of the time in almost one hundred yards to the tight ends every single game. And we were talking about it at the end of night during the game. It's like, man, I mean, the Bengals have struggled to stop the tight end forever. It seems like tight ends have hurt the Bengals franchise ever since the franchise has been has been formed. I mean it is. It's unbelievable and it doesn't have to be. You know, a Pro Bowl tight end either.

For the pace of a seventeen game season, that's a pace out of the tight ends against the Bengals of one hundred and twenty eight catch season for sixteen hundred yards and twenty touchdowns. And man, I got to think if you're an opposing offensive coordinator, you're sitting down to look at the tape each week and go on, we are targeting their linebackers.

Yeah. Absolutely, And you know that Lamar Jackson is doing that. He plays against the Bengals twice a year every year. He knows what the Bengals are struggling with at the tight end position, and he's got a Pro bowler at that spot. So I mean he's going to utilize that. Dude. And the pair of tight ends that hit the field for the Buffalo Bills yesterday, Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, the two DK man, they did a job. They did

I was talking to a big fantasy football friend of mine. He says, one of the easiest calls in fantasy football each week is to start the tight end. Who goes against the Bengals? Right, we just and if you don't have them, pick them up on the waiver wire. Well, head down the stretch on our first hour. Here from

At Lance's time for the cattering health injury report, and there really wasn't anything significant. T Higgins got dinged up again, hit his head on the turf. I went into the into the the blue tent to get to get looked at, and he was right back out in the football field. Gotta have that blue tent quickly. And you know some some minor you know bumps and bruises. I'm trying to think of the raven that was rolling his shoulder, you know, trying to get that arm loose and keep his shoulder loose.

Yeah, and for a moment, I thought we'll talk about tea later. Out of the hour, he came out of the out of the tent. Okay, Joseph o' side left briefly with the shin.

Yeah, he got right, So that was a good thing.

So yeah, all all things considered, not bad on a day like that. Let's pick it up with DJ Turner, who turned in a big play in the game, got the strip of the goal line yesterday. Here from our friend Joe D Joe Danim at Fox nineteen, part of its conversation with DJ Turner.

Okay, hard one to swallow. How much respect do you have for a guy like Josh Allen. Look, you guys have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. So today when you have a game against Josh Allen, how difficult of a matchup is it.

Yeah, it's definitely a difficult one.

Two top quarterbacks going at it, you know, but we got to find a way to get that up.

Okay, the big play at the goal line when the fumble was forced, Can you take us through that play and how the play was made?

Uh?

Yeah, I mean it was just on a like what two or three yard line? Best options getting the ball out? It's snowing cold, so you know, it's really what I was going for.

Is that something that is taught for you guys in that situation to go for the ball?

Yeah, for sure, we always try to go for the ball.

It felt like momentum was on your side in the second half. We've seen this team put away these games so many different times. When a team makes a play like Buffalo did with the pick six, how hard does it take that kind of a punch and finish a game.

Yeah, I mean it's hard, but we just have found a way. That's really the biggest thing. Like two good teams going you know, stuff gonna happen. We've got to find a way, and just find a way.

He does, just get a dupe.

A lot of people in this room said this felt like a playoff atmosphere today. Did it feel like that to you?

Yeah, I mean I would think so. I haven't played in playoff yet, but I would think so.

Okay, when this team looks at the rest of the schedule now and you have four games left and the four and nine, there was so much excitement DJ that after you beat Baltimore and see if you guys could run the table, what do you play for now?

Wait? Is that want to know? Every week?

That's the only option.

We was playing for the same thing we was this week, you know. I mean, it's your film, our team. You know, I do want to know every week, they don't matter circumstance of anything.

That's what we need to do every.

Week, DJ Turner. After the game, coming up hour two, you'll hear from T Higgins, Jamar Chase, Geno Stone, and a whole lot more to sort through from yesterday and a thirty nine thirty four loss to those Buffalo Bills. It's Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Hey, welcome back again on Bengals on this Monday night, about to unpack our number two of our journey through Bengals conversation. Bengals fall to the Buffalo Bills

That catch you made that touchdown catch, It didn't even not brace the Frida.

Uh, I mean, man, just try to make a play on the ball.

And was able to.

See how frustrating is given the fact that he guys played pretty much the game you wanted to play for. I had to say, yeah, Ages, it's a flipfles sweatch. Yeah.

Man, it's very frustrating obviously like he wants to lose, especially when he was up mostly the whole game.

Uh.

Those last two turnovers.

You know it cost us.

You can't hand those, but you gotta get it fixed. It can be better next week.

The way you guys started touchdown drives on your first three possessions, did it feel like that playoff game all over again, the way that you came out and really dominated early.

Yeah, man, it felt good.

You know, we just gotta keep putting the pressure on you know, you know obviously, like I just said to him, Uh, those two turnovers at the end cost us. Uh, we can't hand those and just keep putting pressure on 'em and you know, try to find a win.

Wasn't that case really where those turnovers were Bengals mistakes? I mean, Christian Benford, that was a great play, right.

Uh, God made a hell of a play. Uh No, So you know, I get gotta get pros where where when it's due. Uh he made a hell of a play and made a good ball. They good play on the ball, so you know, and then you know the second one, you know, got tipped. You know, tips and overthrows. You know, it's it's tough, so it's gotta be better.

How tough as a tea when you see what the offense looks like when you have everybody and you guys who out to score thirty plus points, that it might be too late in the season to get to where you wanna go.

Uh it's tough, you know. You know, we definitely wanted this win today. Uh, but it didn't happen.

