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All right, let's get it going on this Monday night, three hours about to unfold its Bengals line of the Bengals Radio Network seven hundred WLW and ESPN fifteen thirty. Lance Pacallister along with Dave lapham Man, do we have some things to sort through? And feel good of a mini by following a victory on Thursday night? Nothing like waking up Sunday morning and having the realization, Ah, that's right,
they've already won this week. And David, I gotta think I don't think it's a stretch here when I say Thursday night we witnessed the best all around performance of the season by this football team.
I agree with you, Lance, I think in all three phases, I thought all three phases contributed, you know, Offense, defense, special teams. Everybody made plays. Every phase made plays. Every player that played in those phases made plays on the offense, defense, and special team. So I agree. I mean, I think that it was the most complete game that the team has played this season, one of the more complete games
they've played in the last few years. So I think Zach Taylor has to be pretty policed with what he saw.
Point how nice was it after? I think it was the day seventy five, his return on Thursday night, to have Joe Burrow back, certainly a little bit of rust earlier that he shook off. But man, when you insert him into this football team and onto the field, you just marvel at the impact he has, no question.
I mean, he is the unquestioned leader of the pack. He's the man, and he plays that way. I mean, he's one of the best quarterbacks I've ever seen. He understands everything about that position. His mechanics, his techniques are simply marvelous. They're they're just high, high level. He has a great i Q for the game of football. He understands football, he knows it cold.
Uh.
It seems like he was born to play football, he was blessed to play football. And Uh, the team responds to him. I mean he That's that's the definition of leader. You know, what do you what? What do the other guys do when you're a part of it? And uh, is there a noticeable decline when you're not? And the answers yes in both cases. So I mean, Joe, Joe Burrow is the straw that stirs to drink. There's no question about that. And there was some rust and dust,
no question about it. But I thought in the second half he had he had knocked most of that off, and I thought that he played, you know, really good solid football. He was playing football more of the way that we're a custom to seeing Joe Borrow play the game of football.
Well here from Joe Burrow a little bit later on will break down more of his performance and things that jumped out before we're done tonight. Another thing that jumps out, man, You look and see the time of possession, almost thirty nine minutes to twenty one minutes, right, eighty plays run by the Bengals to fifty seven by the Ravens. Holy cow, that's you're gonna win football games when you do.
That, you are, I mean, that's basically playing keep away, yes, you know, I mean, remember we used to play that as kids, you know, I keep away, if you make a play, you keep the ball, you know, And so that that's staggering that played. Discrepancy differential is not common in the National Football League, and that translated to a big time of possession differential as well. And I think the big reason for it was the Bengals ran the
ball so well, you know. And both teams did run the football, so the clock was definitely moving, but the Bengals ran it so effectively, and and and Joe Burrow completed a high percent of his passes, so the clock wasn't stopping, you know. And you know, you make that little short intermediate throw, complete the football move the change clock keeps running. So the Bengals did a good job of giving less time for the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson to respond to answer to things. And then you
start to press. The natural thing to do is start to press because I'm gonna how many more possessives am I gonna have? I don't know what I mean, when are they gonna give us the football back? You know? And you start to start to worry about those kind of things for sure. So I thought they did a good job on Lamar Jackson. He's obviously a you know, a multi tool quarterback. He's almost like a running back quarterback in one body, the way he can run the football,
the way his foot speed. He was hindered obviously by you know, by his injury, his lower body injury. Both quarterbacks were not one, but I thought both quarterbacks really led their football teams and operated at a pretty good level.
Boy, you talk about a defense being opportunistic and forcing turnovers, that old saying turnovers seem to come in bunches. Well there was a budge turnovers on Thursday, and we're talking, Dave. They hold the Ravens to fourteen points in their home stadium. That's tough to do.
It is it is? And they scored thirty two, and you know, it's it's amazing. I mean they could have scored. They had four fumble recoveries, in an interception, five takeaways. I mean that would normally translate to forty five fifty points. You know, so thirty two. It's like it's good, but it's not. Guys weren't let's put it this way. In the locker room, guys weren't all fired up about it, about the performance after the game offensively, because they felt like they left a lot of meat on the bone
because of that turnover differential. They felt like that should have been a wider margin of victory.
Well, let's remember a week ago, we were sitting right here in the final segment or so, we were talking about the Ravens and how they had turned around their defense. Yeah, and the first five weeks of the season they'd given up one hundred and seventy seven points, more than any five week period in history. But in the previous six going into Thursday night, they had not allowed twenty points in a game, and the Bengals getting for thirty two
and as you alluded to, should have had more. They did a number on that on a really good Ravens defense.
They really did. And again I think the big key was how well they ran the football, and as a result of wund they controlled the line of scrimmage. I thought, for the most part that the Bengals controlled the line of scrimmage more than the Baltimore Ravens did. I mean, the Ravens did their share of damage, they always do, but I thought that really that the offensive and defensive
lines I thought played their best game together. At the same time in the same football game as they have all season long.
I'll tell you one thing that I still look back on. I looked at it again this morning. I said, man, it is right. The more I look at it, I said, it's actually correct. Derrick Henry on the opening drive at a twenty eight yard carry, right, He carried five times in the first half and ten times for the game, and they won possession into the third quarter. That was still a twelve seven game. That was like the Ravens were behind by three scores and they just didn't run Derick Henry.
Thank you telling you. I'll guarantee you that Harbaugh is lamenting that fact right now. I mean that that that to me when you look at that football game and the score and all the circumstances, and if you didn't watch it, you don't really have a total understanding. It was mind boggling. We were surprised. I remember mentioning to dan On here, it's like, Derrick Henry's got five carries right now, John carried the ball five times. I mean, this guy can punish you. This guy can wear you down.
That's the thing he physically wears on you. And as in the second half of the football game. Man, your defense is definitely fatigued, you know, and just by stopping that big old horse, and they decided not to do it for whatever reason. And I don't I don't know if they outdoted themselves. You know, they're trying to be uh yeah, yeah, let's let's uh, let's let's you know, show them a wrinkle of two that that they're not expecting.
And man, that that was a huge miss not to run Derek Henry more than they And.
It'd be one thing if Lamar was Lamar, you could entertain the conversation. But when Lamar clearly isn't Lamar, and Derek carries ten times for sixty yard, I mean that's six yards of carry. Think of what he did more carries. It just I mean, if you're a Ravens fans had to be melting down after the game looking at Dad.
Absolutely, and you look at the Lamar Jackson carried the ball too much, Yes, because he had to because of pressure. A lot of his carries they weren't you know, scripted, they weren't designed. They were like, man, pressure, I got to climb the pocket. I got to try to make something out of nothing. Here, or I got to get out of pocket, get to the perimeter. Then of course they had the design rollouts and the design nakeds and
things like that, which also led to rushing yards. But I'll guarantee you that the offensive game plan was not designed the way it unfolded.
We'll get into the the AFC North in greater detail later on in this hour, but a quick thought, the Bengals clearly turned in the best performance in the division of this week in football. The Bengals get help from the Bills yesterday, who dominated the Steelers and Dave. All of a sudden, you look at the standings and you say, all right, it won't won't be easy, but it's certainly not impossible.
No, I mean, best record is six and six. I mean, the the tie for first place Baltimore and Pittsburgh they're both six and six. That is unbelievable. And the Bengals are what three and one in the division? Yep. So I mean they could literally, you know, finish five and one in the division, and that is a very high tie breaker. I mean that's the one that's the first thing they look at, Well, how'd you do in your
own division? Five and one? Pretty good. So if they can, if they can't crawl back to five hundred or better, go nine to eight. I think nine is the magic number. They gotta win nine football games to make the playoffs and then let the tiebreakers do their thing, no doubt.
Buckle up five weeks to go. We'll take our first time out and continue much more to get to later on. Jeff Hoopson's going to join us in our second hour. We've got so much to sort through from a thirty two to fourteen win on Thursday Night football and a look ahead of those Buffalo Bills on Sunday. He is Dave Lapham, a Lance McAllister. It's Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network seven hundred WLW and ESPN fifteen thirty. Let's keep moving along on this Monday night tem at
Bengals Football. Here's the plan from a programming standpoint. At the bottom of the hour, we're going to break away. It'll be Dan and Terry with UC basketball coverage beginning at six thirty after the news on seven hundred WLW. We'll continue on on ESPN fifteen thirty until nine o'clock tonight with all things related to those Cincinnati Bengals winners thirty two fourteen over the Baltimore Ravens. Dave, you talked
about the run game. I don't want to get to that in just a second, but it just popped into my head. And we'll ask Jeff Hobson about this, because he wrote about it extensively.
What was it like?
Give me the scouting report. What was like sitting on a tarmac in a plane for five and a half hours waiting to fly to Baltimore because mechanical issues with the plane.
I'll tell you what.
It's like.
You're thinking, there's better things I could be doing with my life right now. You're just sitting there and and you have no control of your own destiny. You know, it's like it's totally it's totally controlled by outside forces, and uh, man, it is. It's a it's an empty feeling, it's a sick feeling. Then you know, every half hour we'll be uh, we'll be the party. You know we're no, we're not, you know, we're not. Quit playing with us,
put messing with us. And finally Zach Zach took control and uh got a Delta employee to you know, get another plane and he got on and said, Okay, we're the planeing, we're getting off the plane, get your baggage and uh and let's get on another plane. Get the hell out of here. Man loose translation, very loose.
Yes, and again Jeff Hobson is gonna join us in the next hour. He wrote about it and and the herculean effort turned in by Jeff Brickner, the director of operations, and he got a game ball as a result. And uh, there are stories of the ballroom and turkey at one am, and.
Oh so much to get to with Whicheff.
Just an amazingly Nightmara scene that actually was handled well on everybody's and to make it, to make it more bearable from the Bengals standpoint in view of things, big thing was the win.
Oh yes, yes, lo that football game after that would have been oh man, no doubt.
You mentioned in the first segment the run game and being a big key here and I'm I'm looking at Chase Brown.
David.
We talk about him every week because he keeps doing stuff every week. That's six straight games with at least one hundred yards from scrimmage. Over those six games, he's rushed for five hundred and two yards, averaging almost six yards of carry Dave for the season, He's now tracking for fourteen hundred total yards from scrimmage. He's clicked, the line has clicked. The run game looks a whole lot different than it did early on.
Yeah, it does. And he he is he is definitely a force to be reckoned with. I mean he is. He's starting to give some around the National Football League because he can do anything, and he can do everything on a football field. He can run the ball. He can run the ball with power. He can run with speed. You know, he can bust a long one. He can run away from people. He has you know, sub four to four speed. So and he's put together. You know, they's listened at five ten like two fifteen. He's probably
five nine ish and you know, maybe two tennish. But man, he packs a punch now is a he's a well put together kid. And he's been in the weight rooms. His squads, hamstrings, casts are all unbelievably strong. And he also is a good receiver out of the backfield, runs good routes, gets separation, knows how to change direction, can do it quickly with those jackhammer feet that he's got,
and then he also will block people. I mean he'll get physical in that area and he'll take on a linebacker or a safety that's blitzing, hit him right in the chest and stone him, knock him back some you know. I mean, Chase Brown can do it all and does all well. Well, I'll tell you what.
Along the run game and talking about stoning somebody, I don't want to leave out Samaj p Ryan. I'll throw that Joe made to Yoshi, which was just he ripped it right down in the middle of the field twenty nine yards for a touchdown. It's beautiful, Joe said after the game he felt back at that point. But Samaj p Ryan picks up a blitzer and just moves him out of the way. And it was one of those in slow motion you're thinking, Joe, duck, he's gonna get and then Samaj to the rescue, got him.
Right out of the way. Right, You're right on. I mean, Samaj is a great blend of physicality and athleticism. I mean he's a big bodied running back man that can, you know, do things that backs much smaller physical size wise do. But then he'll also you talk about a one two punch of blitz pickup, Samaj p Run and
Chase Brown. I'll say that I waterer that in the National Football League, there's not a better one two punch, a better duo a blitz pickup guys than those two, because no, they their goal is to not only pick the guy up, but to hurt him, you know, to make them remember that. Hey, this is this is Take a look at the number. I'm number thirty, Chase Brown. That's me. I'm the guy that stoned you right there, hit you right in the mouth and uh and startled you, stunned you more so.
