Bengals Line with Lance McAlister and Dave Lapham -- 12/15/25

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All right, let's get it going on this Monday night. Welcome into Bengals Line. Three hours of conversation about to unfold. We're gonna sort through what transpired yesterday at pay Corps. We're gonna look ahead to what could transpire this coming

Yeah, it really is. I mean if the numbers just don't add up, it's like, wait a minute, man, that's a brain cramp they're waiting to happen. You know. It's just the factor that needs to be considered. There is field position, you know, average drive start. Where did the Baltimore Ravens start their first first and ten, you know, and that's where they crossed the Bengals. Really, I mean, they took their soul away on those they had the ball.

And a real kicker and again filed under hard to fathom. When the Bengals did get into the Ravens territory, they got it into the Ravens side of the field five different times and got i mean obviously zero points out of it. But they get it to the forty and half to punt, They get it to the twenty nine and throw the interception. They get it to the thirty and they turn it over on downs. They get it to the seven Joe throws to pick six. They get it to the twenty seven and they get stopped on

I mean, fourth down stops and turnovers were huge. You know, that's the reason that Baltimore was able to pitch the shutout. Really they basically, in my mind, fourth down takeaways on downs are pretty much equivalent to turnovers. You know, you don't have an opportunity to even try a field goal and score points and you're certainly not going to put it in the end zone. So you know, the multiple possessions where that was the case for the Cincinnati Bengals,

Boy and one drive that really jumped out to me, Dave. And it's seventeen to nothing, and so this is still certainly the game is in play, you're not out of it, and it's seventeen to nothing. The Bengals went on a sixteen play trucks crauized eighty five yards and consumed eight minutes on the clock. And again, if you're not watching

Yeah, and there's not much time left in the football game, you know, And yeah, the clock management was curious. Make you scratch your head, that's for sure. I don't know what Zach was thinking in those situations. Only he can answer that question. But yeah, and again field is a factor. I mean, when you go on an eighteen play drive, you haven't put it in the end zone. You start your after your drive. Start was way back there, man, I mean you were back at your ten yard line,

Let's get immediate reaction after the game inside the locker room. Here's Dave with the coach Zach Taylor.

We had a great play on defense, they gave us an opportunity early in the game. And on dolphins. Obviously we had the two that that really hurt us.

Third down another another key, another T. The three t's that I had for the game, we're touchdowns, turnovers and takeaways and third down. Third down didn't go very well. Had some fourth downs that you had to try to convert. I mean did okay, but not you know, you were putting too many fourth down situations. Talk about the problems that you faced on third down.

Yeah, I thought early we were good. You know, early we put uff in a good spot and drove the ball on the field and obviously didn't finish. You know, on one we had a turnover that took points off the board. Another one we had a sack that that took out a field goal range. And so first half it was frustrating. We felt like there was opportunity for points there and we came away with nothing a halftime and obviously finished the game the same way.

You were going to go from this football game to Miami. I don't know how many degrees and just plan that's going to be, but it's going to be. It's going to be crazy. I know you don't necessarily want to talk about the Miami Dolphins. You haven't had time to digest the Miami Dolphins, to look at the Miami Dolphins much, that's for sure. But I guess what do you think? What are the weapons? What makes the Miami Dolphins a solid football team?

Yeah?

I just know from what I've I am watching them a long time. We'll find out. I know that they're always a fast team and they've got a good quarterback that gets out quick.

So your division record, if you'd won out would have been five and one, now can be four and two. Still pretty solid, still something to be proud of. A foreign two record in the division, and still it could give you an eight and nine record, So obviously there's a lot to play for.

We just got to win.

You know, We're gonna come in the building every day and focus on finding a win in Miami, finding a win after that. It's been disappointing that this is where we're at right now. We're all accountable for that, and that's obviously a disappointing day. But tomorrow we're gonna have to pick ourselves up and find a way to go find a win, get some momentum.

That's what you're talking about there. One win at a time, Paul Brown, my first head coach in the National Football League. That's what you said. Man, you can't get a hit yourself here, no matter what the situation. You got to approach it one week at a time. You got to try to accumulate one victory at a time. And that's where you find yourself right now, isn't it.

That's well, that's all we can do is takeing one game at a time and make the corrections from this one and move on to the next one.

Took as possible.

Coach, appreciate your time. You don't have to do this. I know that sometimes it's difficult to do this. I know a lot of times it's very difficult to do this. But you're a class act and we appreciate your carbon time for us.

You got it, Zach Taylor. After the game, sum it up. We'll take our first time out and continue. You hear from QB one Joe Burrow on a rough day all around as we navigate through the first of three hours tonight if Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW all night sorting through yesterday on Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW heard from Zach. Let's hear from Joe Burrow. You're at

You go back to Wednesday, there was a lot made of your moment if you're having fun or not in Cincinnati, so just still let you address it. Are you still enjoying playing.

For the Bengals?

And what did you make of kind of what happened in your comments on Wednesday?

My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati. My comments had everything to do with me and my mindset in football.

Do you think that your mindset this week in fact in your play today or was it just your player today?

Three years now of missing the playoffs, typically that results in change for most NFL organizations. Do you still have confidence in the people in the front office and the coaching staff that they can get this roster in a place and this team in a place where that wouldn't happen next year?

A lot of confidence because I know how hard people work at it.

We got the right people, uh starts, the players playing better, and today was me from the outside.

Are gonna just say that the organization top to bottom front the office doesn't have enough people or the right people in place. You honestly feel that they do and why.

This is a team effort.

You know, at the end of the day, players got to play better on the field.

Today was me, I gotta be better? What do you feel like you could have know better today everything.

Why was Why was it.

So tough on there?

What they made such challenge?

They're getting good pressure, but you know, some.

Uncharacter uncharacteristic mental mistakes on my end and some unforced errors.

Touch on the mindset.

Do you think those things could be inter twined at all? Is to maybe why you didn't go the way you wanted to early on? Can you take us through? You had a throw to Jamar, it was right for the interception, throw.

To Jamar in the end zone. The interception where it was just those two, those two players just felt.

Like you gott.

Yeah the go I felt good about where I put it. He got tugged a little bit. You Now, sometimes you get those calls, sometimes you don't. But I felt good about where I put down one. And then yeah, obviously the interception was was a bit high.

What would you think as you go back on the field for the last time, the conditions, you probably would not have what was run through your mind as you go back.

After the pick six. I mean, at that point it was over, So just protect yourself.

Joe, out of playoff contention, do you want to play the last three games personally?

I do Joe Burrow after the game and Dave clearly he was as hard on himself as you've ever heard Joe Burrow. It was a rough day all around for everybody. It was a really rough day for Joe, and he did not hold back. I love what he said. You know, you're you're you're not gonna win NFL games when your quarterback plays like I did today. I want everything on my plate. That's the position I want to be in.

Absolutely, and uh, you know he uh in in typical Joe Burrow fashion, the leader that he is, he said, put it on my shoulders. It's all on me, you know. I just I did not perform the way that I'm capable of performing. And talk to him in the in the locker room after the game, not on not taping him, but just conversing a little bit, and he was very, very disappointed. He was down about his performance, and you know,

First time in Joe's NFL career he's been involved in a shutout, the first Bengals home shutout since the opener of twenty seventeen, first time Joe's played in a game his team was shut out since twenty eighteen at LSU against Alabama when Bama was was number one in the country. And it also sticks out that his teammates said that

I think that you're hitting it right on the head. And the great quarterbacks, the great leaders that the Cincinnati Bengals have had, and they've been blessed with tremendous quarterback play and tremendous people at the quarterback position, and I can envision Boomers Iceen and Can Anderson both doing exactly what Joe Burrow did. You know, Hey, guys, I played like horse dong. You know, there's no question about it. I stunk, I was, I was, I sucked, I was awful.

Yeah, no doubt. And you know, it's a rough day for Joe. There's been days where he's maybe sailed to pass or under thrown a pass. But when Joe says an opening drive, when he took the sack that took him out of field goal range, he said, a mental mistake by me. Joe doesn't make mental mistake. You know, it's a rough day when Joe's making a mental mistake right on.