So for you, we we know you came back from the concussion or to missing last week. You took some hard falls, landing on the ground awkwardly. How difficult was it for you to make it all the way through this game?

You know, I'm a I'm a soldier, you know what I mean. So soldiers take hits.

You know, it happens. It's football, It's the name of the game. Uh, you gotta get up next play. Mentally, did you try.

To invent somebody to stay in the game?

Off?

It looked like they kind of valua val what evaluated you a couple of times? I mean, what was kind of the conversations you have with the traders.

Regular Uh, you know, going through the concussion testing things. But you know, past those so I was able to go back and keep playing.

Was there aught?

You know, given the history of you saying, hey, you know, maybe wanna not playing this given what happened. I mean, how much did you think about maybe sitting out the rest.

Of the game.

I didn't think about that at all.

Why cause I'm a I'm a I'm a team for you know what I mean. Uh, my team needed me, you know, I feel like they did. So I went out there and played, try to dog this out with my team.

Was it getting frustrated that you seem to keep landing so hard? I mean, you know, football players, I get it, but sometimes you can brace your fall. It felt like you had a lot of falls today that you really could even brace yourself.

It's well, man, it's ball.

I heard Jamar say to you before the game. Hey, the weather's not bad? What was it like out there for you guys?

Snow cold?

To me, I don't like the snow, which Javari trying to convince you. Do you think that it's not so bad?

Nah?

Uh, I just think the thing was saying that cause it was a little colder in Baltimore. So uh that's probably while.

What one had a touchdown catches that just team needs to play gotta make it.

I mean, yeah, you know we knew when I when it when it was when it was called I knew somebody was gonna have to make a play, So whether it came to me or somebody else, play would have to be made.

So what's your talking part about losing this one?

We needed to win, you know what I mean to you know, have better chances of you know, making it. Uh, we just need to win.

So I know how welly y'all played last week, how wey y'all played for most of this game, and now giving where you're out with the record, how much harder does that make call what happened today?

I mean it makes it hard.

I mean we got to come back, you know, watch your film, correct what we did wrong, and just try to be better next week.

Is starting to feel like the season is slipping away.

Oh that's exact question.

T after the game and David thought it was big coming off the concussion. They got him involved immediately. He had three catches on the opening drive and kind of announced that tea was ready and let's go, and it was the start of a big day for him.

Yeah, it really was. The Uh. The Bills had a tough time matching up with t and he is He's a tough match up. The very few defensive backs have big corners the size that can you know, handle and battle T Higgins on a snap by snap basis. So he is an automatic mismatch. I mean, he is a unique, unique guy. He's one of the biggest receivers in the National Football League really overall, and he very athletic for his size, as we talked about, and he's a weapon.

It was.

It was a scary moment when he made the leaping attempt and fell and you could see his head smacked the guy on the turf like the concussion and bounced early and he sat up and on the TV replay you saw him point his finger to his helmet indicating my head and went to the blue ten. And you're thinking, man, that you get one concussion and you worry about things piling up from there. But he was able to return. It made that beauty of a one handed catch and

Yeah. I mean concussions when you when you bang your head on the turf, your your eyes they don't they don't roll up in the back of your head literally, but you lose focus. I mean, you're you're just you're, you're, you're out of whack. I mean, you can't sleep, clearly, it's you never pass an eye vision test, and it's it's like those little swimmers that you know, you go through your eyes. You have a little bit of that. So you're trying to shake it off and see how

We're gonna hear from Jamar in our next segment. But let's uh, while we're talking about the offense. Uh. The one thing that I think was surprising was especially considering Buffalo's struggles to defend the run. I think going into the game they were thirtieth I think they were giving up five or five point two yards per caring Bengals just never really got the run game untracked. Yesterday Somaj

No, he really didn't, and numbers back it up. I mean, the average less than two yards of carry. Twelve carries twenty three yards one point nine A long carry of five was a touchdown, so he did put a touchdown up on the board. But you're right, p Ryan, five point two yards per but he only carried it six times,

Boy, and he on the on the opening drive, p Ride had that third and six catch and the fight, the extra effort to keep that drive alive, which was big. He at a third and one conversion, he had a nine yard run. And the one thing that appear different about Chase Chase Brown, and I don't know if it was weather in traction, he just didn't seem to run with as much I don't know purpose. There was a little more tentative of of like the tap tail, like

Yeah, I know what you mean. It looked like he running on eggshells a little bit, you know, And and uh, you know, not not quite sure exactly of his footing.

And Samaj is not that way. He'll just batter you. You know, you may hit him, but he's gonna hit you.

He's going to hit you. And the thing I like about Samaj watching him always has a forward body lean, never runs upright, always has a body lean. He's going to smack you, and and uh, and he's going to give you little hitting surface because when you're on a forty five degree incline light to rape boy, it's like it's hard to get you know, a big hit on him. So for his big a bu he is, his running style is uh is pretty dynamic. I mean it's a

Yeah.

They always say low man wins we get you know how you're like leaning like I can't get under you.

Yeah, and if and if you do try to lower everything, he'll run you over.

You know.

So it's like, damn, I'm the damnified doing damnified don't here with this guy.

He's got like a built in He's the type of running back there's always like a built in extra yard because he's always falling forward. So when you get him, he's he's, you know, tackle on one more yard gain.

Yeah, so it is. I mean when he when he gets tackled for no gain, you don't really see him get tackled for lost. Well, when you see him get tackled for no gain, it's like, man, as an offensive line, you go back to him and say, man, we sucked on that play because I exactly if if p Ryan can't get in the yards off and and nobody is yeah.