Uh.
And Samaj p Ryan, Hey, I'm number thirty four. Yep, take a look, I'm the guy. Those two guys take great pride in that part of the game, for sure.
But I remember Chase. The first couple of weeks we talked about Chase Brown being hit behind the line so often and before he could make his first cut through his contact, and then it seemed like there were things that he may have rushed because the the frustration. It's not that and I'm going to make something happen.
Yeah.
Now it seems he trust that old line is really gelled and he's trusting it there's just seems like a flow to the runs.
Now, yeah, I think I think you're right, Plants. I think the the old line is playing at a much higher level, uh than they had been. You hear the players talking about that that they're very comfortable, and that's the biggest thing. Having played the position in the offensive line, I mean, you have to be comfortable with how the center plays, how the tackle plays. If you're a guard, for example, and you know it almost has to be you can do it, and you sleep when you pass
off a stunt. You just trust. You know he's gonna be there. There's no way he's not gonna be there. So they're starting to play much much better as a group. It's like I always compare it to making a fist, you know, the five components wrap four fingers and curl the thumb around it. That's that's the way they're playing in the offensive line right now. They're playing like they're they're making a fist on every single snap and doing some damage.
All right, still ahead, more to sort through from this game. Jeff Hobson's gonna join us in the second hour tonight. We're gonna hear a little bit later. I will get into the Bills and hear the opening thoughts of Sean McDermott yesterday from the bills dominating win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. All of that and more over the course of three hours, again with a programming note on seven hundred WLW or break away, it'll be Dan and Terry with UC Basketball.
Stick with us on ESPN fifteen thirty. We've got Bengals Line the rest of the way. Thanks for being with us. Tonight we continue Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network seven hundred WLWN, ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. We continue on on this Monday Night of Bengals Line. We do it on the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen thirty. Lance McAllister along with Dave Lapham.
And Lance Is the holiday season approaches, it's time to shop the Bengals Pro Shop on the best selection of Bengals merchandise anywhere. Visit the Pro Shop seven days a week, located on the north side of pay Court Stadium, a shop online at Bengals dot Com.
Joe Burrow on day seventy five since his injury, returns to complete twenty four of forty six two hundred and sixty one yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, He was sacked once. Quarterback rating of eighty three point seven. With all eyes on Joe and howid look turns in a winning performance, and he talked about it after that.
Yeah, I felt great.
You know, obviously had to knock some rust off there in the first half, so I expect myself to play better.
But uh, it was great to be back out there.
I was, you know, a lot of emotions running through it at the end of the game, so, uh, it's just good to be back with the guys. You know, I thought second half, I started to to put it more where I wanted and settled in a little bit. Certainly miss some throws early that I typically make, but you know, after that, I felt felt pretty comfortable back there. I thought that the line did great, we ran it well. Obviously defense played great, so I'm just gonna keep getting better.
You mentioned jelly off a little bit of rubb or like, when did you start through.
The whole first half.
I was, you know, my feet were a little antsy back there, missing some throws, But like I said, in the second half, I felt felt a lot more comfortable. Started putting them where I wanted to and uh, you know, getting out and running and makes making a couple of plays with my feet, getting out of the pocket a little bit. Certainly don't wanna make a living that way.
But was able to to pick my spots go.
I walk going on during the night.
But you canna have any moments where you felt like you had.
A chance to reflect on the journey back to this moment to.
Get back and and how hard it's been to be able to enjoy a night like this.
Yeah, it was certainly have those moments after the game. Certainly hasn't been easy on me through through six years from a lot of different angles. But you know, I've worked really hard to put myself in position to be back out there, and a lot of people around me have done the same. And there's been a lot of discussions and a lot of time in the training room and just a lot lot that has gone into this. And you know, I'm I'm proud to be that is.
And that over good. Was there any supposed to.
Get me back into it where you know in the first step then you fail to get Is there any throw the pets you going in.
To pet your home that touchdown to to Yoshi, I felt pretty good about it. Was, Uh, put it right where I wanted it. Didn't exactly spend it the way I wanted it, but that's all right. I put it, put it in a good spot, and you know, he was ready for the work.
That one was.
That one felt though, is this what you became?
That more was kind of whining and what's all that worked in?
Uh?
Yeah, there's there's no there's no better feeling than that, you know, putting in, putting in work for for a long time and going out and in it paying off. It's Uh, there's just n just there's there's just no feeling like going out in front of the world with a group of guys that work really hard to go try to win games, and and going out and putting on a good performance and winning that game.
You know, obviously we got a lot of games left, but we're.
Gonna enjoy this when on this on this little mini by weekend and everybody's gonna go and have Thanksgiving with their families and smile and eat and feel good about it.
House.
Yeah, how playing?
Shoot, Yeah, it was good.
I was a little more mobile than I expected to be, to be honest, So that felt good.
Uh.
We got a good system on the sideline of you know, changing shoes out and doing what I need to do to stay fresh.
Uh, So we'll continue to do.
That sort of playing the game where you kind of play and sends it out and.
Make over spot.
He thought, Well, I think the first time I really left the pocket was in the red zone.
I threw it to Yoshi. It was incomplete.
But after that one I felt pretty good, and so I felt a little more comfortable doing some more of that stuff.
It just one deal of job, obviously, one way.
What given the competition where it was said in the national decide, does this kind of give you a glimpse of.
What was the capable world?
The next quody, we know the guys we have in the locker room, we know what we have in front of us. It is certainly not gonna be easy. But you know, the way our defense has played the last several weeks I think has been extremely positive. Obviously they were great, great, great great today. Uh, But that's been building, that's been building all year. You see them putting in,
putting in the work. You see al talking about a lot of different things that end up showing up tonight in in the last couple of games as well, And so credit to those guys for working so hard the way that they do and and putting on that performance.
You would say you and I was kind of s I guess it's short end of faith in Tanner is going against the best safety believe.
I mean, I wouldn't see mean differ great action, but we're not.
Like, Yeah, from the moment Tanner got here, all he did was make plays in practice. And when we first got here, and was that twenty two I think when we signed and I was like, who's this guy making all these catches on scouts, you know, and didn't know his name, and then he just continuously kept doing it. And I've been his biggest fan since he got here. He just you know, it's it's not easy being in that spot when you're the third or fourth tight end
that you got. You might get a couple of snaps, uh in certain spots in the game and it's cold outside, you're on the sideline. You gotta stay warm, and then you gotta come in and catch a back piel on throw against Kyle Hamilton.
That's not easy.
And he's just always been ready for his number he called, So credit to him for that.
Some of the challenges that we faced in the journey.
Is there something that.
I'm just thankful for the opportunity to play this game.
We got great guys in there I'm I love playing with, and we got a great coaching staff.
I'm thankful for all my loved ones being there for me during this tough time. They know who they are.
I'm not going to go.
Name them, but they know who they are. They've been there for me a lot through the years. So that makes me feel good. And then you know, obviously the training staff that gets creative pushes me.
I push them. We got a great relationship. Certainly, I've been in there enough.
We better.
But you know, if anything ever happens again, we'll get right back to it. So we got to keep going on it. So haven't yelled like that in a wild Hobbs cloud out there.
Joe Burrow with reflections After Thursday night, we'll offer reflections on Joe's performance, things that stood out, and continue on on this Monday night, It's Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station. We are rolling right along on Bengals line on this Monday Night on the Bengals Radio Network in ESPN fifteen to thirty LANs but Catlester and Dave Blapham picking up the pieces from Thursday night's win in Baltimore, looking ahead to
those Buffalo bills, anticipating conversation. In our second hour tonight with Jeff Hobson's senior writer from Bengals dot Com, we heard from Joe Burrow in the last segment and Dave I was struck after the game in a in a really funny scene with Melissa starts on the NBCTV side and the gathering of the players around and they are handing out turkey legs and there was a celebration and Joe was asked by Melissa about coming back, and he got emotional. He paused and his eyes kind of welled up.
It just seemed like the moment hit him of everything he'd been through and fought through and got through to turn into performance that Yeah, there were some rough edges to it, but he had to feel good about overall. It was it was any I think we lose sight of that sometime, the emotional aspect of the time and effort putting into coming back, and it really hit him on Thursday night, it did.
And and people, you know, don't realize the amount of effort that you have to put into rehab, you know, and the players, a lot of players get emotion no going through that rehab process and everything that you have to do, and how hard you have to push yourself and you think you maybe hit the limit, but no, there's more. You got to reach down and and find
another high to go hit. And and uh, I think I think it did finally all come down upon Joe Burrow, you know, and uh, hey, he's human, you know, he's not a robot. The guy's got emotions. And he really put a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of time, a lot of energy, a lot of everything into that into that rehab process. And and and then to go on the road and a division rival and get a win, you know, to top it off, he he came back a lot earlier than people thought
he would. You know, that's a tribute to him as well, how how much he works and how the kind of shape that he keeps himself in. The guy really is dedicated to the game of football. And uh, he's all about football.
Albert Breyer of Monday Morning Quarter wrote a kind of behind the scenes after an interview he did with Joe. And I was struck by Joe saying in the interview how much he researched the injury and how many people he talked to and figured out the things he had to avoid. And he said, I started to think critically about it, and he kept researching, and he kept asking questions, and he pushed himself. And then the next day, how do you feel? And he felt fine. He pushed himself
a little bit more. And just there's a lot that goes into it. It's just not lift some weights, do some whatever that there's a lot of I just I was struck by researching critical thinking and that sounds like Joe Burrow. It's going to be a project to test a challenge for him that he welcomes.
I couldn't agree with you more, Lance, I mean, that is what Joe Burrow is all about. He's all about the challenge, you know, He's all about the challenge of winning football games. He's all about the challenge of getting his body right. He's all about the challenge of getting in his body right in record time.
You know.
If and I don't think anybody's surprised that the research that he put into it. I need to know exactly what happened to me? What what what was this injury? What caused this injury? What could I have done, if anything, to prevent this injury? What can I do to prevent this injury from reoccurring in the future. You know, he's he's an inquisitive guy. He's a very intelligent man. He wants to know. Uh, you know, he's a learned man. He reads a lot of different things, a lot of
different books, and h his his uh medical research. I'm sure it was exhaustive. And Joey Bosse was telling me that man, he had a million questions. It's like, you know, how joe is he? You know, he answered one question, it leads to two others, and he wants to know the answer to both of those, and then it leads to three more, and it goes on and on and on. But I think that's what makes him great, that's what makes him special. He uh, he's gonna leave no stone unturned,
There's no question about that. And as a result of that, his rehab was a thing of beauty. It was a record Center. Yeah, he told Albert Breer.
The original plan in his mind was to return for the Buffalo game, but then he started feeling better and he said, I was feeling pretty dang good.
And then that the week leading up to the.
Patriots, and Zach alluded to it, he felt some soreness body wise after practice, which you totally understand it wasn't related to the foot, But if you haven't practiced in seventy days and suddenly you're a full go, you're gonna feel some soreness. And I think everybody understands Zach erring on the side of hey, I know it's not toe related,
but you're sore. We've come this far, and I've always I've always remembered in talking with players who go through injuries, the biggest challenge is it's like running the race and you get right to the tape of the finish line and you want to run right through, and sometimes you have to to pause right there and think, all right, I'm on a schedule, I've got a plan. I can't rush it right at the end or I'm gonna have a setback.
Potential setback is a big deal. Lands there's no doubt and that's and I'm not saying I don't think Joe Burrow was necessary that that was at the top of his mind, but it was in there. It was, you know, in the back of his mind. Uh and not way back, not buried in the back of his mind. And enjoy Bo saying the medical people they all had had considered
that as well. And I can tell you that even if in the beginning of training camp back in the day, a lot of it was there was the conditioning part of it, and there was football involved, but there was a lot of conditioning as well as france and up downsitting the ground, all that kind of thing. I'm not saying that Joe did updowns and all that, but he did a lot of running and he was going to
test it. And you do you get sore. You know, you're you're not a robot, you aren't, like I said, You're a human being, you know, and you are going to have to work through storness. Some guys it takes a little bit longer than others to work through stillness, and Joe, being the world class athlete that he is, works through it pretty quickly. But there was bottom line,
no need to rush him. I mean The worst thing that could have happened is to let him go out there and play too soon and then suffer a setback and then everybody get all over, you know, everybody, medical people, the organization, the coaches, the play, the player himself. You want to avoid that at all costs.