I mean, you know, just throw it away. You know that those yards, every yard is valuable. He more than anybody understands that. And one of those days. You know, every once in a while, no matter what your job is, you have a day at work where it's like, oh boy, I wish this day would end. You know, this day can't end fast enough. And that was the case for Joe Burrow and the Bengals yesterday.

No doubt, we've reached the bottom of the hour. Hangtag. We'll flip to the defensive side of things here from Miles Murphy. He had a nice day, a couple of sacks. Talk more about his continuing development as we continue with Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We rolled right along in this lendy nut of Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW,

We're in the locker room with Miles Murphy after disappointing loss for the Bengals. You had two sacks.

TJ.

Slayton was involved in one of those sacks. In any case, how difficult were the playing conditions for everybody on both sides today?

I mean, of course it's cold, but it's just a conditions. Just you know what you signed up for football. You played in any any weather, so just gotta bear with it and still just play your keys.

Played the run, rust passer.

You know, do we can as a defense?

Big plays hurt you guys today? Did you feel like that was the biggest problem my defense?

Uh?

Yeah, Limiting the explosives. They're explosive team. They got guys all over at quarterback, O line, running back, receivers, So you gotta do what you can't do, limit the explosives.

I felt we felt that we did a good.

Job against the run, kept them, cut them, contain, cut pressure on them.

But it was just the explosives.

Uh.

I was I was one of them. I was one of them that gave it the one of the one explosive and those are just things that just can't happen.

Was that on the touchdown pass to al Lee? I was on your but I didn't really know what your responsibility was there.

Yeah, the first one I was supposed to Yeah, I was supposed to take them on that one. And that's just something that can't happen to me and or anyone. I just can't happen to give up that explosive play.

It was a tough game in the sense that Thangals had some opportunities early inside the thirty, didn't take advantage Baltimore. Baltimore got a score, and then it kind of felt like the momentum swung their way, particularly when they got that second score late in the second quarter. Describe what it was like for you guys, just from a momentum standpoint.

Really, as a defense, we try to approach every every possession of the same like we got to get the ball that for our offense, because we know our offense, you know, just like there's a we have offenses full of explosive guys and who they all they need is a chance man, and that's that's what we try to do for our offense. Just give them a chance. And you know, that's the only thing we can do. Just do our just do our job and continue to give our give Joe to just continue to give you the ball.

It obviously doesn't help the playoff math. Where do you guys stand now with three games to go?

What's the same deal? The next next week is the biggest game of the year. That's that's my mindset. I feel like that's the entire defensive mindset. Just done to next week, same mindset. Attack, stop the run, get after the quarterback. But nothing changes. We're not just gonna sit back and just let whatever happen to us like we're gonna still attack set, set edges, do what we can and just you know, show show everyone what bangle, what bangle football is.

Appreciate your time, Miles thinking.

Miles Murphy after the game yesterday, he wasn't perfect. He admitted his the role in in the breakdown in the thirty yard touchdown. But if we're talking about the graph and this team needs young guys to keep getting better and Dave, there is clear momentum for the way Miles Murphy has come on in the back part of this season.

Agreed lancetal question about it, And like you said, he has four and a half sacks now in the season with that two sack performance yesterday, that's number two in the team. The only guy that's got more is with Joseph a side with five. So you know, Miles Murphy is becoming a little bit of a factor off the edge. You know, he and Osia both young players. They both have immense physical talent. Uh, and when the Bengals scouted them, they they are size, speed ratios and everything strength overall

Boy, and he's somebody. Let's let's look ahead and you know likelihood that Trey I don't know, Betray Henderson probably not here next year. You never know, but you need somebody to become a dominant, game changing game wrecking. I don't want I don't expect him to immediately jump to it all pro next year, but you need the continued development of somebody who can be an impact a young, impactful guide or defense.

Absolutely, And if you're a defensive coordinator, Al Golden, he wants to have a guy, all right, I know I can count on him to pressure the quarterback, not necessarily sack them, but pressure him, make him uncomfortable, make him make a quicker decision than he wants. To make him put the ball in jeopardy at least once a game, maybe multiple times a game. And that's that's what he's looking for defensively. And so you know, pass rush can

Boy. And while we're on the defensive side of things, and and young and needing more from Dimitris Knight Junior has a two sack day and has five tackles, and and that's something that the linebackers have been in the crosshairs in the spotlight a lot this season. But to see Dimitri's Knight Junior have a big day's got to do a lot for his confidence, exactly.

And you know he's capable. I mean, you know he's Those two sacks put him in the top policy one, two, three, four, five, he's in the top five from the team. Now with those two quarterback stacks tied for top five, which I mean, the Bengals aren't tearing it up in terms of team quarterback sacks, that's for sure. But again, young guys, young guys at every level, young guys at defensive line, there

And if you go back started the game, first three possessions, the defense forces a punt, forces a punt, gets the interception, and then it's it's such a theme with this defense. There'll be good, good, good, and then just ah, really awfully bad on a breakdown, and there were plays they allowed of thirty two yards thirty twenty nine, twenty eight,

Yeah, exactly, they're catastrophic, you know. I mean it's like, you know, you start to feel good about yourself. Yeah, hey, things are we're believers. Man, things are going pretty well, and then all of a sudden, bam right in the face. Man, you take a shot right in the bridge of the nose and get your nose busted all over your face. I mean, that's life in the National Football League for sure. But man, you know, these young players, they're just gonna

Yeah, just looking at the sheet for perspective, Bengals offense ran seventy one plays and only had two plays that gained twenty or more yards. The Ravens ran forty plays and had eight plays that went for over twenty yards. Those explosive plays are.

Just gut punches one out of every five.

Yeah, that's true. That's incredible.

That's twenty percent of this is Riley taught me right how to side for a little bit. I mean, you know, twenty percent of your snaps are big plays, explosives. That dog's definitely not gonna hunt if you're a defensive football team. Did a lot of hunting for the Ravens, there's no question.

Yeah. And you know, a final thought on young guys and you reference Shamar Stewart. I would think final three games will be big for him, And it looks like the trend is he's probably we wondered he might play this week, didn't. If he can play the final three, that would be I think huge for his development, his confidence. Just to get something on tape that that he can feel good about to end the season with, I think would mean a lot going into the off season.

I agree with you. And for the coaching staff, yes, you know, it's like get tape, like you said, plays from him on tape, or you can really evaluate and say, do we need to still address this or are we good? Do we see growth and development here? Do we feel good about what's going on at the on the edge for our defensive football team? And you know, can we put resources somewhere else at linebacker or in the back end, whatever we need to do on our side of the football.

Yeah, especially, it just popped into my head. Joseph Osai is going to be in a contract situation. So you're weighing Miles Murphy coming on on one end. If you feel good over the final three with Shamar and then maybe it impacts how you view Osai. Maybe it doesn't, But a lot of questions and you just need young progress and development. That's the bottom line.

Absolutely, I mean that that is the bottom line. Young progress and development is the lifeblood of any organization in the NFL.

When we continue Orlando Round Junior on the offensive line and so much more. Thanks for hanging out with us tonight it is Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred. We keep moving along on this Monday night, picking up the pieces from yesterday, and eventually we'll turn the attention to those Miami Dolphins coming up in our third hour tonight of Bengals Line and the Bengals Radio Network. We've heard from Zach, heard from Joe, heard from Miles Murphy.

You know, I definitely resonate with was and Joe on a filling on that.

All right, Joe has done so much in his organization, so many games he even wanted he came in today. This one's on me as a guy who's a leader on this team. Do you have Joe's back that like, it's a team effort.

It's not just the quarterday, Yeah, one hundred percent of team effort, man. And you know, so many things going to being able to win a football game.

And it's not just about our.

Quarterback playing well or just our defense playing well. Uh, so many things have to go together. And so uh, today's losses and just on him, man, you know, zero points offensively, We all got a hand in that, and whatever that is.

You know, we'll watch the film.

We'll we'll learn from, you.

Know, mistakes that we made and be able to uh, you know, focus on that and and make sure those things don't happen again.