No doubt, no doubt. All right, still ahead. We heard from t in this segment. Let's hear from Jamar on his day as we roll through Bengals Lite on this Monday night on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We keep moving with things along on this plenty and that Offendals line the Bengals. We're new network at seven hunter WLW lands for chemist day, blap them hanging out sorting through yesterday. Let's talk Jamar Chase targeted eight times,

Pick six was one of the bigger plays of the game. Is that just a risk on that play that if a guy makes a great play like that, there's just you tip your cap and you say great play and move on.

Yeah, pretty much great play called by him first time doing a safety blitz on from my side the whole game pretty much just show cloud the whole game.

Whinside love it.

So how difficult is it because then they come back with another interception to take that kind of a body blow and still try to finish.

A game of the win.

Just not a good play about dlining their hands out' make an ampag on the play.

I feel like in the last two weeks, you guys showed what this team can be.

Nah, I feel like we did it a whole Yeah, not just last two weeks.

But when you have the whole offense healthy the way you've had now and you've see the the amount of points you're putting up, is it harder to swallow Jamar knowing that if you had Joe and the whole offense the whole year, maybe you wouldn't be in this position.

Uh. Hard to say at the end of the day.

Uh, we can't really look at him and put all the pressure on him for making plays and trying to be perfect play the game.

But uh, we gotta look at ourselves.

We gotta look at the uh the other quarterbacks, the defense, the backups, everybody else that has to play.

They rolling and step into the game when they when they number called.

How much you matt a Uh admiration do you have for Tea coming back from his concussion and playing the way he did and well the hard hits that uh he felt today?

Uh, nothing less. I expect nothing less from him, you know what I'm saying. He's one of the best in the nation, and I expected a lot.

Of guys in here said that today felt like a playoff game. You've played in playoff games, you played these guys in playoff games.

Did it feel like that kind of atmosphere?

Nah?

Nah, I just not really.

Did go show you anything different from than what you saw film this week? Did they show you anything different?

No, but you saw the film during that week.

No.

The exactly what they did all week on film played six strong, six quarters two, So they did.

They did the usual people will take you out though, right, I mean that was there game.

I mean I guess it was just cloud nothing. I don't normally see.

Four nine Jamar. What now do you guys look forward to and play for?

Just keep playing man, finishtone. That's the best we could do.

I'm sorry I was late, but we'll pubs review of the.

Of the pick six good play by then. I guess he was Woodson right, Caplitz.

Jamar after the game and Dave they we talked a little bit earlier, alluded to the fact that they put up a lot of tension towards Uh Jamar. I think he had one catch going into the fourth quarter, then got hot for a little bit of a stretch and looking at the numbers. Christian Benford who had the big pick six saw from Next Gen. Christian Benford had sixteen matchups against Jamar Chase yesterday. Jamar was thrown at just twice in those sixteen matchups, no receptions and the pick six.

And that's what teams are starting to do, not just the Buffalo Bills, but everybody, particularly division opponents. They're putting a shadow on Chase, a guy like Benford who is their best cover corner, and then they'll compliment and supplement it with okay, a safety rolling over the top or a nickel corner who's you know, backing off from the nickel corner position and taking the deep part of the football field as well. So they're doing some combination coverages

Man.

He played his ass off.

Yeah. You a quick thought on Yoshi. And it's as he continues to develop, it would seem the the gap that he has to close is he'll make a nice play, but he'll have a drop. Yeah, he'll making a just closing that gap of inconsistency to make it more consent. That seems like the only thing he's lacking right now, because he'll do some things he say wow, look at that and look at the body, the way he angled his body and the strength he showed.

Then he'll have a drop and you say, how do you do that?

Yeah?

Yeah, that's he is. He's a rare I mean, he can do a lot of things. He might be as gifted an athlete. He's probably the guy on the football team that could do the pentathlon and heptathlon and all that sort of thing. I mean, the guy can do anything. You can high jump, he can pull vault, he can run sprints, you can run distance. I mean he is and honestly and truly he is gifted in that regard. But you're right, consistency making the catch and making the

Final thought on Chase. He becomes the fourth player all time with at least one thousand receiving yards and five touchdowns in each of his first five seasons. The company he's in, aj Green, Justin Jefferson, and Randy Moss bad company for guys with at least a thousand yards and five touchdowns in each of their first five seasons.

Man, that's a that's a heck of a roll call right there, and it is Hall of Famers future Hall of Famers, each and every one. There's no doubt about that. So, boy, Jamar Chase season some high cotton there, man, that's a that's a hell of a start to a season.

He's sitting on four now, four hundred and eighty six catches in his fifth season, not even done. Still four games left, four hundred and eighty six catches for jam.

Chase, four games left. If he catches fourteen balls and four games, which you think is honest a foregone conclusion, that'll be five hundred catches, one hundred a year. What one hundred catches a year? Just plug them in, man, unbelievable, amazing.

Stuck some more defense on the other side as we continue here from Geno Stone and more. He's Dave Blapham. I'm Glance Pacallister. We thank you for being with us tonight, Bengals On and the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. All Right, we are rolling through this Monday night talking everything related to the Bengals. We'll look ahead of those Baltimore Ravens in our third segment tonight in a second

He would be Dave Blapham, Yes, sir Lance, and we certainly want to remind people of shop the Bengals Pro Shop find the best selection of Bengal merchandise anywhere. Visit the Pro Shops seven days a week, located on the north side of Pity Course Stadium, or shop online at Bengals dot com.