Jaren May of News five. I was watching a feature he did yesterday on the shoe that Joe is now using, and he turned to a guy named Jeff Angler, who's the go to orthopedics for orthopedis for athletes, and they did a foot mapping thing with as censors and part of what was built into the shoe, and is this really fascinating stuff. And it's like an F one race car form of a shoe. It's like the topeline shoe
that can be mapped out for something like this. But I laughed because Joe said in the Albert Bear piece the plan was when he got to the sidelines, he'd take that shoe off and just wear more of a normal shoe while the defense was on the field and let his toe, for lack of a better word, breathe a little bit. But the Bengals defense was turning the Ravens over so much Joe was like having to put the shoe back on and go out to the field, which is a good thing, but a funny thing of Joe.
Like, gotta put the other shoe back onto your back, out of the field, enough time to let that bout, you know. Yeah, I mean it was again. It was a classic, classic day for a complete football game. Was probably the best day that they could have done it because of Joe Burrow's return. It was his first game, so why put it all on his shoulders. You don't want to overburden Joe Burrow and say, oh, yeah, Joe's back, Joe, go win the game for us.
Joe's back. We're good. Nobody has to do anything. Yep, Joe, go do it. We know you can. No offense, defense, special teams. Everybody did their thing. Everybody contributed to the car.
I also believe, final thought, even though he was seventy four days away, not all of those away, but not practicing all the time, I still believe if you put Joe and Jamar on a field, just the two of them, and blindfolded both of them and set out Jamar and said we're going to run this route, I would love to watch Joe drop and Jamar run his route and
the ball would be right there. It's just I'd love to see like a scan telepathically of those two where they are on the field together, because the lines would match, because it seems like they they're in each other's minds.
Yeah, they're on the same page. Yes, no doubt about that. And you know, you think about it all those throws at LSU as well, So it is it's like they could they could run routes and Joe could Jamar could run routes and Joe could throw passes to Jamarrow in their sleep. Yes, you know, just dream about it and put the ball right on the money and Jamar make a great catch.
All right, let's head down the stretch, put our first hour in the books, take a little bit of a closer look at the AFC North for a we'll run a two minute drill to close out the air. Then we'll get the Jeff Hopson in the second hour. Tonight, it's Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen to thirty, Cincinnati's sports station. Down the stretch we go, putting our first three big hours in the books tonight on Bengals Line we're doing it on ESPN fifteen thirty.
We thank you for hanging out with us tonight.
Bengals Friday Nights Stripes Lance That tour is presented by a Hilecat and they're back for all locations this season. Out to Bengals dot com slash community Dave.
We touched on the division a little bit earlier. But the Ravens are six and six, the Steelers are six and six, the Bengals four and eight, the Browns three and nine, and it's it's no great to earth shattering news that the Bengals played better than anybody in the division over the weekend. There's five games left and if you look at the trends, Steelers didn't look good yesterday. Ravens with with Lamar certainly banged up, don't look the same.
The Bengals, all of a sudden, are positioned and healthy with Joe back to They're not in front of the pack, but they're in position to start chasing and gaining a lot of ground on the pack.
Yeah, it's almost like Secretariat when it was closed, you know, all of a sudden, Yeah, I don't know. Take take that outside lane and just maybe you're running further, but you're still running faster. You know, it's like unbelievable. So it would be it would be a great finish. They've done it before, yep. I mean they've they've climbed back into a race and then and then finished it strong.
And uh and you know, gotting a wild card in the in the playoffs and uh, it's it's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility, particularly the way they're playing. And again, lams, I think the defense has woken up. That's that's gonna be a big deal. Well, no defense wins championships. Defense gets you in the playoffs. Very rarely do you have a playoff team that's a sieve defensively. You know, they have to hold up their end of
the bargain. And the Bengals defense has been doing a hell of a job of that in the last five or six weeks. Off for sure, by the.
Way they were when they played Renegade in Pittsburgh yesterday, they were booing the Steelers, booing the Steelers during Renegade and Aaron Rodgers after the game it was perceived as throwing his wide receivers under the bus and and TJ. Watt wasn't happy about the defense and how the Bills ran the same play over and over again and their adjustments weren't being made. And it's not a good vibe in Pittsburgh right now.
That that's a shame. That's that's I feel so badly for him. God, But how about the on the on the network post game showy, they preference Aaron Rodgers cashus Clay before it's Muhammedally. Yeah, it's like, I'm trying to think it was a coward. Was somebody say it's like cashus Clay. I mean, he's he's beaten up, wow, and he's he's lost his uh, he's lost his fastball, he's
lost his knockout punch. I'm like, wow, man, that's that's like, oh man, that's like calling him out, big time, big time, calling him out.
All right, our first hour officially done. Hang with us, Thanks for being here to this point. Up next, we'll talk with Jeff Hobson of Bengals dot Com. We've got a whole lot to sort through between now and nine o'clock on Bengals Line, the Bengals Radio Network, and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.
This is Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network pay Corps. Pay Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. Ringow best Care for the best Fans, Kettle Ringoo, official healthcare provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. This is seven hundred WLW, the home of the best Bengals coverage.
All right, let's keep rolling along on this journey that we call Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network in ESPN fifteen thirty Lance but Cantlester Dave Lapham, what a treat man.
Oh man, it's been a while.
I don't know if we I don't know if we've ever had him on Bengals, and we probably have, it's been too long because I don't remember. But sitting next to us now, the senior writer twenty five years Bengals dot Com, that would be none other than Jeff Hobson.
Man, it is great to see you.
I'm only halfway to lap It's good to see you, see guy. I think the last time I went face to face was probably in the Marvin Lewis.
Yes, it's it's good to.
Let's let's let's do a little Homer Jones when Roger Lap him would go out in the back yard and it's right with Lapp and his uh and his brothers, my brother Bruce, Yeah, Bruce, Bruce and Roger.
They can play some homage. That was Roger's favorite player was also my favorite.
Place, right so he could run now Olympia, I mean he was, he was an Olympic sprinter. Homa Jones talented dude.
Invented the spike, yeah, which I didn't which I didn't know till he passed.
Yeah, and he he just kind of like casually, you know, classically dropped the ball. Isaac did the the old nothing better than the classic, guys. Yeah.
Uh, let's go back to Thursday night we were talking earlier. Would you be fair to say that was the best all around performance of the season for this team.
Yeah, there's no question, might be for the last couple of years. Maybe when you put all three phases in there. Because McPherson knocked in six, which is which is pretty good, you know. And uh, what's we've been hearing at all all year complimentary football. That's what it looks like, boys, and it's pretty pretty impressive. Uh you know, I mean, I know Lama may not be Lama, but to go down there, and you know, John Highball was undefeated on Thursday night at home, so uh, you know, to get
that one in. I think it's a last time the Bengals won on the road in the division on a Thursday night. They haven't played very many, but it was Jeff Blake unfurled a one fifty eight and three rivers.
Pass right, win, right.
You wrote about it, it was like Joe Burrow never left early. Shook off a little bit of rust as expected, but man, he got rolling and he was Joe.
I mean you might be thinking, ah, you know, they'll uh, maybe they'll put him under center hand it off a little bit, maybe like that first series when he when he when he did when play action did a little boot, maybe a couple easy throat.
No way, man, he was. He was out there and yeah and uh you know, yeah he was. Yeah, I mean he was not.
Uh if you look at the completion percentage, you know, this guy is the all time leading completion percentage leader, so he wasn't near that number, but boy, he made some He made some clutch throws on third down that looked like he had never left, you know, the first third down that Jim had the third and ten. You know, of course, the two touchdown passes, both on third downs, both against the Blitz and jeez, you know, I mean, seventy five days, where have they gone?
The thing about him that I was really impressed with as well, a lot everything he said, no interceptions, did not turn the ball over. Yeah, didn't put the ball in jeopardy, never put the ball in harm's way. I mean against that defense, I mean Baltimore's defense. You know, they can be sometimes a little tough to figure out what are they doing. They disguise coverage is pretty darn well, you know. And and Joe was never fooled. He never he never took the hook to the belly.
You know.
He basically made his reads and read him out properly and made great throws. I mean, that's that is the undoing of teams against the Baltimore Ravens. They turned the football over. They give the Ravens extra possessions and take possessions away from themselves. And the Bengals and Joe Burrow they refuse to do it. I mean, he's had great success against Baltimore for that reason.
Yeah, if you know, and we saw, you know, I mean, if it's December, they still must be in it.
Yeah, right, And so it's the two out.
And what we saw in the four to twenty five game was exactly what you're talking about lap turnovers. I mean that game was switched on back to back possessions with the with the scoop and score and the pick right, and uh, you know, now I can assure you the Ravens are not going to come in here in another week and turn it over five times. Absolutely, they hadn't. The Bengals hadn't done that to him in like eighteen years.
But but you said, if Joe keeps that goose egg there, right, then you know they can be in anybody if they keep the goose egg. Anybody can beat anybody if you have a goose egg there.
I mean, I think it's the most important stat in the NFL, turnovers. And if you don't turn the football over, if you're if you're clean in that department, you have a hell of a chance of winning a lot of games. Yeah.
Well, if you look, I'm sorry, go ahead.
No, I was just gonna say, uh this, Zach and Joe have been very successful in December Joe's ten and three, and you know it, it's directly relatable with to what you said the turnovers, you know, and it's uh, you know what is it is because they're in sync. They've gotten all the kinks out.
Now.
Granted he hasn't played.
So maybe it's unfair to match him against those other Decembers because he's been playing.
But I don't know.
I mean, it's like he said the other night, he goes, well, he goes, I had been I did have all a training camp, yeah, you know, and so I mean, uh, you know, if if I mean, if he comes close to what he's done in in this December, you know, they do have a shot to run the table.
So many different guys made plays. I always look at my sheet at the end of the game and I see a whole bunch of names listed that that that's usually a good thing because I'm writing down positives and Tanner, Hudson and Joe's alluded to it. Just the trust he has in Tanner and what they've developed, and and he gets rewarded with a spectacular one hand catch.
You know, your Facebook posts are great. That's close as I get to social media, which is still which is still too close. I should be wearing a you know, I should be wearing a vest. But uh well, you know you always write your thoughts on a right after, and it's and it's almost always right around with one of them, you know, thinking. And so the Hudson thing, I'm thinking, you know, I'm looking here in this end zone and it does it seems like two weeks ago that he went to.
Hudson for the two pointer. Yeah right, you know, and then that's how much he trusts him.
The game was, I mean, he had just threw a great ball to Jama with two guys hanging on for the touchdown, but Boomy went to Tanner in that moment.
Now, it didn't work.
Probably could probably should have had another snap because he tore his head off, right, but uh, you know, and that was that was the biggest you can make that argument.
That was the biggest play of the game. It was twelve seven and boom he made it. Yes, nineteen seven thirty nine.
They're that close to kicking another field goal, right right, you know, So that was you know, Hudson's this guy, I'll tell you.
You look at it, and Joe loves to throw the tight end I mean he loves that position group and he's got goot guys that can catch the football, can run routes and catch the football.
Man.
I mean, Kaziki's almost like a big slot receiver, you know, the way he runs routes and his ability to get real strong hands, you know, catch it and tuck it away and keep it out of harm's way. He's not gonna spit the bit and give the football away. Uh you know. I mean Tanner Hudson, he's he's legit. I mean, he runs as good a route and that's what Joe I remember talking to him in training camp. He said, this guy runs routes as crisp and cleanly as any
tight end that I've worked with. And the big word is trust. He trusts Tanner Hudson. He trusts Tanner Hudson's going to be where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there, and if it's catchable football, he's going to make the catch.
You know, it's interesting.