But it's never just on a joke.

Man.

You know what this locker room has to be a third straight year Orlando without making them.

Playoffs against that, Yeah, it is surprising.

Man.

You know, we spend a lot of time uh in the off season. Uh, we spend a lot of time uh as a as a team, bonding and and and growing. And so you know, anytime you don't get the opportunity to be in a dance, it's it's frustrating and and it sucks, man, And you know it puts it puts everybody, uh, you know, in a in a difficult spot. But I could tell you over these next three weeks, man, I'm so thankful for the ability to play this football game. Uh, you know, something always dreamed of as a young kid.

Super Bowl expectations you guys have. What do you feel like it is the first step to get back?

Oh?

Yeah, I mean it's a lot of different things.

Man.

It's it's hard to sit here and hang my hat on one thing. But to me, you know, it just it comes down to being able to to win when we need to and showing up in these big games and these big moments and so uh, you know, I've I've been a part of those you know, special teams and obviously a lot of guys in this locker room were part of it, you know, here in twenty one and twenty two being able to push to that point. So h it's a lot of things, man that it's gonna take for us to get back in that.

Position, youse.

Uh, definitely, definitely, you know. But the reality is that the NFL, a lot of teams are close.

You know.

The way that this league is set up is designed for everybody to have an even playing field, with the way the draft order, the waiver wire, the cap, uh, so you know what's the take to to be able to win a Super Bowl? You know, that's that's a whole building, that's a whole uh set of players that are focused on the task at hand and understand that it's one day at a time. You know, you can't win the Super Bowl and September. You can't win it in April. You gotta go win it when the when

How much is it the test of professionalism next three weeks for the guys in here, not having a shot to go to the playoffs still play up to the standard that you expect.

Yeah, it's important, man, It's important cause, Uh, I know my brothers are relying on me, and you know I'm gonna continue to come out here and give them all.

Why is that important?

Makes?

Uh?

Yeah, I mean for so many reasons.

Uh.

You know, I think there's a lot of people that would you know, I don't wanna be dramatic, but.

Die for this opportunity.

I mean, you know, and that's that's the reality to me. So, uh, you know, anytime I get the opportunity to suit up in this game and and go out here and play with my brothers, always give.

It all up. Orlando Brown on the uh, the struggles and difficulties yesterday, and and Dave that it's not all on the offensive line, and Joe admitted some of his mistakes as well. But Joe got sacked three times, he got hit ten times. It wasn't the crisp offensive line play we've seen in the recent weeks for that group.

No, I mean three quarterback sacks, ten quarterback hits, and that's not even including pressures that weren't hits. Yes, So you know, Joe was kind of you know, Ben Gazeera, he was, he was on the run, he was on the move quite a bit. You hate to see your quarterback get sacked, but you don't want your quarterback to get hit ten times in the National Football League. Every time he gets hit, you know, the odds increased that one of them may be very painful. Yes, So you

Yeah, and that game, I think it's fair to say, got very chippy. And the longer it went on, the more I worried about Joe. You're thinking, all right, this is not their day. The last thing you really need is a cheap shot, a laid hit, something that's going to impact Joe. And it was trending that way multiple times yesterday.

Yeah, it was. And you know, it's a division battle, a heated division battle. Baltimore and Cincinnati. They there's bad blood there. They don't really like each other, there's no question about that. And uh and and usually more and more of the pushing and shoving and chippiness and activity after this play is completed happens up front. So those are the guys that that need to kind of keep their cool, keep their composure, and just take it out

Hey. Coming up in our second hour, we'll hear from Jamar Chase and Ted Carris and uh mortiget to as we eventually turn to our second hour, three Big Ones tonight to break it all down, come back and head down the stretch of hour one as we continue with Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW down the stretch we go of our first hour, first of three IF Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and Lance.

As always, we have the Kettering Health Report, the Injury Report, that's a feature every week where really, I think, as I think back, the Bengals didn't have any real severe problems coming out of this football game. I don't think anybody's gonna miss any big time. We do have a bruised shin that you know, that's a little bit of an issue for Osai. All of that is presented by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals, providing the best care for the best fans.

And how about what I'm thinking of it? And it points to who he is and no one's ever questioned who he is or what he's all about. Some J. P. Ryan has carved off at one point and you turn around, you look at he's coming right back onto the field, and you can just imagine him saying, blankety blank, I'm going back into that game.

He is a tough dude. We were talking about that, you know, on the air. He came off the field, went into the blue tent, and he was out of there quickly.

Man.

You know, I mean, I guess whatever if it was, if he got wrong, they cleared the concussion protocol symptoms pretty damn quickly, that's for sure. If he had some sort of an issue on a sprain or whatever it was, it was determined not to be that severe. But that dude is tough man, and he is physical. He is a horse. I mean he's uh his his quadriceps, his hamstrings,

Ten degrees at kickoff yesterday minus one wind chill, so cold yesterday, so cold yesterday the booth windows were closed, that they were or on orders closed the booth windows or you know what Yd's equipment freezing up or anything like that. You know why you had uncomfortable honestly during the game, as will so close him and everybody. But you know, it's cold when the windows have to be closed, and that's the way it was yesterday.

Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what governing body makes that decision you and I'm not sure who makes the call un closing uh closing the windows at pay Corps. But it was toasty. The booth was very comfortable, and no question about that. I know it was chili willie for the boys out in the field. And I remember when it was like in the freezer.

Ball man, you think about that, I said, you know, yesterday and obviously a big deal is made out of the weather windshill minus won and I'm looking around one wait a minute, I mean, certainly everybody remembers what minus fould we think of just saying it out loud minus fifty nine wind chill. That doesn't even sound humanly possible, and yet it very much was possible.

Yeah, it was. It was cruel and unusual punishment. I can say that, man, I have never been close to that cold at any other point in my lifetime. And they came close to calling that game, postponing the game. It was like in the in the final hour, really they made the determination to just go ahead and let it roll out. Yesterday's game was never in any danger of you know, postponement, cancelation for twenty four hours or whatever.

Thinking there's Ted keeping up the tradition, the old line way to go Ted. Yes, we'll hear more from here from Ted coming up. In our second era, we turned the corner. It's Bengals line and the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

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

Hey, welcome back in about to unfold our two of Bengals line and there's Monday Night of the Bengals Radio Network. Thanks for hanging out with us. We're sorting through what transpired yesterday at pay Court twenty four and nothing over the Ravens. We've got the Dolphins to look ahead to in our third hour as well. We get busy with it in the first hour. Let's begin our two with the Jamar Chase, Bengal wide receiver had a ten catch day yesterday, ten catches, one hundred and thirty two yards

Where did you.

Think that game got away today? Why was it so hard to create offensive rhythm?

Just wasn't executing a little bit?

Wasn't pushing the ball on the field when getting putting ourselves in position on third down? Or get the ball on the field and just get a raison? You know, I dropped a I dropped a slam on the first series that put us in a position to get a t uh field goal or touch down, and Uh, I put that on myself dropping that path.

Did he take us through?

Uh?

The gobo?

I think it was on the next drive? Yeah?

Did he just you not get your head around cause he was grabbed.

Yeah.

He twist M like he try this some sneaky that was pretty pretty good for him, pulled my help and you know it caused me to jerk my body and uh in two ways, and I just couldn't find a ball.

Jo was especial league hard on himself and as he he had elblities and was one of the worst things he ever played.

What was your thoughts on Joe's cart.

Uh, I've been knowing Joe for a long time, and at the end of the day, I know where he's capable of. I know when he's off, I know when he's on. But I gotta find a way to help him. You know what I'm saying. It he's off on, it don't matter. I gotta beat that for him, encourage him, you.

Know what I'm saying. Just do whatever I can for you.

At a couple of thirty yard catches, Jamorrow but what's their plan to take away the deep ball? Is that what Baltimore prioritize.

I'm not sure what they planning was today, but I'm sure it was not for us to score.

So what'd you been?

What's it like to see if Beast are called himself after a game? I think the most he's ever after.

Any kind of fuck.