Let's flip it back on the other side of the script. Let's talk defense and Geno Stone Bengals safety on their performance yesterday. Here's Gino after the game.

How difficult is it when momentum shifts the way it did in the fourth quarter, a couple of picks all of a sudden, you guys were in control and then you're not in control. How hard is that as a football player with momentum on the road shifts like that.

Yeah, No, definitely difficult, But us things you try to overcome if you want to really good team. So you know, I think we still handle that situation. Well, I think we would have held him three points instead of let him score.

Things like that.

We've been a different situation. But yeah, it's definitely difficult though.

You play with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but Buffalo has one as well. How difficult of a matchup is Josh Allen for a defensive player.

No, he's definitely difficult. I mean he I think he works best at you extending the players and things like that. He's a really smart guy and really athletics. So once he gets out the pocket he can make things happen in the show today. So you know, that's there's things we have to limit. We still do as good a job of Dan.

I think at the beginning we did, but not that that final third down. You know, the threat is he could run it, he could throw it. How difficult is that when he has both of those options.

Yeah, it means definitely difficult. But I play.

You know, you just got to execute. I think we had a good plan for it, and uh.

It was a good call.

And he's got to execute everyone.

Everyone got to do those jobs.

There was a lot of excitement in this room. You guys winning Baltimore. There's the thought that you guys can run the table and maybe make the playoffs. But now with four and nine, what's the feeling inside this room? But what you guys can still accomplish.

This's gout.

He's gotta finish.

I mean, that's all it is.

I mean, we's got you know, don't don't think about anything ahead of the next week or whoever it is. Just got worry about each day, just getting better as a pro each day. So that's the only thing we can go look forward to right now, and like everything else saying to you know, playoff from there.

Geno Stone after the game, and uh man, Josh Allen is such a such a problem from so many different aspects. I mean, you watch him and you see what he did to roll out and buy time, to extend to play and throw a fourth down the touchdown. You watch him take off on the on the the back breaking forty yard run, and you look at him and he's what he's listened at six five, two thirty seven. And I keep thinking of trying to think of a cop

He is, he really is. I mean, he is a He's a specimen and he can do anything you want at the quarterback position. He can throw deep, he can throw intermediate short, he's got accuracy. He struggled a little bit with his accuracy yesterday and he's had a little bit of an off year in that regard. But he can when he's on man, he's pinpoint. He can roll to the right, like you said, and you know, tucket

He's completing seventy percent of his passes. He's rushed for four hundred and eighty seven yards. In that rushing total, he's rushed for thirty seven first downs. Yeah, he's rushed for twelve touchdowns. And you add all that up, and you would think that would leave him susceptible to getting beaten up and banged up and bruised and maybe missing some games.

Dave.

The only time he's missed games he missed four games his rookie season, had a UCL strain in his elbow. But he's now in his eighth season. He hasn't missed a game since his rookie season.

Yeah, I mean those numbers.

I mean that is thirty seven first downs rushing for your quarterbacks.

And twelve touchdowns. I mean that's uh. Well, he's won an MVP. He's tracking for another one, A legitimate candidate, there's no question. Usually the MVP does go to somebody that either wins the suit Ball or gets to the Super Bowl or at least the AFC Championship.

Game.

So you know, time will tell. With respect to Josh Allen, there are other candidates you know that are a vying for that opportunity. But man, you know, a two time MVP, now you're talking to some high cotton. There's you know, if you win an MVP, it's a hell of an accomplishment. I mean, you think of all the guys that play football in the world, and you're the guy that was the best at that sport in the world and to do it two times, man, that's that's a hell of an accomplishment.

Boy, late, when the Bengals got the sack and pushed him to third and fifteen, and I'm thinking, oh, right, they're going to get a stop here, and I'll be damn, they're gonna get Joe the ball back and Joe's going to win this game. And then Josh Allen goes forty yards of one of those plays that just it slows down into slow motion as you say no, no, and just watch him run and I don't know, I have to look at the all twenty two.

What did you see?

What broke down? Everybody wants to know if there was a spy? Why not a spy? If there wasn't. What did you see on a play that breaks down to the point that Josh Allen goes forty yards to just break their back?

Well, I don't think there was a spy on the play. If there was, the guy should be cut and they shouldn't have let him get on the bus and go to the airport or let him fly home, because man, when he took off, there was nobody within five yards of him anywhere. I mean, it was unbelievable. So, yeah, they a broken coverage is all I can think of. Somebody just went and attack a route that they shouldn't had no business going and getting nosy about man, Yeah,

You know, and it goes back to what we've said about the defense. They will show flashes and they'll make a strip of the goal line like DJ Turner. You say, all right, they're starting to get it, and they'll just make a play that just makes you want to pull your hair out. They'll take a bad angle, Miles Murphy rushes inside and leaves Josh Allen to the outside. Uh DJ had a pass interference. DA's had hands to the face.

You know, I think you made a great call. There a great point trying too hard because this group they're not folding their tent. They're not quitting on the football team. They're not quitting on Al Golden. And that's that's the that's the tough thing to watch them, because I mean, watch them bust their ass in practice and they work at it. Man, Al Golden works them hard, and you know, you think, okay, this is the week. You know they're

It's a great question. Sixty four thousand dollars question. Yep, Still ahead. Let's go offensive line here from Orlando Brown and talk about the day that was for that O line that allowed just one sack. More as we continue Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. These team things rolling right along on this Monday night as we navigate our way through three hours of Bengals conversation on the show we call Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network.

Lance Bengals Friday Night Stripes Tour presented by a Hile Kat is back for all locations this season. Go to Bengals dot com slash community.