I was going to see what would he do, how would he respond intensely because he intentionally made a great move on I think it was Humphrey. I want I want to say it was Marlon hump yeh. And there was a major league move on a Pro Bowl corner and he stopped. I think that's six, right if Tinsley
keeps going right. But you know what, Joe kept going to him, which I thought that was a big sign for the young fella, because you know, Joe, he's not gonna if you're not you know, if he's not doing what you expect, goodbye, Yeah, you know what I mean. And he but he went right back to Ye.
He didn't want anybody freelance. No, he didn't want anybody doing something that's not you know, supposed to be done. But he went right back to you know what. You know, he went back to which that good.
Yeah.
Anybody who knows Jeff Hobson knows you like to run the football. And over the last six weeks, Chase Brown six consecutive one hundred yards plus from scrimmage. In those six games, he's rushed for five hundred and two almost seven yards of carry and Jeff, he's now on pace for over fourteen hundred total yards from scrimmage this season.
You know, I think maybe lap you and I were talking about this, the first Bengal to go six in a Row. You know, AJ Green didn't do that, Corey Dylan Dune didn't do that, or James Brooks or Jamack Chase. I mean, wow, yeah, you know, he kind of snuck that in there. But I think in lap would could you know, I would certainly yield the floor to.
H to lap On.
This is I think the offensive line is.
I think the rookie gads and now the last couple of games they've been going with rising because you know, because Jalen Rivers has been hurt, but fair Child and I mean, I you know, they've been talking about this duo play that I think is really I think they've struck goal of that, which is basically a double team, right, and and they get to the second level and there you know that means your Gads and Teddy.
I think Teddy's having a good year.
Yeah, I mean people want to you know, they've you know, they've uh some people want to say, well, Teddy's turning. I think he's playing as well as probably as he played last year, right, and he played pretty good. So I think the interior I think that's been you know, I think the young guy I think I think the rookie guards have been good the guy.
The guy that I in Bengal history, the running back that I compare Brown to, the Chase Brown to is Essex Johnson express about the same height Essex, like five to nine over two hundred pounds, you know, quick change of direction, guys. Really, I mean Essex could have played played slot receiver, and I think Chase Brown could too play slot receiver. You know, the way they run routes and everything, and great red zone weapons, low red zone weapons.
I think I think there's a there's a correlation there between those that just two guys.
You know, it's interesting, you know the last game they
played before you join the organization. If I'm not mistaken, I think Essex Johnson suffered a devastating knee injinet in that playoff game against Miami, right, and that led to the Issac Curtis rule, because I think, I I think, if I'm not mistaken, I think Essex went down early, maybe in the first series, and so you know, what was there to do but to go to Curtis and Joyna right and Trumpy and they just malls Curtis because they couldn't hand it off to Essex, right, you know.
But yeah, I mean that's a that's a guy we probably don't talk about enough.
Yeah, Essex express Man, that that was his nickname, and that dude, he was a Player's.
Take a time out to continue more to get to in this hour, Jeff Hobson are a very special guest hanging out in Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Hey, we're rolling, no reason to slow down. We are cruising through our second raton out of Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network a THEESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, Lance McAllister, Dave Lap him alongside our very special guest Jeff Hobson
of Bengals dot Com. We want don't want to leave the defense out of this which forces five turnovers, and talking about guys that show up on a sheet where you're making notes. Let's start with Miles Murphy, who I know there was there's been frustration and wait of is it going to kick in? When is it going to kick in? Seems like it's kicking in. Miles Murphy is on a roll.
You know left you know this every time he talked to Miles, he always talks about being violent.
Yeah, about being violent.
He was violent the other night, I thought, you know, and it's when you play them, when you play Baltimore, it's so important to set the h you know, because Lama will just even if Lami is not Lami.
They'll still they'll still kill you. Yeah, he'll still kill you with that run game.
No doubt. And uh talk to him in the locker room after the game, and he was uh quick to credit BJ Hill for his effort. They ran a lot of twists and stunts on pass rush, and uh, he came clean a couple of times. BJ did a good job of grabbing two guys and and Miles Murphy came clean and you know, made some plays, got some hits on the quarterback. I like the kid though. The kid's very smart. He's very recollective. Yeah, very very uh very I mean he's uh not introverted, that's not the right
word for it, but very introspective. I guess something like that. He's he's one of those one of those kind of guys that's a deep thinker kind of guy for you know, as people say, for a football player, man, you're a pretty deep thinker, you know, I.
Tell you know, what a guy.
I've a I've always loved those because I just think he's all out. He's just a football player, athlete and and and he's just been hurt by the injury. But if you know, if you guys remember in twenty twenty two, he had a great run in the last stretch of twenty twenty two and everybody wants to remember they hit on Mahomes. Well, I remember that series. They were third and five because of josephos right on that because he made so many he made many big plays in that game.
And unfortunately that last play. I mean, she said, I don't mind him trying to tackle Patrick Mahomes. I mean he's running down the sideline with my with my playoff bonus, right, you know what I mean, Please please please chase them down, right, you know what I mean. So I don't know, I still don't understand that hit. But maybe I'm a little bit too personal.
But let me agree.
Let me ask you this lab about the defense, and I I mean, I thought the last two weeks, I thought they put Drake May. I thought they did a good job with pressure on Drake May. And I thought they really did a good job. Obviously, pressure led to it like two or three of the turnovers. Yeah, so you know, so they had been I think they were they had had the fewest the lowest flits percentage. I think I think Al's gonna I mean, I thought, yeah, yeah, I thought they might have let Drake Mayo off the
hook a little bit. I think they could have, uh, because they blitzed him, well, I thought. And then I thought they really came up big. I mean, I you know, I salute Al because I think he's he's you know, he's been getting a lot of heat.
But you know, I think Zach said this kind of alluded to this Friday that you know a lot of young guys out there. Yeah, and you know it's not you can't just come out blitz them with these.
Guys, right, you know that was gonna be my question. Are they blitzing more out of necessity or is it more because there's a better understanding of what they want? Or is it a combination of both.
Probably I think it's a combination. Yeah, I mean, I think I think that you know, Al Golden, Al Goldon is a smart cat man. He is He's got his doctorate in defense and and uh, and he has a he has a way of teaching a methodology, you know, and uh, particularly with young guys, you know, he doesn't want to speed the process up too much, you know. And I think I think we're going to see a lot more blitzing, a lot more creative looks in the
blitz packages as the season wears on here. Uh that's uh, that's kind of an m O with l Golden.
Yeah, because I mean they got the I think they have the corners that can cover even without camp Taylor Britd.
I think Dax Hill and.
DJ Turner's having a hell of a year. Man. DJ Turner and Dax Hill, both both those guys are as good open field tacklers as I've seen this year in the league. They get people on the ground, man, they really do the job.
Skinny made an interesting but Richard Skinner we were talking about DJ Turner and he says he's got to the point now where if somebody makes a catch on him, you're looking for yea. And it has been the last two times like it's been a big play, it's been offensive as an affair, he's been really good.
Yeah.
Yeah, And we shouldn't leave Jordan battle out, who hustled back on the play, knocks it away. That's going to be a touchdown, right, and suddenly it's Bengals football.
Yeah, I guess, I guess. I guess that will end all conversation about character and all that stuff.
I guess. I mean, there's no substitute for hustle, many hustle, energy, enthusiasm, all those intangibles.
That's gonna be a lot.
I'm sure it's on Zach's tape to show the players, and it should be on every and greater, every greater Cincinnati High school football coaches tape that Jordan Battle.
Yeah, you use the word energy, and I want to apply it to Joe, And I was struck by can't remember if Orlando said it to you or one of the other writers. How Joe is the engine of this team and there is clearly a a lifting and an energy like a plug in a socket into the wall, like now we go, Joe is here with this team.
Yeah, I mean, it's just that's it's it's always been that way.
Was that way when he showed up in COVID and nobody knew what was going on, but you knew that that guy was something special, even though everybody was wearing masks and kind of on eggshells, that guy, and he's been he's been special ever since. And I thought, uh, you know, you guys heard him. I thought he was really that's about as emotional as I've ever seen.
Walking about that absolutely.
Yeah, I mean that was that was interesting to me, you know, and that and to me, that's the difference between maybe Joe Burrow, who turns twenty nine next week, if that's at all possible, opposed to a Joe Burrow who was maybe you know, twenty three, twenty four. You live, you know, things mean more to you, mean more to you as you get older. And that's I think that goes for all of us alive.
Yeah, father time keeps ticking on, man, the stand keeps coming out of the whatever the hell.
It's just interesting to see how much we've seen him, Yeah, seen him, you know, even though I mean he keeps things, you know, talk about a guy, he keeps things close to them, no doubt. And who's an but who's an introspective guy. Yeah, you know, but you know he's letting us, he's let us watch them grow.
Yep, no question, you wrote about it.
I want to ask you about it and I want to give him some love because we're going to hear him get a game ball later on in the the third hour. Tell listeners they may have heard the name Jeff Brickner. Tell listeners who he is and the role he played in Salvaging Wednesday Night.
Jeff Brickner does it all.
He's like, he's like an astronaut on a spacewalk, but twenty four but twenty four to seven. He does everything you can ask. I mean from you know, fixing my desk draw, getting somebody, getting somebody to fish my dest draw, to get these guys to Baltimore time and everything in between. And a Jeff Brickner trip usually right to the itinerary,
right to the minute. You know, well, this was not this was not this was uh we've all been he could right, no, no, and and and and the thing was what he had waiting back when he had waiting in Baltimore was a Thanksgiving feast that would make Miles Standish crush, right. I mean it was amazing and he couldn't get there, and he couldn't but he get everybody. But he get everybody there, you know, uh, complete complete with a Zach Taylor boarding announcement.
Yeah and uh.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we'll be boarding there. But Hobson co goes in last. But I think what happened was the uh you know, we everybody get to the hotel, and it was, uh it was it was as good brick could make it, as good as a good bea.
So I think the game ball is a salute to you know, his body of work.
And that you know, uh body works a good way to put it because he will not Initially he was an assistant trainer. He was taking ankles. Yes, I mean the guy was basically uh Marv Pollin's guy that was was as lackey.
You know.
It's like he's like, I'm gonna give you all the crap jobs to do, and you're gonna do him. You're gonna do a smile on your face. He's he's done everything. I mean, he's he's drained the hot tubs, he's you
name it, he's he's done it all. And uh, nobody knows more about the inner workings of the organization than Jeff Brickner because he's he's been in meetings with Mike and uh the Blackburn and Brown family that nobody has been in and and things have been talked about that nobody else is part of other than you know, Brick's the only one outside of the immediate family, the blood related family that's part of that.
I mean, he and Micah and Mike close. I mean they're you know, they talk, you know, I mean, Jeff's his guy, he Mike uh, Jeff Britton to make sure Mike's gets on the bus safely every single week. That he looks at that as one of his prime responsibilities, to make sure that Mike Brown is okay and traveling safely to and from uh the the airport in the stadium, Bengals.
So explain to me what what happened. I can't imagine. It's mechanical issues and it's five and a half hours sitting on the plane. I would have lost my mind. How do you sit on a plane five and a half hours?
I mean I'm terrible. Yeah, I mean I worked, so I was I had an out.
Yeah.
In fact, Browning, Jake Browning came down. Jake Browne was making it. He was almost like the host.
It was like the mayor, the mayor of the flight.
He's coming in checking on uh. Yeah, kind of watched me typing and scowled, but uh, you know it was Yeah. I mean, I don't know what guys did. I guess that would have been a good opportunity for me to but I figured guys, I just figured guys weren't probably in a good root.
So yeah, I know, I know a lot of that. I went back to take a leak at one point, and everybody was watching their movies, you know. Yeah, I mean there those those movies on those flights are pretty impressive.
It's not like getting marooned in nineteen seventy three. People had things to do, right, and I, uh, you know, they don't want to see me anyway, So I would imagine in a close quarters for five hours, I just.
I kept a little profile.
But everybody, like, you know, Zach made a good point, it was a good time to probably it was a good bonding thing, good bonding. Yeah, And he made an interesting point like like I said, Brick had that miles Standish feast and uh it was tremendous, and but everybody instead of putting it in a box and going up going upstairs to their rooms, they all stay right, Yeah, more bonding.