He just he just really loved the game. Man, he just wanna be great. And at think then I could respect that from him. But like he told me, don't care. I ain't gonna I ain't gonna let him kill himself mentally by just one game he played better.

How hard is it to accept the fact that you're officially alarm?

Hard pill to swallow? But I mean, at the end of the day, is where we got a live with.

How would you sum up this season?

Howse the the the roller baster or stups and down everything that he doesn't know?

Yeah, we just I don't know. I don't know if I mean, I don't know, Man, you gotta find a way at the end of the day.

A complimentary football has been tough for you guys this year.

Why is it doing so much harder this year than.

Past season, but that that don't mean nothing, you know what I'm saying. As in the day, we still have opportunities to put ourselves in a position with the close games and we dat them. So uh we just gotta you gotta find a way to execute them.

And when games going.

Forward, do you still believe in this coaching stuff?

Yeah?

I mean we had great plays today, that was opportunities so for us to score and and and kill 'em deep, but you know, sometimes we just didn't connected.

So be it three straight seasons missing the playoffs.

What kind of changes would you like to see in this offseason?

M You know, if I if I can, if I had to say so, it'd probably be be something. But I don't know what I could do. So all I could do is control what I could control.

How do you.

Approach these last three weeks now, you know, being eliminated, just playing towards.

The end of the season.

Uh, I just gotta be a leader man, be a captain, pushing the guys forward and just trying to finish strong.

What kind of battitude they wanna say after this SAFS playing.

It's just about finishing strong.

Had playing many everybody got come in and work we all coming in the same thing, doing the same stuff every day. Everybody time is being doing being put in around the same thing. So we gotta come in and just keep pushing it and just finish strong. That's all I think we could do. At the end of the day.

Three years ago, when you guys left the Arrow had losing the second ARC Championship, they told you that you wouldn't be back, just didn't a plan over the next three years. What do you think your.

Reaction would have been, Uh, I probably wouldn't believe you.

What's the attribute to think y'all probably missing most to get back to that point?

Could again, what's the.

Attribute y'all are missing most as a team? More than that?

More like is there?

I'm not sure. Man. At the end of the day, offense, it's either.

The offense is clicking or the defense is clicking. One of the days we we have never yet to put our offense and defense together as one unit and play together with.

So much on the line this week, Jamark, did you guys feel mentally prepared to take on the Ravens today?

I I believe we felt mentally prepared. But it's the best of the best that then and it's the NFL. And what's the hardest part?

I play again, when it's that hold out there, what's the hardest part?

Trying trying to breathe, trying to breathe? Yeah?

Does that make everything.

You're seeing that much more intense?

Just tough?

When everything's aren't going on?

How much more difficult does it feel when it is that cold?

I mean, you gotta it's football, man, and the day it's a physical sport. But the cold don't make it no better. And you you gotta be out there, you gotta play.

Does surviving in the ground, like when you're catching the ball?

Does that change in the cold?

Does?

It seemed like that was an Issu're not just for anyone in particular, but as a whole.

The skin.

Like surviving getting tackled, like knowing how to fall and stuff.

Like when you're catching the ball and you to make you have a completion when you hit the ground.

I I don't pay attention to I'm not gonna lie you. I mean to get in the hit on them. I'm not so more.

You know Joe better than just about anybody.

What do you do to lift him?

What?

What I from being honest?

I never I never been in a situation with him where I had to uplift him, you know what I'm saying. But going forward, I might need to because he does it to me at the end of the day, and you never know what he might be going through, so I might I might need to start doing that.

You know, your bottom line is winning and losing. But does the shutout make it worse? Does that rep you the wrong way?

If I'm being honest, I read blown out, then be playing in a close game and lose byfield goal, so that.

Jam Joe burrows a stage.

I'm not sure. This is my first time.

You know, probably going to have to if anything, but I probably doubt I will, But.

I don't know.

We just probably just gonna kick it, chill and just try not to talk about football.

If I'm being honest, Yeah.

Is it adds like a weird feeling?

Not really, No, Jamar Chase on a difficult day, he was targeted sixteen times. You know it's it. It wasn't and Jamar kind of alluded to it. There was there were times where he and Joe didn't seem to be on the same page, But in the end, it's still a ten think about it. It's still a ten catch, one hundred and thirty two yard day for Jamar Chase, which shows his greatness. He's still able to have a day like that when it maybe it wasn't at the most proficient level between he and his quarterback.

Yeah, and Jamar referenced it. He said in the locker room back to the game. You know, Joe was off. Joe wasn't like Joe can be. You know, Joe wasn't precision, pinpoint accuracy. I wanted to try to help as as much as I possibly could. We've been together for a long time, all the way back to the LSU days, and probably I don't know about the All Star gamers too, not who knows, but they know each other cold, they

I think it's a great point in the trust and know he's going to be there, because, let's be honest, Yoshi had another yesterday and in Tinsley had a moment where he probably should have had a touchdown catch at the end zone. And it's only you're only human, if you're Joe of if there's enough that you store in the back of your mind and you wonder about you never have to wonder about throwing the ball to Jamar Chase or or somebody. And he wasn't there yesterday. So

Yeah, it is. It's easy to start to fall into that trap a little bit. And speaking about T Higgins, you know he's from the Florida area originally. For him to go down to Miami and play against the Dolphins is a big deal. It's a big deal for him, for his family, for his friends. Everybody's going to be excited to watch T Higgins perform and he who probably I'll guarantee you T Higgins is playing on, putting on

One final thought on Jamar, I thought maybe the most telling thing he said after the game was about his connection with Joe, and you alluded to how they understand each other, and I thought it was pretty powerful when Jamar said, I've never been in this situation where I have to uplift him, but going forward, I might need to. Joe does it to me. At the end of the day, you never know what he might be going through, so I might need to start doing that. And I think

Yeah, I think I think you're right, And I think you know, Joe made mention after the game that he's got some personal things that he's dealing with. It's not necessarily football related, it's not organizational related to the Cincinnati Bengals, but he has to work through and sort through some things. And if anybody can help him do that and forget about those things, it's Jamar Chase and t Higgins, yep.

Very well, said, very well, said still ahead. Ted Carris on the day that was at pay Corps. This is Bengals on on the Bengals Radio network and seven hundred WLW. Let's keep covidight along on this Monday night of Bengals on on the Bengals Radio network in seven hundred WLW. And let's get back into the offensive line side of things. Ted Carris talking after the game about the day that was for the Bengals. Here is the Bengals center.

Ted, I'll get Baltimore credit. They played well on defense. What were some of the things that they did well today?

Finish in the red zone with turnovers and knocks out a field goal range.

So zero points ridiculous.

Those first couple of drives which you're alluding to. You got to the twenty five the first time, the twenty nine the second time and didn't come away with points. How much of a momentum swing is that? How much does that knock you back?

I mean, defense gave up seventeen points. That should be enough to beat the Baltimore Ravens.

So not good enough.

Third downs were great last week, it was a struggle today. Anything stand out off the top of your head.

Not yet.

I'm gonna go home and watch it. So, but didn't convert enough, obviously, and didn't score enough points.

Were How big of a factor were the weather conditions?

Non factor?

You just got it out. You just got it out. Yeah, you beat these guys a week and a half ago, essentially, how did that affect the game today? Could you tell that they were now hell bent on evening the score?

I'm sure they were, and so were we.

So they executed way better than we did and won the football game twenty four to nothing.

So you gotta gotta go take a look at it.

And then, uh got three weeks left to do something?

What is the goal the mission for these final three weeks?

Win?

It's almost hard to fathom a game where you guys don't score. You've been so good offensively. How does it, you know, strike you when you look up at the end of the game and you got a goosegg on the scoreboard?

It doesn't strike me.

Well, So we gotta I mean at zero points unacceptable at any any level of football in the NFL with the most dynamic offense.

So I gotta go take a look at it.

And get ready for Miami.

Ted Carris after the game, and Dave Ted alluded to it. Joe alluded to it. The Ravens this time around seemed to be able to get pressure without blitzing a lot, just four man pressure, which was different than the match two weeks ago. It just seemed like they figured out something that gave the Bengals some problems from that standpoint.