Stick it up front, talk about the Bengals offensive line. Here's Orlando Brown after the game.

It's for thirty plus points. And it felt like there were times, or Landa where you had the game in control of the second half. Did you feel like you guys were imposing your well offensively.

Yeah, you know, sometimes it's hard for me from an offensive line perspective. I'm just trying to keep Joe Clean be physical in the run game, you know, in terms of momentum.

It's hard to tell you, you know what I mean.

I don't have a for sure answer, but I think just in terms of what I was feeling from my perspective up front, I feel like we were handling them pretty well.

Part thing is, you see what it looks like now when you have the entire offense healthy back together and it might be too late for you guys to go where you want to go. Is that the hardest part to say that, look what it looks like, but we might not have the time to do it.

Yeah, no, man, I mean, you know, I think what's important is the character of our team, and especially when I look at the front of the room in terms of guys like Joe, jamar T, myself, to you know, leaders of the offense. Just a bunch of guys that love the game of football, that want to fight, you know, that love to come out here and play for the city,

This is always important to keep perspective. You know, you never necessarily know how things.

Are gonna go. You always uh got to attack. You can't necessarily fill it out. But that's the beauty of the sport.

When the team has back to back interceptions like that, how hard is it to take that kind of a punch and win a game?

Yeah, yeah, it's that's tough, man, that's tough. And you know, we'll we'll learn from our mistakes and and you know, be able to I guess you could.

Say grow or figure that out.

Orlando Brown breaking it all down, Joe Burrow through it thirty six times with sack just once, if I remember correctly, that was the was the blind side sack he took on a It was on a blitz and it took them out of field goal range. And that's the only time. I mean, I think you can make it. I don't

I agree, lance solid is a good word for it. Maybe a cut above solid, you know, is it? Uh, you know, pro Bowl level outstanding no, not not there yet, but go against that Buffalo Bills defensive front and literally not give up a sack other than a free runner Blitzer off the slot corner. And Joe never saw him, like he said, blindside, never got his eyes to that backside at all. And man, that was another play he made. The fact that he held on that football, to me

David there there was a stretch in a time where they were asking it awful lot of two rookie guards with Fairchild and Rivers. Rivers hurt his ankle and Dalton Reisner was plucked back in it. And I think people forget Dalton was signed really late in camp and on the fly joined this and like on the fly, they plugged him in and I'm sure that was a struggle for him and he got dinged up a little bit.

I think so Lance. And part of it is it's a real good call by you. Part of it is he's a veteran. You know, he's been around, he's been he's been to multiple wars, you know, talking talking to him, he has a very high football IQ. Ted Carriss has a very high football IQ. Fairchild is is you know, it's got a great football i Q. But he's a young buck you know, rookie try and still learning. But he played, you know Georgia man, he played high level

All right, when we come back, could we spend a couple of minutes maybe on Jermaine Burton? Yes, O, good way to put it. That is ahead Bengals on on the Bengals Radio network and seven hundred WLW. All right down the stretch we go Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio network in seven hundred WLW is we prepared to put our second hour in the books, Big third hour to follow. Here more from Zach, here, more from Joe, and we'll do our fantastic fun facts with Joe Flacco

Uh.

I was probably forget about breaking his sweat. He was probably just freezing his tail off, just sitting there saying, guys, let me run around, put me on the field for at least a punt. But I guess he's okay, not punning.

Yeah, he's okay, not punning for sure, And yeah, I just keep running the offense and he's the holder. So like a lot of punners, a lot of punters are holders. For their for their teammate, their place kicker. So he did. He did a phenomenal job holding and that's uh his contribution. When he called home, talked to his parents to go, yeah, did you see me?

You see the see me?

Hold that thing? I man, I caught it and spun that ball the laces and I spun him away from the kicker.

I did a hell of a job his pro football focus great is great.

Absolutely, it's a perfect score.

All right. Uh, well you can laugh about that, and no, my head's gonna hurt. And we're going to talk about Jermaine and Burton, who unfortunately was suspended yesterday, did not travel with the team, and Dave, a third round pick last year, the eightieth overall. Who I thought about this

Boy, when they drafted him, they thought, here's our third receiver and the three receiver package, and they were they were unbelievably excited about adding him to the mix, and good reason. I mean, he is a gifted athlete. This guy, his size, speed, ray show is as good as anybody in the National Football League. He's a physical marvel. You know, a lot of a lot of guys on the team, a lot of defensive backs say that he's he's he's as good as anybody that got on the roster.

You know.

But man, he's immature. Just can't get it figured out. Just uh, he's late more than he's on time.

You know.

It's I remember Paul Brown used to say, when you're showing me things like that, not taking notes and meetings, showing up late doing you are telling me the game's not important enough to you. And when the game's not important enough to you, I don't have time for you. So it's sad to see him. Yes, just let a career, potential career that could be really good, just go away,

Yeah, And boy, when I think of him, I always go back to the draft day vision. They had the camera in the Bengals draft room at the time and and Zach you know, slapped the table and was hugging and there there was genuine exciting Yeah, that pick was made of We got him. We've got a talent that

It's just, yeah, I mean, how many chances will he get?

You know?

I mean, it's like maybe some of the things you're talking about off the football field with his life, problems with his family or friends, whatever the case may be. Okay, well, let's give him another chance. Let's see if it can work his way through this and work his way out of it and you know, focus on the game of football and do what he needs to do to be a productive football player for the Cincinnati Bank in the National Football League. But man, how many times? How many

Doubt, no doubt. We've completed two hours. Our third to follow. You'll hear a little bit more on Zach. You'll hear from Joe and Moore on Bengals Line, the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Hey, we're back on Bengals Line on this Monday night of the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLWYM Lance Bacabister, He's Dave Lappan.