Yeah, which was which was?
I think?
You know?
I think, uh a lot of guys would have you know.
I think possibly as if it turns out that way, if the Bengals do make the playoffs, they're going to point back to this and say this was the turning point and could have fallen apart, could have had, you know, major problems, major issues. But guys, you know, showed some maturity, showed some growth, and and won that football game in spite of all the obstacles, went out and played a hell of a game, maybe their best game of the year, and from that point on they were hell on wheels,
tough to deal with. All Right, we need to take a time out.
What would I would I be able to convince you to stay for one more segment to talk about the Hall of Fame? Sure, we've we've overextended you to this point based on our promises to you. Would you give us one more segment? I'd love to talk about the Hall of Fame.
We'll let me let me unleash mys.
Yes, okay, well that'll be good. That is that's a good word.
Bengals Out of the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station, Welcome back Bengals Line on this Monday night on the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen thirty Lights by cantlister Dave Lapplem. We'll call this a bonus segment, yes with Jeff Hobson of Bengals dot Com because we must probe your mind on the Pro Football Hall of Fame and for those who don't know, what is your involvement or role or how how do you factor into the Hall of Fame in the voting prices.
I'm a I'm the Cincinnati voter, so and I have been for ten years and so I'm a member of that fifty member committee that cuts the you know that that votes on all the major categories. I'm also this year. I was also my first year, I was on the Senior Committee, which their start. They rotate that now, right,
So it's been an honor to do that. And it's a great thrill to you know, be a factor and you know, seeing who goes who goes in, and who doesn't, and it's uh take it with uh, you know, the most important you know, besides working for the Bengals every day.
It's the most important thing I've done in my career.
And uh, you know, it's a it's interesting because serving on you know, you serve with you know, you serve with different people on the committee, and every everybody's does great research, you know, and you learn so much when you go in these things. And I think the Keith thing is having the open mind, and uh, you know, I think, uh, you know, it's uh obviously I think all you know, probably all Hall of Fames get criticized
if you're guys not in, you know. I mean, I know, as a Red Sox fan, when's Louis Tiant going to get in, right, you know? So but I'm it's I'm blessed to be able to do it. And I think, I think, what's happened I think, you know, I think in the last decade, I think with the help of Jim Foster, guys like yourself, guys like lap I think I've probably helped a little bit.
But to give, you know, to.
Show to the country that we, you know, profile raised. I think the profile of the great Bengals players I think has been raised.
And I think that's a good thing, whether they get in or not.
I mean, I think, uh, I think what I think what Elizabeth Blackburn has done here with the Ring of Honor has helped has helped raise that profile us and uh, you know used you know, I think it's you know, guys like Ken Anderson and Willie Anderson when they're up for the Hall Bengals Ring of Honor. You know that means something, you know, right, yes, Isaac, I mean all those guys who have Hall of Fame cases, uh you know, and well and they all have Hall of Fame races.
I mean we're talking you know, a guy like Max Montoya, sure, you know, and it's uh, it's it's amazing. The great Ron Borges told me, who has served on many senior committees, Globe and I never really the Boston, Boston Globe, Boston hero and I and I never really realized any and he covered the Raiders too out out in Oakland.
Covered in high school. Yeah, he came to my house in high school, did an interview. Wow. I was like, yeah, look at my mother.
You know who that is.
You know who that is.
That's what I tell him now. When I talked to him on the phone, I said, you know what I says, unbelievable. I'm talking to Ron Bosch.
You know, you'd say, you know, pretty high boiled guy. Stop it, Hobby.
But you know it's it's I think it's uh, you know, I don't know it's uh. Ron Boys just would say in that senior committee, they're a Hall of Famer. When you're making the moves of cutting guys, hall of Famers are just falling on the floor, and everybody's worthy, everybody's worthy exactly.
That senior committee includes the the the nine r Kenny Anderson is one of the nine, and the expectation is, at least, reading the Hall of Fame website, the announcement could come, should come this week and we'll find out if Kenny advances to the next day. Is a final list, I believe terminology.
The final five three.
Goes nine to three committee on the and they will join those three will join seventeen others on the finals ballot. There'll be three SoRs, one coach nominee, and one contributor, and then there'll be fifteen modern era finals.
Including potentially Williams.
Not potentially he is he will he is a finalist automatically because he finished in the UH top seven last year, which is a new which is a new voting procedure.
To figure craft and Belichick will be the odds on guys and then.
Who knows, you know, who knows? I think it's just it's you know, uh, like I said, three H three, I believe it's three out of the uh three from the UH from the coaching tributors, coaching contributors and seniors. Three can come out of there. So it's uh, you know, it's it's they made it tough for the last couple of years to get in. I think I think that's what the Hall wanted to do. And that's who really is is it's uh, the Hall of Fame and and.
The Board of Trustees. You know, we're really uh, you know, we we serve at their pleasure.
Now I've heard this in the past, and I don't know where this is in the process or if you're still involved with it, but for each candidate, does someone act as a presenter in the room for their case?
Does that happen?
There's a yeah, there's a presenter that still happens, and and and it's a five minute presentation. And there's debate, and there's and there's debate, and I, like I say, I think it's a all these guys take it so seriously. The men and women on the committees that I've been on and it's a it's it's a very deliberative process and debates are amazing, and it's uh, you know, it's uh as many ways to skin a cap. But I think that's about as good as it I think that's about as good as it gets.
I think.
So, I mean, it's all these guys should be in, you know what I mean, it's and but that's why it's a Hall of Fame, right, and you know, my my thing is is and Paul Daners says, this will probably be on my tombstone, which is is in the
Hall of Fame. We have too many uh uh, very good players on great teams in there and not enough great players Hall of Fame players on bad teams or or it's not even bad teams that didn't win a Super Bowl, right, And I understand it because these guys are and I understand because I talked to a lot of guys. We'll say, well, you know this guy was he was on teams at one but like my agument for Kenny is he was the reason they were there, you know, a major the major reason they.
Were there, no doubt.
So I mean, but obviously guys like guyas that and you know, I mean guys like I just Isaac and Lamiro and Kenny Riley obviously were his teammates, but Kenny was a quarterback sure, so uh, you know, but that's my thing is that's another reason I'm glad to see the profile raise, not only of the Bengals, but for you know, teams that are in small markets don't maybe don't have a string of Super Bowl champions. You know, their players are just as good as you know, I mean, uh,
what's been out there. And I think Kenny Riley and the you know, I mean, you know, statistically, Kenny Riley should have been in five years after he retired.
I just wish, like a lot of people do, I just wish we had won a super Bowl for him if he if he if Kenny Anderson had a super Bowl on that resume, I think that would be the cherry on top.
You know.
I think I think he'd be you know, and maybe I'm over simplifying it, but I think I think a super Bowl champion. You know, Dan Foulson never won, and he got in. I mean, there's exceptions rerule, but you know, he he was. He broke every record in every passing category there is known demand with the Air Corriel. I mean it was different, a different deal. But I'm telling you, man, Kenny Anderson, as good as there ever was is accurate.
I mean that was the thing with him. His accuracy was stupid good.
You know.
I remember him in the off season.
Uh.
He would say, all right, get thirty yards away from me. We're gonna play a little catch.
You know.
All right now, now that I warm my arm up a little bit, I'm loose right naval, right shoulder, left knee. It's like, what the hell unbelievable how he could control a football and how accurate he was doing a football.
The only guy to win uh to uh, the only guy to win two playoff games on two different planets uh obviously Earth and then the AFC title game the Freezable. I don't know what planet that day. I guess it's hot, right would that be? But uh, I know I know one thing. It was damn cold Rome Death.
You have been tremendous with your time. We have greatly overextended you, but the content you provided was tremendous, So thank you.
Hope to do it again. Thank you very much for having me on. Let's not make it another down let's not make it another decade until we go face today. Hey, the Red Sox are the Red Sox rent opening opening day.
Oh yeah, that's right. You know they're huge. Big thank you, sir, Thank you, Thank you. Bengals Ring of Imember Dave Lapham, Yes, a pleasure.
Take a time out of continue. It's Bengals N, Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station heading down the stretch on our second hour of Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty lines. But calestter Dave Lapham very much enjoyed Jeff Hopson hanging
out with us. You know, Jeff mentioned and you alluded to it after all the travel adventures on on Wednesday, the Thanksgiving meal in the ballroom, and the players could have taken their meals gone to their rooms, but they
hung out together. And I heard you and Wayne box Miller on Friday talking about how Box looked in the lunch cafeteria the other day and there was a group of players from different position groups hanging out together, and just the value of the cohesiveness of this team and how it's probably helped them navigate a lot of adversity this season.
Yeah, I think you're right, no question about it. You know, it's uh, pro sports or sports in general. It's it's conducive to that sort of thing. It's conducive to that kind of bonding and those kind of friendships, a family atmosphere that you know will never go away, those bonds will never be broken. Uh and uh ten fifteen, twenty years when you're after finished planning, you remember that. Remember that Thanksgiving?
We were like five hours?
Yeah, what are we gonna do? Five hours? It's like we sat around, we talked about everything and anything and nothing, you know, nothing at all. And uh, and you know, I really got to know. I'm so so it was a pretty good guy man, you know, and wanted to ended up wanting to spend more time with that guy. And you know, he's got a wife and he's got kids, and I've got wife and kids, and we all ended up doing some things together, and our kids learned about
Cincinnati together. They went to the Cincinnati zo they went to the aquarium, They went to all these different places together, you know.
And I think you referred to it on Friday as the cross pollination of your time.
Yeah, Yeah, it really and that that's exactly the word that Paul Brown used when I mean back, Like in nineteen seventy four rookie year, it was like, we are we are gonna be a family, We are going to be a close football team. We are gonna have the other gentleman's back, the guy that you're playing next to, You're gonna have his back, He's going to have your back. And it was it was. It was a close knit group, There's no doubt. And Paul Brown knew what he was doing.
He knew what he was talking about. Even Otto Graham and the great, the great players with the Cleveland Browns. He said, those guys were family and they were at their kids in great kids' weddings, you know, and unfortunately in some cases funerals, And you know, it's it's a cycle of life, is what it is, no question.
Set Bengals on on the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station. All right, final segment of this hour, and let's use it as a preview what's coming up in our next hour. You're gonna hear. Zach Taylor met with the media today coming off the buy with thoughts on Thursday Night, reflecting back on the win over the Ravens and a look ahead.
To the Buffalo Bills this weekend.
You'll hear Sean McDermott, head coach of the Bills, his opening thoughts on their impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dan Horde has his weekly Fun Facts with Orrin Burke's the veteran Bengals linebacker. We've got game balls to give away and special treat We're gonna listen in on the behind the Stripes segment this week Bengals dot Com The Bengals produced with Dan and Lapp talking about their best calls to get the other through the years. You'll hear
that as well. That may include a little coffin nails in a bam bam bam as we continue. It's a Bengals line of the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station from Pekstein.
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Hey, let's keep things rolling.
We are cruising along on this Monday night picking up the pieces from a thirty two to fourteen win over those Baltimore Ravens. We're going to get into those Buffalo Bills in this hour. I'm Lliance McAllister. He is Dave Lapham.
Hey, Bengals fans on Fridays, make sure to listen to myself and Dan Horde from Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Bear Chicken on the air from three to six pm on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Zach Taylor with the media earlier today. Let's get the thoughts from the coach upon reflecting on Thursday night, the mini bye and now looking ahead to the Buffalo Bills. Here's Bengals head coach Zach Taylor.
He was good, He's doing great.
He's so in protocol so him and Tage will keep working through that ply in the week, so we'll see where it is.
Up Trey in the next This week.
This week, Samar's yeah, always on my ring that I was like, I'm mathlong here.
His final game.
I think he's part of this. How's he been progressing?
We'll see what end up next week?
Is this?
I think this will be traced fourth game.
Is there any.
Consideration to put him on I r no, We'll just keep taking a week to week.
He's still doing all the normal meetings everything behind the scenes.