Yeah, and uh, the fact that they got significant pressure, you know, three quarterback sacks and hit the quarterback hits, the knockdowns, the pressures making Joe uncomfortable, making him throw the ball before he really wanted to, before he felt

By the way. Final thought before the bottom they are on Ted Carris and thinking of offensive lineman and the cold Uh, there's the legendary story of the vasolene. Do our our offensive lineman? And are you allowed today to wear vasoline? Or was that banned or outlawed. Did anything change after you guys did it?

That's a good question. I'm not sure how the league handled that. I'm not sure if there were any any changes to what you were allowed to do from a uniform code standpoint. But I don't think yesterday it was necessarily you know, so called that you had to resort to that.

It wasn't a vaciline day.

It might not have been a vacine day, right, what might not have been?

We've reached the bottom of the hour, Hang tight, much more to get to. He's Dave Lapham, I'm Lance, but callister. This is Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Hey, welcome back in on this Monday night of FENOS on Bengals Radio. If to get seven hundred WLW. We've talked to offense, we've talked defense. We're making our way through what all took place yesterday at pay Corps and let's oh, I know, as I'm thinking about it, we left off with the vasiline and you'll

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. We had defensive players. Bengal teammates did it, and defensive players did it that. I was playing against h frequently regularly, and it was I mean, it'd be like.

What the heck is that slipping right off?

If there's some slick stuff right there, boy, it really is.

That's beautiful looking at guys lockers. Hey, yeah, you got cologne, you got the deoder, you got what you've got Pam crooking spreads what that cooking spray? For whatever it takes, whatever advantage there is to be found, it will eventually be found.

There's no question about it.

Wayne box Miller yesterday had a chance to talk with McKinley Jackson, the Bengals second year defensive lineman, who had some interesting thoughts about learning to be a professional, understanding professionalism, and kind of knowing the game I thought it was worth listening to McKinley. Then, Dave, I want to ask you about just learning to be a pro when you enter the league. Here is Wayne box Miller with McKinley Jackson.

Let's talk about the difference so far for you between year one and the following year.

Uh, it's been a big transition just understanding how the NFL leads and just understanding the routine. But as far as like just you know, playing should at the same intelligence go out there. I stted to prove myself and you know, do whatever it takes to win.

You know, you came from a high level college conference at CC, you come here. Talk about the preparation that gave you. Do you feel like that prepared you a little bit more because you were in competition every week in that league.

Nah, competition never dictated my preparation. That's one thing I would say, just a preparation just to being around professional other professional athletes. And there's thirty one other teams, so I mean other guys are preparing to you know, play the world the best work CLIs of athletes, So I feel like you got to take it upon yourself to prepare these situations and you know, it's a weekend and we got Uh. It doesn't get any easier and these

Talk about the veterans and what they mean to you when you come in, because there's so much about this game that's different at this level.

Yeah, you just obviously you want to just look at look at them and just if all that shadowt and just you know, just keen on what they're doing to get to these uh these mark second contract.

Uh you're eight year nine All pros Pro Bowlers. Uh.

Some guys been here at a BA Football Champs. So it's like, you know, you want to take every circle and everything that they give out. You know, it's a it's just a place where like no one is bigger than the team, and you know what's better than next man? So it's nothing but gaming. I can learn from each guy.

Do you feel a sense of accomplishment as you pick up nuggets and different things and you have those aha moments like, man, this is really starting to come together for me.

No, I put the person on myself because I mean the world is full of critics, so you can't never be you can't you can't never be comfortable in this game. And it's always send me to work on. So it's a sense of accomplishment. I mean, once the ring hitting my finger and then these guys feel in the locker room, I feel accomplished then. But until then, you know, I'm putting my head down and I put my heart head on.

How do you feel about the players you play with, because many of them, when I talk to them, they talk about you, and you get that. You don't get words, something to forget the eyebrow. I was like, man, they really just appreciate who you are and how you play.

I appreciate that, and I appreciate these guys for sitting here just being paid with me, you know, early on, like you know, it took me a little bit to understand professionalism, especially in this league. And you know, you know, once I get it, I get a downpack. Guys are really like you know, they trusted me, and I went out there and I made players, and you know, hopefully I can keep doing that and just just do it a high level and keep continuously doing it and making

Lastly, I always say to young guys, at some point you realize that the game of football gives way to the business of football. When did that kind of hit you, because it seems like you learned that pretty early.

Yeah, and yeah, it was a it was a tough spot, especially this year, just you know, not getting out there and not helping his team, not helping his team and just contributing. I mean, no matter if we went on losing, it's just that you still want to contribute. And I'm just a guy that never never was not able to play football unless I was you know, injured in my

You know, I have no question that's gonna come.

I see how hard you work, and your peers respect you, so thank you so much for spending time with us.

I appreciate it.

Thank you box with McKinley, Jackson and David. I thought it was very interesting to hear McKinley, who's in his second year and has had his ups and downs and moments and not so great moments, but say and admit it took him a minute to understand how to be a professional on this level. And the more I've thought about that, it is one thing for preparation and preparing your body and your mind. In college, you get to

No, it doesn't. And the best thing to have as a mentor, Yes, you know somebody that's done it, done it, and has done it well and has done it maybe close to the timeframe that you're doing it. If you've got a guy that has had success, a modicum of success, and he's in his fourth year, for example, you know, go pick his brain, Go sit down with him in the locker room, or you know, outside the locker room at a restaurant having a bite, heat or whatever. And what what do you do? Man? How do you how

What?

What are some of the keys? What are some of the tips. A guy that was big for me was Bob Johnson. Bob Johnson had uh everything in terms of being a pros pro. He understood the game of football at the highest possible level. He was an offensive Lineman of the Year at Tennessee when he was a college football player, first pick ever in the Cincinnati Bengals in the history of their franchise. So, you know, I read about all that stuff about Bob Johnson. When I got

Yeah, and I would imagine it takes your your special veterans, because I would think there would be some veterans who might look and say, well, here comes the young buck, and he's gonna take my job. I'm not gonna I'm not at all. It says a lot about the veteran who is the willing mentor ultimately.

No question about it. That and that is, that is a fact. You know, when you're maybe like Isaac Curtis and you have such unique talent, skill talent and skill set, I should say, uh, you know an Olympic caliber sprinter that had you know, sticky fingers, glue fingers. You know that you know that they're going to find a role for you, a spot for you. You're going to be taking a ton of snaps. So you don't go ahead and help a young buck out. You know, there's no

And we're talking, I mean the scope and the scale of doing this. It's understanding how important sleep is, how important diet is. Always go back to a conversation I used to always have with John Thornton, the former Bengal of how important it was. On Fridays for him, he always had a massage, therapy, acupuncture, and he used to always say, I invest in my body. It will cost X number of dollars a year for a masseuse and

Absolutely, I mean you get a look at it as a business. Yes, it's a it's a it's a business, and you don't have to worry about inventory and inventory control and all that sort of thing. But your body is basically what your whole job is all about. And taking care of your body to the best of the ability is huge. And if you can get two or three more years, that's hundreds of thousands of dollars if you can at the end of the season and you're making a playoff push and your body is well rested,

That's a great point.

You're gonna play better, and now you're gonna get more, you know, quote bonus money. You're gonna get additional money, more game checks. You know, as you get to the the AFC, NFC championship games. We're talking serious dollars. In the Super Bowl is a big payday.

I give McKinley Jackson credit for the recognition and their articulation of that. I didn't understand right away how to be a professional, and you hope that lesson learned prolongs and extends his career. Sadly, the example on the other end is somebody like Jermaine Burton who didn't seemingly wasn't able to figure it out, and now he's on the street looking for another opportunity, and maybe he learns from

Absolutely, I mean, you gotta give McKinley Jackson a lot of credits from being like introspective, you know, and and looking inside himself and being honest with himself and and uh doing what he needs to do and finding out what he needs to find out to survive in advance as a professional. Burton, on the other hand, he just never got to figure out like you said, he just uh, you know, A plus B did not equal see ever for Burton. Unfortunately, when we continue, I have a list.