Thanks for being with us and Bengals fans, make sure to catch me and Dan Hord every Wednesday this season for a Bengals game plan presented by bud Light on the air from six to eight pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.

We heard a little bit from QB one Joe Burrow early in the show. Let's pick up the rest of his reflections on yesterday's defeat and what is ahead of the remaining four games of the season. Here's Joe Burrow.

Playing the guy in a game with a guy like Josh.

I mean, do you feel like you have to.

Do you feel like you got a match him?

Or what was it like?

Right?

Try to keep gable?

Yeah, we knew what kind of game it was gonna be. Uh, obviously he's a great player and makes plays in all kinds of situations. And you know, I think the last play was the epitome of who he is as a player.

Uh.

You gotta account for for everything with him, and he did a great job today.

Oh oh, the next four game, you said, well, potationally not like you. What do you do you what would you hope to see over the next four game to show you that this thing games billion or constant teams pass.

I don't know.

We're just gonna go out and try to execute and play well and win games. You know, we'll look at all the big picture stuff when it's all set and down.

This year.

This is like a lot of games.

You guys have been in shootouts where you come when you score, like your plays and you don't get there.

How do you indulem utily you being in so many of He's where thirty.

Four isn't enough. Yeah, I mean, you know that might've I think I've matured this year and gain some perspective on on and everything when I was out and I'm just grateful to to be out there and be able to be a quarterback in the NFL and be one of the best. You know, I'm I don't take that for granted, and I work really hard to, like I said, put myself in a position to to do that. It's just like everybody else in there. So that's what I'm

The first touchdowns are tea that that's which.

That Eve gonna make you catch.

No, I've seen him make that catch a million times.

Uh.

You know that's one where you just put some air on and let Tea go and make a play, and that's a that's what he does.

What did he say about Tea.

That you know, you you really bought to you every you can go to stay in the game, really use a ad of it that you wanted.

What was Yeah too, he's a tough guy. I think he's gotten tougher over the years. You know, back in the day, he would get hit and I'd hold my breath cause he would lay there for a second and then he'd pop back up. I think everybody remembers that. Now this pop up game is pretty good, and so that's good to see. Doesn't doesn't scare me quite as much. But he's as tough as they come, and he's gonna continue to make big time plays in big time spots. That's that's who he is, or or stuff like that.

That kind of your mentality about then, what's that say to you?

Yeah, well, it gives me a lot of confidence throwing them the ball in a lot of different situations. You know, there's I'm gonna protect him with the ball as good as much as I can, you know, over the middle and in vulnerable positions. But you know, sometimes in big spots you're gonna have to fit a ball in there where you know receiver's gonna know that he's gonna get hit.

You talked about the perspective from being out and and maybe how that's helped shape how you view this season.

Is it a hard balance between you, I believe on the things two menus that you get paid a lot of money.

Plate it's getting you're out there playing in the snow a game against you know from.

The top quarterbacks, you're having fun. You don't come out to win.

To enjoy that moment while also knowing you're out where you want to be. Is that a hard balance to make sure that you, you know, remember these moments, but it doesn't a shadow where you feel about what you guys have made you so that you're playing in the playoffs.

Yeah, it, you know it had That's that's been a struggle for the last couple of years. But I've grown and and matured and understood the position that you know, we find ourselves in and certainly the last ten weeks UH has has shown me a lot.

Uh.

Like I said, I'm just happy to be out there. You know, we we want to win games and be in the playoffs and and do everything that you know, we say that we're capable of doing. But you know, when I came back, I knew it was gonna be an uphill battle. We were we were three and eight at that point. That's certainly not a playoff caliber position to be in. And you know, really we're we're still not out of it. We're gonna be We're gonna be three games back. I don't know who who won between

The city Sydney guys touchdown to him and.

Had came over out of practice.

Yeah, it was Yeah, that was a fun one.

Uh.

You know, we saw a look in practice and you know, talked about it after and it was just like, Mike, if you get that log, go ahead and do that. That's what he did and this is exactly how it played out in practice, you know, slightly different, but very similar, and so would be able to execute that. It was, that's fine.

Joe Burrow after the game and Dave we were talking in the first segment about what's ahead and and commitment to it. And Joe was asked yesterday about, you know, four games left, playoff odds that have diminished a little bit. But Joe said, look, I I worked my butt off to come back. Some would say, now, okay, we saw you your healthy, let's not risk anything in the four Joseph the mindset, I didn't work my tail off to get back here, so I can sit the final four games.

Love the man, Yes, I mean love everything about him. And his teammates do too. I mean, you know they're gonna go to battle, and they're gonna go go to battle with Joe Burrow, and Joe Burrow is gonna go to battle with them and they are gonna fight their tails off. So you know, make no mistake about it, Joe Burrows is here to play football. He gets paid handsomely to play football, and even if he didn't, he's just one of those guys that loves the games. He's

It is.

It's hard to believe, and it's part of the you know, Joe famously said the window is his career and Dave were looking at sadly and frustratingly, this could be the third straight year. With a lot of circumstances unfolding and injuries, it's gonna be the third straight year Joe Burrow is not going to be in the playoffs. And that's tough to digest when you start thinking Joe's age in twenty nineties, not old, but man, three years in a window without the playoffs.

And really around the league I mean there's a bunch of head coaches and offensive coordinators and quarterback coaches saying I'll take them.