That mostly rehab, so with the trainers.
You had just been getting him back at all of this season.
Yeah, we'll just keep taking a week to week.
What was the South scout like over the by? What was the what did over the weekend?
I guess what did you guys want to accomplish as y'all get ready for the next game.
Just get ahead for Buffalo really, I mean, got a chance for review our game. Just make sure we got them obviously in two weeks, so you want to make sure you put that to bed the right way because it's a quick turnaround for them, and then just you know, steal an extra time for Buffaloe, which I thought we did. It's good you got a chance to watching football yesterday while you're working.
And it's good.
How did Joe come through the weekend.
Seemingly fine? I'm sure there's some soreness there that you know. I'm sure you guys can ask him, but to my iPhone.
One day.
At the start of the season, Dalton Riisner was playing to the point where you ended up going with Jalen Rivers.
But it felt like Sinstallton's come back. He's you know, played even better than he has earlier in the year. What have you seen from him the last couple of weeks.
You know, when we got him, he hadn't done anything, you know, for six months, so I think that was a little bit to be expected. But I've liked how he's played, the energy's played with. I think we've got a good mix of guys in there, you know, even guys that are you know, been injured and have been backups, and so I feel really good about our starters or depth and and just where we're at at this point the season out on.
Line, What have you seen from Fairchild twelve games through?
Yeah, just continues to progress and get better and sees new looks and does a good job taking the coaching from Scott and Mike and Ted and Orlando and those around him, and just continues to progress.
And so that's been really pleasant to see.
There's an old adage when you get around this time of the year where people say rookies aren't rookies anymore.
Win in your mind as a guy no longer a.
Rook Yeah, I think, you know, at the midpoint of the year, you really want them to progress through that There's still going to be things that they're learning. It's a it's a fun thing to say, but you know, you can't replicate experience, and so they got to continue to get that experience. And especially for a lot of guys, maybe that didn't start right away once the season went, you know, and their playing time has increased as has gone.
So I think everybody's a little differently. Depends on the position you're playing, depends on the experience you're gaining. But I really like how all of our rookies are progressing. I think that they're all doing a nice job of learning and not making repeat mistakes and have an ownership their position and adding value to our team.
Specifically in xact with Barrett Carter, what have you liked about the way he's embrace that moles everything that comes.
With Yeah, his command with the position, you know, it's a vocal position to have the green dot and be able to communicate like he has and just continue to progress, you know, I mean I can't think of how many games he started now, you know, six maybe six games, and so just continue and learn, and that's where he's going.
Of course, just going back to Joe's touchdown pass.
And yeah, just thoughts on that and also just as kind.
Of astical those two guys seem to have you know, since the minute.
You know, yeah, I think it was, you know, that was That's a play we we've had him for for a while now, and Joe really did a good job buying some time outside the pocket. Because it's a longer developing play. It can it can unfold two ways. You can either win right out of the break because they've had poor eyes in the backfield.
Hamilton did not have poor eyes.
You know, he did a good job stating and face and Joe really put it the only spot that Tanner could have caught that ball, and Tanner could have only caught that ball one handed base on where Hamilton was at, and it was really good coverage and just outstanding throw, outstanding catch, huge for a momentum at that point.
So it was a really big point in that game.
Was there's no question, Yeah, I mean it's it's he's not standing player, you know, he's I wouldn't even call him the safety really, he's he plays linebacker and d N and covers people and whatever you want to That's a true Swiss arm knife to me. Uh So, again, it was a great play versus a great player and something we really needed at that point.
As of me defensively in recent weeks, how much of it do you think kind of just stems directly back to just seeing more pressure from some of your young defensive linemen at this point.
Is that kind of the biggest difference that you think you've seen.
I think it helps everybody's just starting to really settle into their position as they get more playing time and more confidence in the scheme and playing next to guys, and you just see all eleven guys all at once really just step into it and have great ownership and what we're asking to do, and confidence to go in there and make plays, confidence to go win some one
on ones up front and apply pressure. And once you start doing that a couple of times, sorry, I'm going to continue to do this, and and then the takeaways start coming too. So again it's it's fun to watch those guys have fun, play with confidence.
That's exciting for me.
To see a guy like Miles chasing down Derek Henry forty yards down the field.
Tell you about where he's at his passion for the game. I mean, he's made of the right stuff, and he's continued to work every day. He's been in here all season, and you know, it's it's I'm really excited for Miles to see all that hard work start to pay off and the consistency come and it's been a really good He's and easy got to pull for, and so it's it's exciting to see him make some plays like that. Ever, plays too are huge. You know, that's even though it's
way down the field. It's our team sees that in the film. They see all that stuff, guys really putting all out there, and he did that. Jordan Battle had the one on the goal line. So those are those are critical plays for our guess that's.
You guys feature. I mean we get into them me to do, get into meetings and feature.
It depends on the week.
Yeah, it depends on the week, depends on the tone of the meeting. Plenty of times we highlight stuff like that with how k out of the AFC North is this year.
How do you make sure the guys are just doing it on a week two week basis, not looking outside.
Although I really feel like I've had to worry about that.
You know, we we have our messaging each week that we follow and I've never felt the need to make sure that we're just focused on the week. I think those guys have done a really good job of doing that, and you know that's that's the most critical point. It's just got to play Buffalo, need to win the game and worry about the rest after that.
Giving as a result on Thursday and then kind of how things have played out in the North, especially over the weekend.
Does it still feel like everything's in front of you as you go into this one.
Yeah, it's exciting to know there's still opportunity there, but again, you just have to take a week to week. Us being Baltimore has nothing to do with how we're going to play against Buffalo. So our guys understand that still a day here with the bonus day and got to have a great week and it's gonna be tough environment to go on the road there.
It's always a tough place to play.
It's gonna be loud, it's gonna be cold, probably gonna be windy, and so our guys as gotta be ready to embrace all that.
How much do you subscribe to the theory that, especially come decembery to be able to at some point be able to run the ball with authority in the climent weather.
We're throwing the ball out in December two. It's been successful for us.
So we're just gonna keep playing our style and and sometimes we played plenty of games where we've leaned on the run, plenty of games where we've leaned in the past game. So again it's it's what's your style play, what's your identity as a team, how's the game going. There's a lot of things that factor into how the game is going to play out. But you're not gonna pin me down and say we're gonna run the ball sixty times in a game just because it's simmer outside.
We're going to run the ball and you have to do well, yeah, that's a unique circumstance. We're gonna do whatever it takes to win the game, you know. And I feel like we've always done that, and there's been games certainly I can think of in December where we've gone in there and how to do a great job establishing the run and defenses played great, so you can stick with it throughout the game, and you know, we'll see the type of game this turns out to be.
Play you guys with authority.
I guess what I'm kind of thinking about.
Yeah, you know that that game it allowed us, just the way that the game played out, we were allowed to stick with that kind of stuff and our defense that played really well that day, and you know, so again we just will do whatever it takes to win.
What what did you ask Joe this?
So I'd be a better question for him.
But with the weather, when you're talking about the.
Weather being kind of up and there right now, and with plate in his shoe, is there any conversations about maybe doing something different?
Like does that create any issues?
Maybe?
What did you learn that day about snow games? You don't get them too often?
You know, you'd have to ask Joe. I think, uh, traction on the ball, you know, I I don't. I haven't thrown much in snow games. You know, rain is often the biggest issue. I'd say wind is a big issue. Snow would come in third behind that kind of stuff. So I think he could probably answer that question better having done it a lot more recently than anybody else. But again, I thought that day, you know, I thought he threw the ball pretty well, and it's you know,
it's every sance. Just the wind can always factor into that a little bit, depending on how much that is.
We went back and look at how he played on Thursday, and I can't review the tape. What was the biggest thing that jumped out.
Of you, Well, just just how quickly he got into a rhythm. I think he'd sit here and say I missed this or missed that. I could feel the rhythm he got into and the and the confidence that he
had when he was out there. So that's what we could feel as a team, you know, that that he was he was really back to mid season form for himself, even though I again I don't know how he's gonna answer that, but for us certainly watching him, he felt that and and just I think has had a lot of confidence watching him out there.
When you have your franchise quarterback that it's the team is invested in, committed to any back in the locker room and the rally guys does that phrase everybody and just subconsciously knowing that that's the guy who's kind of everything's built around and he's in the building.
And all of that.
What does that do for everybody?
He's in there, and he's one of the greatest players in the world, you know, And so I think anytime you get a player like that back on the field, absolutely it whether it's subconsciously or consciously, I mean, it's it's you're excited to watch that, and you're excited to rally behind that and and see where he can take you.
It looked like Flacco was very interactive on the sideline against Baltimore Craig.
Throw up for any and note just how much input he was giving after a series or is that just what you expect with who Joe Flacco is.
Yeah, they, to my I have a really good relationship. So whatever they're talking about is all good. There's got to see it the same way as coaches do. I I'm not always back there, you know. I've kind of picked my spots to go back there between series, so I don't see it all or recap it all, but it is good to have as many I mean, we always travel our practice squad quarterback over the years, we want as many quarterbacks over there as possible, and somebody
may see something that somebody else doesn't see. So I always think that's a good dialogue to have as many guys over there as possible, especially at the high level thinkers that we've gotten that room.
Zach Taylor meeting with the media earlier today.
Hang tight.
More to get to in this hour. We'll talk some Buffalo Bills. You hear what Sean McDermott had to say is opening thoughts of their win over the Buffalo Bills yesterday and more as we cruise through our third hour tonight of Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Let's keep moving along on this Monday Night Bengals Lone oft the Bengals Radio Network at the ESBN fifteen thirty. We've talked about the
Ravens win. Let's look go ahead of those Buffalo Bills. Now, Bills beat the Steelers yesterday in Buffalo twenty six to seven. The final the Bills went on the road rather yesterday twenty six to seven.
Dave I got a.
Couple of numbers that point to the clear and outright domination.
The Bills showed yesterday.
They controlled the clock for forty nearly forty two minutes, forty two to eighteen. They ran seventy four plays to forty three plays. They outgained the Steelers. This is incredible, three twenty two to one sixty six, and they held the Steelers to ten first downs the entire football game.
Holy cow, it's unbelievable that that is a total butt whipping. That is domination. I don't think the Pittsburgh Steelers have lost a game at home like that in that man or for a long long time. I mean, I know I've met members of the Rooney family. I know how prideful they are, and they are pissed right now. There's no way they're not. And Aaron Rodgers, he looked his face. He looked just like bewildered and be fuddled. He looked like what just happened?
He had ten completions state he went ten for twenty one for one hundred and seventeen yards.
Unbelievable, it really is.
And how often does this happen to the Steelers. The Bills ran the ball fifty one times for two hundred and forty nine yards.
It's crazy. I mean, say, let's round it. You know, he carries for two hundred and fifty yards a pop on fifty attempts. That that's domination. That is that's winning the line of scrimmage. That's owning the line of scrimmage. It's just not letting you do any thing that you want to do and doing everything we want to do free and easy.
Man.
James Cook ran thirty two of them for one four and Dave. The Bills were without two of their starting tackles, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown both were out. They plugged in two others, Ryan Van Denmark and Alec Anderson, and they do all that with to replacement offensive lineman.
It's true, that's that's the other thing. You know, Dawkins played, somebody got nicked up again, had to had to leave the football game. But man, you talk about you look for depth. That's that's what you're trying to build on your on your roster, and particularly up front the offensive and defensive line. You know, you look for depth, and you have guys that have to play multiple positions because you're not going to carry you know, ten offensive linemen
on the active roster. You know, every week, the numbers dictate that that's not necessarily feasible week in and week out. So uh, you know, for them to for them to be able to to plug and play like they did, it's a it's a testament to how those guys work, how they were ready to play mentally in physically understanding every assignment that they needed to he needed to understand every nuance of what they needed to do within that assignment.
It was.
It was just a heck of a heck of an effort by the Buffalo Bills as an organization.
Josh Allen throws just twenty three times. Yesterday he goes fifteen of twenty three. He had another rushing touchdown Dave. He now has the most rushing touchdowns by any quarterback in NFL history, passing Cam Newton. He's got seventy six rushing touchdown this season. Josh Allen has eleven rushing touchdown.