I made the mistake of starting to jot down to all the Bengals third downs yesterday off basively, and I like, and then I got very depressed. I wanted to stop. But we'll talk about the third down struggles and more as we continue these Dave Blapham My Glance, but callister Bengals Line is the show. It's on the Bengals Radio Network and it's on seven hundred w l W. We

Absolutely, I mean that is that's twenty percent third down conversion. That is failure. I mean that is brutal. The first third down, third and two, they pick up five yards. That's the one they made that you described lance. The second, third down, third and four, they get sacked for fifteen yard. Sacked. Joe's running around back there trying to create an extent and losing yardage.

And took took him out of field goal.

Absolutely, I mean that was a big mistake right there. You know, throw it away, throw it away, take the incompletion. You know, at least you can have them McPherson lineup and kick a long field goal for you. Third third down, third and four, they pick up two, So now it's fourth and two. The next third down, third and five, interception. Third and nine they pick up seven. Now it's fourth

That means on the day, the fifteen third down opportunities, they did not convert one that was beyond a third and two. Think about that for a second. They on third and four to five yards they went oh for four. On third and six or more they went oh for seven. They converted nothing that was longer than third and two the entire afternoon. I don't even know how that's possible.

Yeah, and let's face it, I mean, third and four, third and five, you're gonna have to convert some of those.

Yep.

It's the National Football League. I mean, you know, defenses get paid to play too. They're gonna You're gonna find yourself in third and four. You got to make plays, you have to convert. Uh. It just yesterday was a nightmare in every sense of the word.

And the deeper you get, the more yards you need, the more you're gonna have to try to try to maybe force something, and it leads to the interception or leads to a pick. It's just nothing, nothing good happen. It's like nothing good happens staying out after midnight. Nothing good happens on third and long. Usually good analogy, too many bad days. Good analogy, take a time out and continue. We'll head down the stretch at our second of three

Incredible, it really is. And uh, you know he was coaching in high school football and his high school team was watching the game as so cool. The kids, Oh, they went crazy. I mean they almost did. Jumped through the roof. I mean they were they were vertical, man, they were skying, and uh, it's just it's an unbelievable, uh, unbelievable accomplishment for phil Philip Rivers to be able to do that. Now was what kind of football shape was

And how I must feel this morning, Oh gosh, yeah, really the first time.

Yeah, And That's what I was going to say about. If I'm an offensive lineman and Philip Rivers agrees to come back at the age of forty four to help us win football games, I'm protecting him with everything that I've got, every inch of my life, man, I am.

I am.

If Philip Rivers gets hit and I'm responsible for it. It's my guy, my my responsibility that put a lock on Philip Rivers. I'd have a hard time going back to back to the huddle and looking at us, you know, and making eye contact. Have been filing my bad. I'm sorry, man. You know it won't happen again. That is that's that's a tremendous NFL story.

And I always I look for context and perspective. When I thought of this, it blew me away. Philip Rivers was taken fourth overall in the two thousand and four drafts. How long ago was that The Bengals first round pick that year was Chris Perry. I'll think about that, the Michigan running back. That's how long ago Philip Rivers was drafted.

That puts it all in contest.

And the final note to end the hour, the sad news out of Kansas City, man Patrick Mahomes tears acl done for this season. They say it might bleed into into next season. What an and the Chiefs get eliminated yesterday? What What a weird dynamic in the NFL to think that the Bengals and Joe Burrow aren't going to be in the playoffs, The Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes aren't going to be in the playoffs. It's it's not h It's not the way it has been. No, it's it's different. It's uh.

And Jerry Jones upset too. The Cowboys and Michael Parsons aren't they all are the in the playoffs with his a cl injury. So a lot of a lot of difficult injuries. Uh, yesterday over the weekend. No National Football League.

No question. That's two in the books. Let's get to our third hour. We'll hear from more from Zach, more from Joe, and fun facts with Taj Brooks. It's all ahead Bengals one of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred w l W.

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. Kettering ow Best Care for the Best Fans. Kettering el Official healthcare provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. This is seven hundred WLW, the home of the best Bengals coverage.

All right, let's get it going, let's get it underway. Third hour, our third of three. Thanks for tagging along with us. Tonight is we've made our way through what transpired yesterday at pay Court at twenty four nothing lost to the Ravens. We'll get into the Miami Dolphins this hour as well, and always time to get into this absolutely lance.

Everybody shop the Bengals Pro Shop find the best selection of Bengals merchandise anywhere. Visit the Pro Shops seven days a week, located on the north side of pay Court Stadium, or shop online at Bengals dot com.

Agat twenty four to nothing, the final in a game that unfortunately eliminates the Bengals. Here is Zach at the podium meeting with the media after the game.

You know, I think we had five trips, you know, to their side of the field and came by with no points. And just again that's as a point caller, that that starts with me. When you walk with no points, there's a huge amount of accountability that I got to take for that, but it was just an overall very

What are your thoughts on that team's effort.

Well, I thought, defensively, I saw some really good things.

I mean, they pressured him, he didn't have a lot of time in the pocket with three or four sacks, got a turnover, had an opportunity, had another one. I know, they got in a zero beater, you know, where were something we practiced, we were ready for it, and they still got us for a touchdown. So there was some held them three points in the second half. You know, this was if my memory serves correctly, So there was some some effort, you know. That's I didn't see it

The reason for so many drop today and how big were those drops?

Yeah, but it was everything you know, it wasn't just drops, it was it was I think everybody involved in the offense.

Has got to got to own up to that performance today.

Zach Jill had a kind of a unique down demeter on Wednesday. Did you notice anything different from him this week?

You had a lot of condition after Pittsburgh that you guys are going to be in this until the very end.

Is it stunning the fact that you're sitting here three weeks ago.

And it's yeah, I think it's it's frustrating to to score zero points get shut out at home. That's that's unacceptable. Never a million year is what I've seen that coming, you know, But that's that's what happened today. So now we've got to look at why that happened, and we've got to accountable for it and and keep moving forward.

Zach, why do you think you in your group of coaches, administration, top to bottom are the right group?

Yeah? I believe in everybody. I believe and every do we got.

You're down seventeen to nothing. I believe that drive the day ended in the pick six took like eight minutes. Anything you guys could have done there to try to speed.

That up, we had some personnel issues, certainly with some injuries that we were trying to balance there. Moments we went tempo, moments we decided huddle and try to make sure we got points.

On the board. The playoff contention sw.

Yeah, it's frustrating. This is a team that I thought was a talented team. There's gonna have a chance to do big things this year.

Very similar. Joe was Joe sharp in practice rightily? Yes, how do you feel like it?

I'll let him speak to that, but I know that there's some place that he's going to want to come back.

Two weeks ago.

You know, you guys were able to do anything at will really against Baltimore on Thanksgiving today?

Did anything surprise you that they I wouldn't say that.

I would say, you know it, maybe it looked easier than it really was. You know, our defense is five turnovers, five to nothing. Early on, we kicked a field goals in that game when when you'd like to come away with teschdowns, they made it really hard. So we knew that that wasn't People were going to say that. You know that we won how we won, and that was

Film feeling really good about where we're at.

And again, we just I'm not going to say that there was a single area, particularly an offense, that we're going to say that was that was nearly good enough. It wasn't even close to good enough anywhere, starting with me, and so that that part was frustrating.

Why is complimentary football being difficult for this team to find the season?

Yeah, that's that's the hard one for me to answer. It hasn't been good Enough's what's the where you'll go from here? Three games out with way to win? Just just approach every single week as if we're still in it. So get something to play for and that's our responsibility and that's what we're going to continue to do.

Aside from this overall, leans, what would you like to see the most as you finished off the season?

Wins would be there? The one thing what did you.

See from guys this week? Obviously as the playoff hom was coming in, it was a big game at home.

Yeah, it was important to everybody.

I didn't see anything, and again this is you told me our defense is gonna sack them as many times and harass them in the pocket.

And create a turnover and holding three points.

In the second half. I'd sign up for that, you know. So again, just just wholesale as a team, we weren't good enough to do.

Are going to want to obviously see some changes over the next three weeks or.