Yep, you know.

I'll raise my hand, I raise both my hands. I'll jump up and down. Are you kidding me? A talent like Joe Burrow? We cannot find the right quarterback. That's the only component we have missing. We've got a bunch of ingredients. But man, you gotta have that one man. You gotta have the foundational guy. And Joe Burrow's a foundational guy. He's one of the best guys to ever do it.

We'll take them, no doubt. Still ahead on the quarterback theme, how about fantastic fun facts with Joe Flacco. You're gonna love this from day a Horde. It's Bengals On in the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW. Hey, thanks for tagging along with us tonight as we make our way through three hours of Bengals conversation. We do it every Monday Night with Bengals On and the Bengals Radio Network.

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We love the weekly segment that Dan Horde does called Fantastic Fun Facts, a chance to kind of pull back the curtain and learn more about the player and about the person. This week in the spotlight is the Bengals backup quarterback Joe Flacco. Here stay in Hord Fantastic Fun Facts and Joe no.

Fantastic Fun Facts with Dan Ord.

Time for some fun facts with Joe Flacco from Audubon, New Jersey, which is basically a suburb of Philly. Just cross the Delaware River and you're there. You're from a big family. How big? And what did your folks do for a living?

I'm the oldest of six, got four brothers and a sister. My mom stayed at home and was, you know, responsible for raising us and the people we are and basically running the entire family. And then my dad had his own mortgage business with a couple guys.

I'm one of five, so I can identify with what your mom did for the family. You're six six. Where did you get your height?

I'm not sure. We joke around, you know, old fashioned the milkman.

You know.

My mom's like, you know, like five six. Maybe she's five seven. My dad's maybe five eleven, So not quite sure where it comes from.

Did you have to work hard at being at sports or did it pretty much come naturally.

I think you always had. I think when you have an interest in sports from an early age, you just naturally work hard at it. It's just what you like to do. So it's tough to say. I feel like I've always been good at it. I feel like it came naturally. But at the same time, I've always been interested in it, so it was something that I was always doing, always developing. So yeah, it's tough to probably say.

Honestly, you started your college football career at Pitt. You red shirted your first year, and then you were a backup your second year. Is that what you expected or were you disappointed that you didn't get a faster opportunity.

I don't know exactly what I expected. I probably expected to go in and start as as quickly as I can. At some point I was hoping to get an opportunity. I think I was not okay, but okay with my second year being where I was, But by that third year, I really wanted I really wanted to be playing football. And it wasn't looking like that was going to happen, and that's kind of what led to go to go to Delaware.

Why did you choose Delaware?

Well, really, I mean there was no portal back in the day, and I got recruited, but like, I wasn't like a huge recruit, so it was tough to really find out if anybody wanted me. And you know what, my it wasn't like I really had very many options or a decision to make. But Delaware was a team that recruited me a little bit out of high school as a smaller school that probably understood that I wasn't

You wound up being the eighteenth pick in the draft by Baltimore, the second quarterback selected your year. What was it like to get that phone call from Ozzie Newsom?

Getting that call was surreal. I mean, sitting there with your family and something that you've kind of envisioned since you can remember, and probably wasn't as really as I think it was. But from the time I can remember, you know, I wanted to be a professional athlete. You know, probably started with baseball and went to football and baseball and ended up at football. So to get that call

We're visiting the Joe Flacco. You took the Ravens to the playoffs each of your first four years. You want a playoff game every year, and then in year five he led Baltimore to the super Bowl title. There are thirty five quarterbacks who have led their team to a super Bowl title. When I express it in those terms, what does that say to you?

You know, it's one of those times where you don't as a player. I don't think you do sit back and reflect enough on how special it is to get to do what we do. I don't think you you know, I don't, and I'm not somebody that does it either. I don't think we sit back and look at what we just did or what we've done over the last

It.

It's pretty damn cool. I mean, you have to go back and put yourself in the shoes of when you were a young kid slash teenager and you were hoping to be in this position one day. And you know, when you hear things like that from other people, you do turn back into that kid, and you can put it in that kind of view and that perspective and really enjoy it.

After eleven years in Baltimore, you've bounced around since, with six teams over the last seven years. I suppose on one hand, it's nice to be a guy that plays for one team his entire career. On the other hand, you've made so many friends and seeing how different teams do it. Has that been enjoyable in a certain way for sure?

Yeah, it's a good way to put it, you know. I think ultimately it would have been great to play twenty years in one spot, you know, and call it a day. But that's not my life. This is my life, and you got to look at the positives in it.

You've got five kids. They were too young or not born when you won the Super so earlier this year, when you beat the Steelers on Thursday night, when you threw for four seventy against the Bears. Now your kids are old enough to watch it and appreciate it. Is that the best part about still playing at forty.

It's definitely a cool part of it, it really is. And they just want more. You know, you do one game, they want more, they want more.

You know.

It's very I think a couple of years ago. I think in twenty three when I got signed and went to Cleveland and that was like the first real time that they actually cared, you know, in twenty nineteen. Yeah, like by the time I left Baltimore, like they had they were, you know, six years old. I think I was at six or something like that. Like you'd think they'd be old enough to kind of get it a little bit, but they don't, not until they're nine, ten, eleven,

He went viral several weeks ago for discussing the joys of going to a restaurant alone. How did your wife take that?

She laughed, just like everybody else. Yeah, she You know, we're so past that point where it's like what.

Are you doing?

You're doing this and I'm doing that.