That's sick. It is.
That's just like you look at and say, well, that's not right. There's no way the quarterback touchdown.
That is really amazing. And for him, you think about all the great quarterbacks that were dual threat quarterbacks run the football and throw it, and he's number one all time in rushing for touchdowns. I mean, the guy that I used to watch, you know, growing up, ran target him and he run around like a benchie, you know, And I felt like he scored touchdowns every single football
game he played in. But for Josh Allen, for you to at the end of your career to be able to reflect back and say, I'm number one in the National Football League all time in the history of the NFL, all the years the NFL have been around, I'm the one guy that has rushed for the most touchdowns in my position group, the quarterback position. That's something to be proud of.
I got a stat for you. I want one quick stat that we're gonna hear from Sean McDermott. In one hundred and twenty three games, Yeah, Josh Allen has seventy six rushing touchdowns for the Bills. That's seventy six rushing touchdowns one hundred and twenty three games. Well, Jay Simpson had fifty seven rushing touchdowns as a Bill in one hundred and twelve games. Josh Allen's twenty one more rushing
touchdowns than the Juice did in eleven more games. But still that's some context that makes it even more amazing to what Josh Allens it really is.
I'm trying to think of which broadcaster was, that, the network was, that the game itself was at the pregame post game studio, somebody said that now Josh Allen is the greatest player in Buffalo Bill's history, the greatest player ever in Buffalo Bill's history. Of course, the rushing touchdowns was the big reason why. At the quarterback position. But man, I tell you, I don't know. I'd have a hard time putting anybody ahead a rental James. Oh, Yes, James.
Simpson twenty six to seven was the final yesterday. Here a couple of minutes of the opening thoughts from Sean McDermott, Bills coach after the win.
Good win, tough place to play, well coached football team, a out of respect for this organization or coaching staff or players. Hard fought win and a team win hard to do, especially late in the year on the road. Or guys, they showed up today.
They stood up.
They knew this would be a challenge and they rose to the occasion. I'll start with the defense. The big takeaway after half was huge takeaway and score than the ensuing drive get another takeaway CB. I believe it was Joey on the Joey on the sack level, but even bigger than that was stopping the run. Our defense came out. They did a great job, Bobby and the defensive staff all week long coaching it up, getting our fits right.
Fourth down stop is obviously big for us offensively once we stopped starting, you know, once we stopped beating ourselves in the first half of penalties and taking and turn the ball over, played more of a complimentary game, and you know, one first down, the rushing offense was incredible, especially against that defense, well coached team, like I've said before, tough front to run it against, and we were able to stand some positive third down situations where we were
not in third or long. Two hundred and forty plus yards rushing and then key completions with Josh sometimes moving around a little bit in the pocket in that four minute drive was really like an eight minute drive I think it was, but a big time drive right there for us, and then capping it off with a field goal to it.
So all in all, great effort.
Certainly things we can work on but good to come on the road and show our toughness.
Don your defense really since the second half of Houston has.
Kind of taken it up to a different level.
What why, Ald is what has changed you think in the defensive performance?
No, maybe more understanding guys just you know, kind of just flying around playing relentless style football on They work hard during the week and take a lot of pride in their work. So I couldn't be happier with the way they played tonight.
Coach.
I know the defense kind of sparred things, but the two takeaways they're back to back.
Though.
When Josh got hit on the slide and there was no flag, obviously his teammates came to his defense, but I don't know, all of a sudden, it looked like the mojo got kicked into year on offense.
Did you send some of that juice that came from that play?
I would hope so, right, I would hope so like you would, I expect you to be out there right with them, Chris. You know, so you hit it like down our quarterback, Yeah, the sideline is gonna rop. The team's gonna go to back back quarterback of what any player.
So that's what I expected to see.
That's what they did, and you know it was what it was.
So but you mentioned it during your opening statement. I came in a little later.
I apologize. But Anderson and Vandermark stepping in for some video you at the end of the game there when they're coming into the locker room, Alan, I think it picks you even up, pretty emotional. But for those guys to step in, Josh, not to be sacked, to.
Rush for two hundred and fifty yards.
Yeah, was it say about the job they did?
Well, those guys knew, they knew the challenge that was in front of them. Their teammates supported them. They didn't blink, They really didn't. I thought it was a great move by the coaches in terms of how they had it set up Coach Coromer, Coach Gunn and Joe obviously, and you know, those guys did not They did not bad any at all.
And I love that.
That's that's who this team is. Guys, go down, guys, step in, do a phenomenal job, and just again the toughness of our football team on display.
Sean McDermott after the game yesterday twenty six to seven, the final Bills win in Pittsburgh. We'll take a time out of continue. We've got fun facts from day and hoard with or in Burt's this week to get to plus it's been a while, but man, you better believe we're gonna play him to end the show. The awarding of the game balls, all of that to get to as we cruised through a third and final hour. Tonight, it's Bengals on and the Bengals Radio Network and seven
hundred or ESPN fifteen to thirty Cincinnati Sports station. Let's keep moving right along on this Monday night of Bengals Line. We're on the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Lance.
First, dont's talk injuries with the Cincinnati Bengals. Date didn't really have any major injuries sustained during the action against the Baltimore Ravens, which was good because they had guys that could not participate in the football game. But nobody is going to miss more than a week, I don't think.
So.
You've got guys nursing injuries and working their way back to the lineup. I think all hands will be on deck when they get out to practice full on Wednesday of this week, and that Information presented by Kiddering Healthy, official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, providing the best care, the best fans and also Bengals fans. Make sure to catch me and Dan Hord every Wednesday this season from Bengals Game Plan, presented by Bud Light on the air
from six to eight pm on ESPN fifteen thirty. All Right.
Each week we like to go behind the scenes. Dan Horde does a fantastic segment called Fantastic Fun Facts. You get to know about the player beyond the person, beyond the player, and this week's edition is veteran Bengals linebacker or In Burks. Here is Dan Horde at Fantastic Fun Facts.
No Fantastic Fun Facts with Dan Ord.
Time for some fun facts with linebacker Oron Burks from Lorton, Virginia, not too far from Washington, d C. What were some of the things you enjoyed about growing up there.
Yeah, one just had a lot of family there.
Just I feel like the DMV as a whole, just a lot of culture there, music, food, You're close to a little bit of everything, a lot of all. It takes a lot of military, but yeah, I just have great memories growing up there a lot of history there as well in the DC area, so I feel like I didn't appreciate it as much as I do as an adult now going back and like really seeing how cool the city it is.
So love living there.
There's an old picture of you on the internet from being the homecoming king at your high school. Were you involved in other activities as well? Are pretty much sports only?
Yeah, a lot of sports.
I was involved with FCA at our school, as much community service as I can get into, and just very social we had. We had a really really cool high school experience with just everybody supporting each other with sports and academics.
Was a huge pieces for me.
My family as well obviously ended up going to Vanderbilt, so that was a big piece for me moving into college. Uh, and my sister went to Stanford play softball there as well, So we're always student athletes, And I just really appreciate my my upbringing. My parents enforced that really early into us, just having great values and knowing that it's beyond sort and just having an impact in your community and beyond.
So yeah, that was a big piece of me.
So with you at Vanderbilt and your sister at Stanford. Did your folks more or less tell you make this choice as much about the academics as the athletics.
Not directly, but definitely kind of indirectly. They were like, you know, just think about the long term situation. What's your major, what you want to do, you know, beyond playing the game, because you know, like the numbers tell you that, you know, you're probably not going to play in the NFL or for her professional sports, but just having a backup plan when that does come. And you know, I feel like that has allowed me to be a
well rounded individual. Just just really taking intent about my my academics has helped me tremendously, you know, just the way I process thing, the way I learned, and just again just being a well, well around the individual.
You started out as a safety at Vanderbilt. How did you become a linebacker and how did you feel about it?
Yeah? So I was actually a recruited as a linebacker.
I was James Franklin, I know, he's a Virginia technologis last recruiting class at Vandy before he went to Penn State.
I was a linebacker that year. We had new coaches.
Toff come in with Coach Mason, and he saw me as a safety, So I played safety. I was middle posts, like running all over the place for two years, and then I played a hybrid outside inside position, and then I.
Played inside my last year, so really all over the field.
But for me, it's just about find a way to get on the field, add value, make plays, and I feel like that allowed me to have the skill set. You know, this league has changed a lot at the lineback position, being able to run and cover, and I feel like that safety background has definitely helped me in terms of like seeing the game from a different perspective.
We're chatting with Orren Burks as we do this interview. Your alma maters ranked twelfth in the country in college football. How much fun is it for Vanderbilt grads to see this rise of the commodorees in college football?
Man, it's been it's been a long time coming.
Just so proud of the guys, Coach Lee leading the w and having the opportunity to be around them during the spring, in the summer, just seeing like the culture that they're building, and just just so proud as a long to go to see them, you know, thriving on the field and doing it at a high level and getting you know, the exposure from the national media, but just always had faith in you know, this program doing it the right way, and the city of Nashville is just getting behind them as well.
So it's been really cool to see the guys take off this year.
You're drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round in twenty eighteen. How stressful was that day leading up to getting the phone call.
I wasn't very stressed.
I feel like I had, you know, at that point, you do everything you can to put yourself in the best situation in terms of being drafted, and I felt really good about my draft process. I played well in the Senior Bowls a lad ad there, did well in the combine. I felt like I did well in my interviews,
and my tape was my tape from college. You know, I had a lot of versatility from safety to the inside and outside, and I felt like I had kind of like done everything I could and just really had a of like it's freedom, you know, just like being able to surrender the outcomes of where I would land. You have no idea where you're going to be, so like it's not even worth you trying to guess for the guys that are going through that process coming up.
But yeah, I just felt like I had done everything I could and was excited for the opportunity to land anywhere, you know, in the NFL and make my mark.
The Packers missed the playoffs your rookie year. Since then, you've been on six consecutive playoff teams with Green Bay, San Francisco and Philly. You've played in the last two Super Bowls. What have you learned about the most important traits of winning teams?
Man, it's a lot, I'll say first, it's just culture is so important. Just the standard for play, play style, not even just scheme, just the way that you play the game, the way that you prepare your process. It bleeds over to everybody into the building. It includes the front staff, the back, like everybody has to be bought in for you to really make a run. And I
feel like that has improved my process as well. It made me a better person, maybe a better man, in terms of like the accountability that it takes, the effort that it takes, and ultimately vulnerability like this game, like you're exposed every every Sunday, you're out there and you know the whole world is seeing you, so you're just trying to put your best foot forward for yourself and
for your brothers next to you. So I don't know, just taking that approach, as you know, it had it's better in my life, you know, in terms of me having to be better for my brother right next to me. So I just really enjoyed that about football, the challenge that it is every weekend and week out.
It's find a way to get better.
I work with Dave Lappa on the broadcasts. He was on the Super Team in nineteen eighty one with the Bengals lost to the forty nine Ers. It still hurts to this day. You played on the losing team a couple of years ago, and then the next year we're on the winning team with the Philadelphia Eagles. How did that feel, considering that you still had that fresh wound from the year before.
Yeah, it was just I feel like I just had the mindset that I have to see it through, you know.
Just having the opportunity and coming up short with the Niners, and then having the opportunity the next year against the same team that that very rarely happens, So it's a different locker room but you know they had to experienced the same thing a couple of years ago, is losing to the Chiefs as well, So I felt like there was a lot of joint motivation towards, you know, getting
it right this time. And yeah, just just wanted to lead out it on the field everything I could, you know, preparation and just knowing what to expect for the Super Bowl week as well. It was really important in terms of sticking to your process. The craziness outside and you know that that goes into that week as well. Just being able to keep your head down and work towards
the ultimate goal because afterwards there's no greater feeling. And then then host hoisting that that Lombardi Trophy and being with your brothers.
In the in the locker room. So yeah, just looking looking to repeat that feeling.
It's not quite the Philly Special, but you made a play that Eagles fans will be talking about for decades. You forst to fumble on the very first play of the playoff run with a jarring hit to the Packers kick returner. How cool is it to have a moment like that that anytime you go back to Philly, somebody's going to say, orn Bergs, wait to force that fumble.