So, giving them to vote for twenty twenty six. What is your message to the fans?

Just hang with us. It's been frustrating. We're still portant our heart and soul to this thing and find a way to win. And it's it's been a frustrating season. Understand that.

Just a follow up on that. I know you're just looking at this game, but looking big picture of three years of not making the playoffs. What would you like to say to the fans that give them a vote of confidence that you guys can get this right and they won't be feeling like this.

Yeah.

I've got great confidence. I mean, we come to work every single day.

I believe in the guys we got in this locker room, coaches and players and frustrating.

Frustrating season so far. We still got a couple of games left.

Zachlow session tough that we just ended in a pick six, didn't get Flaco any time to warm up, and zero degree temperature basically, so try to manage it. Just hand the ball off their quick game things that would keep them out of harm way.

Obviously tough spot to be in.

I say, if it was anything other than zero degrees, we probably would have quickly made the change and forego them warm up. But again, just tried to as we called it, kept them out of harm's way with just any throw we made the boss coming out quick.

Now that they are officially eliminated, how do you keep players heads in it for the last three weeks to keep going every day.

They're professionals, you know, And that's that's why you build the locker room the way you do it, so that you don't have to worry about guys like that. You know, guys that they know how important this is not only for themselves in their career, but for all the work this team has put in and through good times and bad, go out there and put your best for four And I absolutely trust that these guys will do that.

Zach Taylor on the loss yesterday and what it means going forward in the question, everybody's wondering, how what does it mean the final three? What do you do with the final three? I would think there's a lot of guys in this roster who should be thinking, I need to put something productive, and iye popping on this tape. In my best interest, I better show them something in the three games left.

Bingo Lance, Absolutely, I mean I hope these players are thinking along the lines that you are right now, Miami, Arizona, Cleveland. Three more opportunities to show your stuff. And you know, I guess everybody, all the fans and coaches too, could say, what's taking you so long? Why did you wait for three games left in the season to show what you're capable of? You know, you get paid all season long to give us your best performance. Why haven't you given

Yep.

You know we can play football in National Football League without you. You know you're not. You're not a multiple time Pro Bowl You're not. You're not a guy that we're hanging our hat on and have to have. So I'm telling you these last three weeks gonna be important for a lot of a lot of young players, not just with the Bengals, with everybody in the league.

Yeah, as you were saying that, the words of Marvin Lewis resonate in my head. Do your job be a pro? And man, if i'm whether it's coaches on this staff or I'm coaches or front office on another team, maybe there's a Bengal who's a free agent potentially, I know, darn well. If I'm evaluating a Bengal, I'm going back and looking at these final three games to see how did they play when the season was over. Did they pack it in, did they have the car running to

Yeah? Because not every team in the NFL is going to make the playoffs. Yeah, you know, there's gonna be some teams that aren't. And if you're on that football team, you're expected to still give effort. I mean, they're selling tickets to the games, they're taking fans money, uh to to watch you play football. Give them a fair shake. Go out there and and and play like you can play.

Still ahead. More from Jill Burrow on yesterday, and the conversation continues through our third hour of Bengals Lot of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW Well then right along through all Monday night talking Bengals football on the show we call Bengals Love Bengals or Radio Network.

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

We heard from Zach Taylor after the game yesterday. Let's hear a little bit more from QB one on a rough day. Here is Joe Burrow.

Joe, today was the offense.

Other games it's been the defense.

Why has complimentary football been so hard for this team to find this year?

We haven't been a good football team. You know bad football. Bad football teams do losing things, and.

You know, if you're wanting to compete for championships and in the playoffs, then.

Number one, your quarterback has to play better than I did today. How far does that gap feel right now?

Chill between this team and what's expected of the championship level.

Not that far, not that far.

This is the worst you felt after loss.

Probably losing losing socks.

I know you're taking a lot of responsibility for today's game, but one of the main things that has come out of this season is how much is on your plate and the record when you were out when you were out and last week's perfect example the turnovers, you guys lose the game. Do you feel like there's too much weight on you where it feels like if you're not perfect, the team is good enough around you to pick you up.

You know, I want everything on my plate.

I want That's a position I want to be in, and you know, I feel confident all those guys locker room, Like I said today, nobody there's not a team in the NFL that would have won.

The game today if if I was the quarterbacks.

Teams record is headed in the wrong direction. Do you think your play is slipping down the slope in the wrong direction over the last couple of years?

You know, I feel very confident in how I played obviously today in my opinion, is an outliar. I think I've been consistently great for.

Years and years and years. Did they change up its all from thanks Giving? The really different that way? Maybe don't think it's giving.

I said they blitzed, They blitzed less. Their front four was able to get a little more pressure, So credit to them.

What kind of on that first act the fifty yard on the third down going there in what kind of happened there?

Ye, Is it the same thing on the pick six?

Is that kind of it?

It looks like it was a similar pressure that they had on the gap.

Was that the same or now I have.

To see the film on that one.

We'll see what This is the hardest I think you've ever been on yourself after a game.

Why even I think this is one of the worst games that I've I've played.

You know, I'm honest with myself.

And my play, and I hold myself to high standard and today didn't come close.

Joe, with playoffs off the table as a competitor, how tough will it be now to read mindset and kind of get yourself back into winding win again?

You mentioned the mental mistake on the sack when you guys the first draft of the game was that.

I made the wrong call.

Joe after the game and Dave, we were talking earlier about Joe addressing the team, and in a comment from Jordan's Battles jumped out to me Jordan's set up, Joe. What Joe said after the game resonates with us. That should determine our attitude going into these next few games and for the rest of the season. It sends a huge message. It shows who he is as a person.

Absolutely. I mean, he is the unquestioned leader of the football team, and in most instances, the quarterback usually is. There are some rare exceptions to the rule, but there aren't that many. And as the quarterback goes, so the team goes. You know, if the quarterback has got something going on off the football field that is affecting him,

And if there was one player on this team, if you were asking me to bet on how somebody respawns, I would place my chip on Joe Burrow. Probably not sleeping much last night, probably seething a little bit. Yeah, your classics see the game unful on your on your bedroom ceiling. Yeah, because when when Joe says publicly it was a mental mistake by me, that's the stuff that just has to grade at him and drive him to

Wouldn't surprise on your lick, It really wouldn't. I mean, I think, you know the great ones, that's the that's how they respond, That's how they respond to adversity. Uh, they respond by going out and having one of the best games of their of their career. And Joe Burrow is a great one. You know, Joe Burrow is a future Hall of Famer. He's uh, he's one of one. They broke the mold and uh, you know he's I think he's got the last three football games of the season.

All Right, we're rolling through this third hour. We'll do fun facts, fantastic fun facts with Dan Horde coming up. Well, so take a look at the Miami Dolphins. It's all Ahead on Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Hey welcome back into a Monday night of conversation about all things related to the Bengals. We do it for three hours each week. We do it on Bengals Line of the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.

And Lance as we know, Alta Fibers the official Wi Fi and Internet provider of the Bengals in Greater Cincinnati's fastest Internet with up to two gig symmetrical speeds.

Each week, we love to take a listen to what Dan Horr does with Fantastic Fun Facts. It's a sit down conversation with a member of the organization, kind of a chance to pull back the curtain and learn more about the player more along the lines of the person behind inside that helmet. This week it is Taj Brooks, the Bengals rookie running back. Here's Dan Horde and Fantastic fun Facts.

No Fantastic fun Facts with.

Dan ord tied for some fun facts with running Back. Taj Brooks, from Manor, Texas, not far from the capital city of Austin, describe growing up in Manor and some of the things you enjoyed doing when you were young.

Oh man, the thing I did the most was just play football, went to school, and then you don't hung out with friends. That was really just the most part. And you know, I was kind of kind of a country boy at that time too. You know, it was Maynor back back in high school. It was a kind of a little suburb. Now it's a lot of a lot of things growing out there, so but it was more country when I was out there, when I was growing up and stuff, So it was fun.

I read somewhere that you rode horses growing up. Was that the case? And it's still the case.