You know, we've gone through those stages where you may want to feel a certain way about what the other person's doing. You know, we're so past that thankfully, And I and I and I think she's at the point too, like she wants to see me have success and she's she's she's partaking in that success. I mean, she's a huge part of that. So you know, if people are getting a good laugh out of eye interviews or anything like that, I think she's kind of enjoying it.

For the most part too.

Final fun fact, this one's kind of deep. If you could meet anyone in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?

Wow, I'm good at these questions. I don't know if I have anybody specific. You know, we were just talking about all the unknowns that are in this world, and man, what would you like answers to? And you know, what would it be cool if you knew the answers to. I mean, shoot, I'd love to go back to when those pyramids are built then talk to somebody from that time, you know, and see what was the deal with that. But it's hard for me to pick out somebody specific.

I'll cut your break because you've answered every other question beautifully and it's been a real treat to see you play and to see you lead this team.

Thanks so much, Joe, I appreciate it.

Thank you.

I say it every time I hear Joe Flacco talk. I loved until he came here. My exposure to Joe Flacco was just like sound bites when he played on various teams. You'd hear a comment after a game. But the more he talks and the more reflective you understand he is. And you said it a couple of weeks ago, Dave,

Oh absolutely, He'd be the ideal number two quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals. I mean, he's already made some serious friends, yeah, relationships on this football team. I mean, Joe Flacco is really a good person. I mean, married, so, a husband, father of five. He's a busy guy. And the fact is when he went in the football to play football games in the absence of Joe Borrow, he did well.

Man.

He's proven he can still throw it and throw it well and did a good job for the Cincinnati Bengals. I think the Bengal would be thrilled to have Joe Burrow Joe Flacko back in training camp next year, backing up Joe Burrow.

Yeah, that's the only problem. There's two Joes, and I always catch myself which I start to say one and I meet the other and we come back and change his name. Still ahead, let's talk about those Ravens. You'll hear John Harbaugh's opening thoughts from their loss yesterday to the Steelers, and we'll look ahead to the rematch against Baltimore.

And Lance pay Corp. Was proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Next up, Baltimore Ravens. Tough luck losers yesterday at home twenty seven to twenty two to the Steelers. Ravens dropped to six and seven. Controversy late when a touchdown was overturned that the Ravens looked like they had taken the lead, but it's a rule of no catch and they fall twenty seven to twenty two. Here's John Harball after the game.

All right, good game, tough loss. Fought to the end four games last Season's not over. Fighting for THEFC North for the next four games. That's where we stand. What questions, Jee on.

The replay, it looked like Isaiah had got in two feet down. What was the explanation that was given to you on the sideline?

Yeah, the explanation was a third foot didn't get down before the ball came out.

That's what they said.

Do you believe it should have been touchdown?

Uh, you know what, I believe a lot of things I think, I think to play with I think the Aaron Rodgers play, I mean just com of rules here. It's not an officiating issue.

It comes from New York.

But you know when you when you when you're making a catch, you have to you have to you have to survive the ground. You know, he he didn't survive the ground. He's no doubt, he's not down by contact.

He was catching.

He was catching the ball on the way down with another person. So you got to you gotta make a catch there and survive the ground. I don't know why it was ruled the way it was on that one. So all those things, I'm sure we'll they'll explain to us. But they had plenty of time to look at and they're the ones who are the experts on the rules.

So that's how it works.

How was the Rogers playing that?

He was just down with the progression of the book?

John, what did you see on the Travis Jones so.

Kindly on the field goal that I didn't see heading that contact, That's what I did not see. So but you you need to have head and head in that career of contact there and it's gotta be forceful, you know, contact, not incident contact. I didn't see any contact myself.

John, How do you, you know, talk to the players when you know, in a game where you feel like some calls might not go on your way? How do you how do you address and kind of take this loss in and try to explain that.

To you men?

Your players?

Yeah, I mean the players. The players don't you know, they know they've been in the NFL. They know how this stuff works, you know, And I tell them basically, we're not We're not. We're don't make any excuses. We don't put fingers. That's not what we do here.

We never have.

We walk out of here with our chest out and or chin up, you know, and we look to the next game.

You know.

We are fighting still for everything that we want to accomplish, you know. So it's been it's tough. It's been a tough, challenging road for sure, but that's where we're you know, and we will keep fighting and we believe we can get it done.

Ravens six and seven and Davids. We look to the rematch and think about what happened to the first one. Odds are the Ravens won't turn it over five times again. Odds are the Bengals won't be as bad as one for six in the red zone like they were, And odds are probably that Baltimore is not gonna get it's gonna feed Derek Henry more than the ten times in the first matchup.

That's that's the crazy thing. I mean, because this guy, you talk about it, Piecet, you talk about an animal and pushing six to three, pushing two hundred and fifty pounds and can fly. I mean, it's that God blessed him with unique talents and there's broke them mold you know when they when they uh produced Derrick Henry, that was the end no more. He is something else and

You better keep an eye on and tackle Mark Andrews.

Yes, yes, another, Oh my god, Well down the Stretch Final thoughts next Bengals line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred wl W.

Right down the Stretch Final Thoughts up the night day. Four games to go. The scenario is simple, I don't know. Simple. You gotta win the final four. The Steelers have to lose three of their final four and the Ravens have to lose at least two of their four, and uh then the Bengals would win tiebreakers. But let's just focus on beating the Ravens. We'll go from there. How that sounds like a plan, because winning four when you've only won four to this point is a big hurdle.

So let's just work on one very good point, very strong, and.

Then we'll talk next week. He is dab five of my plants. McAllister, This has been Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio network and seven hundred WLW.

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