Yeah, it's special. It's special, you know, going into playoffs.
I played in a lot of playoff games before that, and I just remember my telling myself that week, just find a way to make a player is going to change the game. And what better way to change the game than the opening kickoff forcing the fun will getting the ball out and we go down to drive start and score right there. So just to get a quick jump on it, setting the tone for the playoffs the place, Like again, the play style that we wanted to have, the physicality that we wanted to have.
It's super cool.
I still get like dms every once in a while, Like I'll never forget that, you know, that play that you're talking about, the opening kickoff of the of the Packers game. So yeah, just definitely still feel the love, you know, from from Philly fans and beyond, you know, for you know, making a play that you know changed the game.
But yeah, just a really cool moment, all right.
A few wild card topics out for Orrin Berks. Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?
And why?
Obviously Michael Jordan just like his competitiveness, you know, that's that's hard to emulate.
And just like his his.
His drive to hold the others around him accountable, the same with Kobe, like kind of that mindset.
So yeah, I'd probably have to go with those two Jordan's in Kobe.
You earned your degree at Vanderbilt. Do you know what you want to do after football?
Yeah, I'm you know, figuring it out. I do a little bit of real estate inside, but I really enjoy just business, the critical thinking around that, using business tactics to attack social problems and create change in the community.
So definitely things around that. That's that's kind of what I'm looking at.
But you know, I'm enjoying my time in the league, and you know, I'll have so many doors that are going to be open, you know, when the time comes after I retire.
But just focus on now, Aside from sports, what are you good at?
I feel like I'm good with people.
I truly enjoy the team aspect of sport, and I try to carry that into my relationships with my wife, with my friends, with my family and just try to pull the best out of people.
So that's I feel like that's what I'm good at all.
Right, final fun fact for Aaron Burks. This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anyone in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?
Yeah, probably be probably Jackie Robinson. Most people don't know. That's the reason why I wear forty two. So coming to the league, you have to have a forty or fifty number to be linebacker. And you know that was presented, and you know that thought would be cool to pay homage to, you know, one of the first black athletes in professional sports, and like all that he had to go through, the mental fortitude that he carried and the poise that he carried as well.
So I feel like that would be really cool to hear his story like firsthand.
I love it and I will definitely mention it the next time number forty two makes a tackle. Arren Burks, appreciate your time. Best of luck the rest of the year.
I appreciate it.
Oron Burks the subject of this week's Fantastic Fun Facts and Dave. Just a final thought on Oron Burks on a team with rookie linebackers and certainly Logan Wilson no longer here by trade, I think there's great value in an Oron Burks being a veteran linebacker, got a Super Bowl under his belt. He can be a guiding voice and kind of steer the young guys they have at that group.
I agree, one hundred thousand percent. Lance and Oran Brooks is a great guy. Everybody that I talked to in the locker rooms and they love him. They love him as a football player, they love him as a human being. I mean, he is just an unbelievably fine person. You know, every once in a while, you're going to meet somebody
that makes a huge impression on you. And Aaron Burks does that with these young players, not only in terms of football, but also their life, you know, marriage, family, how to be a good husband, how to be a good father, all those kind of things. So and the fact is, young guys look up to guys that want a Super Bowl. Yes, you got a Super Bowl ring hanging off your finger, man, that's a that's ability right there. And they're gonna listen to whatever Oron Brooks has to say.
And Oron Brooks is not gonna steer them wrong, no doubt, no doubt at all.
All Right, two segments to go follow us. Our next segment, we'll go behind the stripes, Dan and lap talk about their best calls over fifteen years together. It's some fantastic stuff. You're gonna hear it as we continue with Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station. Hey, welcome back to Bengals Line on this Monday night on the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Lines. But catlist alongside is Dave Lepham.
As everybody knows, Lance Alta Fiber is the official Wi Fi and Internet provider of the Bengals and Greater Cincinnati's fastest internet with up to two gig symmetrical speeds.
Cool feature this week Bengals dot com. It's part of the series Behind the Stripes and it's Dan and Lapp talking about fifteen years together in terms of best calls, favorite calls, and you're gonna hear the stories behind each of those calls. Let's go back and pick it up with Week sixteen, twenty twelve in Pittsburgh. Here's Behind the Stripes with Dan and Ladle.
The thing I remember about that game is it's the most physical game I've ever seen in my life.
We've been doing this for fifteen years. Together.
That game stands out for the violence on the field. Two really good teams. The winner was going to go to the playoffs, the loser was going to be left out. Cincinnati won in Pittsburgh to clinch the playoff berth. And the thing that stands out after the game is that we all got to hear you sing serenading Gino Atkins in the locker room after he punished a big ben during the course of that game.
Fall drop straight back round, russure at.
Kingsm again, Gino Atkins putting on an absolute show. Can we get a replay of you singing to Gino Atkins, Geno Aladdins, Geno Adkis, Gino ahead.
Kids.
So I've been posting clips of some of our radio calls on the internet almost the entire time that we've been doing the games together.
That play is the one that's been listened.
To the most.
Fourth and One Rogers has it gets to Frankment, he dies, don't think a good I don't thinking ball do is out?
Let's cook it out.
It's not running that out.
Bengals touchdown. Terrence Steuman.
People love balls out, balls out, ball out, And I honestly think that when there's a fumble in a game.
Now, I think I used that expression more often than not, because that's now what.
I hear in my head. I hear your reaction to that moment. I'm glad you saw it.
Obviously, I was locked in on whether the Bengals got to stop on fourth and one. I didn't see the ball come out initially. With that great defensive play at the end of the game, it was one of the wackier games that we've seen.
I mean wickedly wacky. To give up thirty consecutive points and have a defensive touchdown. When the football game, somebody throws a great block, or somebody throws somebody makes a great move, you know, to break free. Man, Those defensive scores are rare. They're fun, no doubt.
From the thirteen yard line, twelve seconds to go, talk you back to throw.
Yeah Jah, touchdown, Bengals.
It's the latest game winning touchdown that we've called together. I think when they checked out the clock, they put six seconds back on the clock. So to see a game winning touchdown pass with less than ten seconds to go is great. Atlanta's AJ Green's adopted hometown, so for him to be in Atlanta and make a play like that in the final ten seconds to win a game was really cool.
Yeah, it really is plays like that in memories that those plays create or why you play.
It's almost like you free streamed.
Do you remember exactly where you were, when you were there, why you were there, everything that goes long with it when you do it on the road you travel home. I mean, it's like you don't need a plane, you know, It's like you're you can fly. You can fly by yourself. You're up there flapping your own wings man.
And that is the coffin nail Bam bam bam.
There was early in a broadcast partnership, but at the end of a game. I don't remember the game when the Bengals made the play that clinched victory, I just said as an expression. It wasn't preconceived or anything like that. I just said, coffin nails because the game was over, and you immediately.
Said bam bam bam.
To this day, I don't know really why it just just came to you in the moment, I assume exactly.
I mean, I don't know why either. I don't know. I guess it's kind of morbid.
You know what's like coffin nails.
Well, I do remember seeing movies that are and people banging those coffin nails in is something that almost every Bengals fan. Uh you know, I see them out in the street or wherever. Hey, coffinail damn bam bam. You know I'll say Confide Hills. You say vam bam bam. Okay, yeah, we can do that.
Four years ago, he was a senior in high school in tiny Fort Payne, Alabama. Now the Bengels Super Bowl chances rest on his right foot.
The kick is up yet, Yeah, good.
Coffin nows Bam bam bam. That is unba believable. The Cincinnati Bengals comes from behind on the road, it's history. Man, have a game winning kick like that to get you there. That that is that's a big time. That's a lot of fun.
So you summed it up perfectly. After the kick goes through the uprights, un bah believable. That's what was going through my mind until that ball goes through the uprights. I'm not sure that in my mind I had really grasped you're gonna be calling a super Bowl in a couple of weeks.
Yeah, and I mean that's the epitome for a broadcast, you know. I mean, if you're gonna broadcast NFL games, you want to call the big one.
Dave Lapham has rejoined us here in the broadcast booth wearing his stylish Yes Ring of Honor blazer.
That thing looks great on you.
It was a surreal experience getting the jacket put on with Lamar Parrish and all the other Bengal Ring of Honor members. And it's a man, it's like a dream. You just don't want to wake up. It's everything I hoped it would be for my grandchildren, my kids and my grandkids, and my wife Lynn as well.
I was so thrilled when the vote came out.
It's so well deserved, not only for your great playing career as the most versatile offensive lineman this franchise has ever had, but for being the greatest ambassador to the fan base that the Cincinnati Bengals have ever had.
The way I feel about it and working with Dan, it's I don't look at it as a job. I look at it as a hobby. It's fun. It keeps you young, keeps me young. Anyway.
The Bengals are very fortunate they've had you as part of this thing family for fifty years.
I'm very proud.
Every time I look up at that wing and see lap on sixty two puts a smile on my face.
Appreciate you man behind the stripes with Dan and lap I love the story of Dan and coffin Nails and you the bam bam bam and how just organically started. And now I got to think, if you're like at I could see you at Kroger, or like at the bank and somebody yelling coffin nails and you have to turn around and go bam, bam.
Bam, right, or what happens to us People will be like, hey, bam bam bamm.
No, no, no, you got me all messed up.
Now do it in the right war.
You gotta say coffin nows. That is fantastic. That was a really cool feature. I was glad we were able to get that one in. This week, we'll head.
Down the stretch, hand out the game balls. Stick around for that. It's been a while, but it's worth it. It's at Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network at ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station here we go down the stretch on Monday Night, a Bengals line and the Bengals Radio Network.
Last Pai cour is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Benge.
After eah Bengals win, we like to give you the sounds of victory from the locker room in the form of game balls. Take a listen to this and you'll hear a Zach Taylor referenced brick That is Jeff Brickner, their director of operations we talked about earlier in the show. Helped navigate and savage the challenges of mechanical issues on the plane. Here's Zach Taylor after the win, handing out game balls.
I'm proud of you guys.
Okay, this season hasn't been what we expected so far, but all you guys done, keep fighting, keep working, and todight is the fruit of those flavors.
Man.
You guys have practice to me. You come out here and you compete, You believe in each other, you take care of each other. You found a big win and now that's to be a momental builder for us going into the month of December. Okay, all right, appreciate you guys. I got a lot of game balls, get back. It's been a long time. Okay, waa them Okay, six field goals, let's franchise re s my annoying you six a.
Side, two cents.
You have a fun.
Alright when you get a game.
Boy, I gotta take a piece of chicken, don't eat.
And I like.
Miles Murphy red zone.
Huge hit by Miles d Night with the pick came all from both yay.
Sir Johnson to fumble recovery.
Gets it up to Turkey again, he said, And I damn, I my this yere j D knocking that ball.
Upright, turn it now? Never giving up on the plane man knocking up all three?
Who's the touch man?
No?
Oh, thank turkey, Turkey get.
I don't know what that was.
Jase Brown six straight games with over one hundred scrimming jars, the most begs history. I know, statistically it's not gonna be the best game you ever had. But to have Joe Burrow back from everything he worked through to give that come here on the road short week. The visual win lead us to victory was Joe Burrow game. You know, okay, you want to talk about fighting through adversity, Okay, and lead enough and not witching for one second last night, Jeff Brickner, U, no.
No, nothing beats the sounds of victory. Now four and eight, two games back. The Ravens and Steelers play each other this weekend. The Bengals go to Buffalo.
Buckle up.
Five games left. I can't wait, Dave.
You never know in the National Football League every week, just get after it, play your best, don't take anything for granted. Just take it one game at the time. As the old scene goes.
We are set to do that. Thanks for hanging out with us tonight. Let's do it again one week from tonight. Thanks to Jeff Hobson for hanging out with us. That was good stuff tonight. Really enjoyed it. This has been Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network and ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
This was Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network. Pay Core pay Corp Is proud to be the official HR software provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. Ulti Viper LTI Viper, the official WiFi and Internet provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. This is seven hundred WLW, the home of the fest Bengals coverage.