It's a little bit kind of the case now, but I try to get not too much. But yeah, I grew up. I rode a little bit of horses. It was just when I was little. My aunt shout out to her. She kind of, you know, just instilled in me just just to do it for fun. And it's been it's been great ever since. But it's crazy.

It's just I kind of had like a little reaction.

To like one of like the horse little blanket sheets, and you know, I always I loved animals when I was little. I want to be like a vision I guess a vegetarian, not a vegetarian veninarian, Excuse me. It was just I love watching like the incredible Doctor Poe shows and things like that, so I just want to see like just the way of living over horse and things like that. But it was that's just something that I cherished the most when I was growing up.

Tys. You had an exceptional high school football career, running for more than four thousand yards. When did it start to become clear that the other kids either couldn't catch you or tackle you?

Really, I want to say a little league? And then going into my ninth grade year, that was my first year. I was a fresh ninth grade and you really don't see that happening in a lot of places and that kind of jectory of football. And I'm very thankful for the coach that that gave me the opportunity.

Mayner isn't far from the University of Texas. I've read that the Longhorns did not recruit you. Was that the case, and if so, was it disappointing?

It wasn't disappointing, But they recruited me a little bit. They kind of wanted me. It was back in twenty yeah, back in twenty twenty when it's kind of the COVID era and they had a guy, which is he's in the league actually right now, so kudos and him and things like that, but they had a guy, and I feel like text tech was the best for me, coach Matt Wells. I got recruited by him, and man, he

So I'm glad I'm a text take raider.

You initially committed to Tulsa largely because of an assistant coach named Justin Hill, who is your running backs coach now with the Cincinnati Bengals. Described that relationship going back to the tenth grade.

It was it was a great relationship. It's still great to this day. You know, the Jay Hill he does a great job with just the coach aspect and then just just being a teacher, uh, a great guy you can learn from. And then just off the field, a great uh, A great family man, a great uh somebody you wanna be like, uh when when you wanna grow up and things like that. But uh, the relationship is has been there Uh, I wanna say it, since my freshman year I committed to him and and uh that

Uh, not as a Cincinnati being.

I thought I know I was gonna be back in the ropes cause uh I texted him one year, I guess, Uh, I guess, congrats, I'm going to the super Bowl. And he text me back, He's like, thank you, man. So it was just a good, good seeing out of eye. And then shoot, I got blessed and I got jobbed here, So it all.

Came for full like a full circle. So it's cool.

We're visiting with TODJ. Brooks. You ultimately chose to play at Texas Tech. As you mentioned you're gonna be in their Hall of Fame someday you're their all time leading rusher. What did you enjoy most about your five years there?

Man, It wasn't breaking the records or anything.

It was just the I want to say, my teammates, the guys that I met there, the guys that I came in.

With, uh we built Uh those.

Are my brothers for life, and that was probably like one of the biggest things that I that I missed about college and things like that. But besides the accolades that I've broken things, but those that's probably the most important ones.

In addition to your on the field success, you excelled in the classroom. You were nominated for the Campbell Award last year, which is known as the Academic Heights Been Trophy. Did your folks put a big emphasis on the classroom For sure.

My mom and my dad, they pushed me academically as well as on the field. You want to be the best person in the brain before you get outside and get on the field, you know. So that's just it's been instilled to me at a young age. My Grandma's also instilled in me just you got to you gotta be a student before you be an athlete. So just learning different ways just to get better with your brain. That's just something I always honored as and you know, just want to just expand my knowledge more.

The Bengals selected you in the sixth round of this year's draft. Describe that day leading up to getting the phone call from Zach Taylor.

First and foremost, it was just it was a blessing I can't think enough to the man above. The Bagels got a great guy, a great a great person that's gonna come in and impact the way that he can if any opportunity that he gets.

But nah, that that day was amazing.

I talked to Zach, I talked to Jay Hill, and then shoot, after that, it was it was ready to work.

You know.

They Nothing wasn't handed, nothing wasn't given. It was just come in, learn and just be uh, whenever opportunity for this herself, be ready for the opportunity. And I can't wait.

This was a crazy deep draft for running backs. I'm thinking in a normal year you would have gone several rounds earlier. How did that affect you?

I really didn't. Uh, it really didn't affect me.

I have I have a great team, great agent within that well and things like that.

So they kept me. Uh he kept me, truly honest.

He's like, man, I feel like you were one of the top backs in this class, and you know your film proves it. You can take and catch the ball great out the backfield, and you know run the ball. That's nothing, and Whitey can't question me question you about that. So man, that's just it was deep, but I feel like I separated myself just off pass protection and then catching the ball.

Where we're at the field.

Were the guys draft before you? Where you said yourself, Man, that guy is good, but I know I'm better than he is.

For sure, you know, just the competitor in me just saying that, and then just you know, on draft day I kind of wrote and thought about every guy that went before me, so not saying when we played him, I I just wanna, you know, be the whenever I get my.

Opportunity to be the best back on the field and things like that. So I just can't wait for that to happen.

All right. Some wild card topics now for Bengals running back Taj Brooks. Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?

And why I gotta be one or just one?

You can pick several if you'd like.

All Right, man, it's tough. I'm gonna go Kobe just because the mama mentality. I'm gonna go ray Lewis, just because a guy that's gonna come to work each and every day and give it his all, and someone that's that's gonna embrace you and you know, makes you want to do things that you want to that you don't want to do, but you're doing.

And then my last.

One is probably Barry Sanders, just a guy that's just very consistent as being playing a running back, being at the plane at the highest level and doing the great things that he did in the NFL. Man, it's just you always want to put yourself in that role and just want to see yourself doing those great things that he did.

So Barry Sanders was before your time. Have you watched a lot of the clips on YouTube?

Oh?

For sure, I watch him. Then you know the Madden You know, I play Madden a lot, so I'm always using him. Walter Payton, you know, just Marshall falk Man, you can go a list goes down.

Man.

What I kind of watch those guys on YouTube and just you know, going what they did in the NFL and just try to see how my game can imprint and how I can take things from their game.

So we're visiting the taj Brooks. For the last three years, you put on a free football clinic back home for kids. More than three hundred attended this past year. Why do you do that?

I do it just it's a blessing first and foremost for the kids, and you know, just so it's been, it's free. It's something that I love, you know, giving back to my community, giving back to where I came from. And you know, you always want to get back to your hometown because they're going to support you no matter what, no matter if you're in no matter if you're you know, a college coach some day, and no matter whatever you're doing,

We know you're a good running back, we know you're a good student. You rode horses as a kid. But where do you allow to at?

Uh?

To be honest, I'm not a good singer. I will not I sing.

I sing to myself sometimes, but it's just myself and probably my girlfriend.

But besides that, I'm not a great singer at all. That's probably the one.

What do you like to splur? John Man?

I don't know because I haven't. Man, I'm not I'm a big I'm not a big spender. It's just it depends like I kind of left my big spending probably in my college days, but now it's just more of just I don't know, man, it's I don't really splares a lot. Second contract, probably buy a home back home, you know, buy a home, get something set up off of the off season, and you know, get something going with the off season, things like that.

So just buy a home and things like that.

All right. Final fun fact for Taj Brooks. This one's a little bit deep. If you could meet anybody in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?

I want to say one is Nipsey Hustle. Nipsey Hustle, excuse me, just the way how powerful he is with his voice and the way he carried on his life and his legacy. And then two probably my brother Charlie Man. Just to talk to him, see how he doing up there. He passed away in twenty nineteen during a gun violence accident, So just meet him and just top it up with him.

That would probably be my two. Like most coming back and just topping it up, So that probably be my things right there.

Taj, appreciate your time, best off like the rest of the year.

Yes, sorry, thank you, Taj Brooks. This week in the Spotlight for fantastic fun facts. More of that with the Bengals Booth Podcast. Check it out where you get your podcast. And you know, we were talking earlier about the final three games and opportunities. Taj Brooks had four kick returns yesterday. We don't we hope Samaj p Ryan's okay this week

It is it is. You know, you're there's always a valuation going on, you know, and in position coaches are taking a look at their players and okay, are they are they? Is there a play worthy of getting more opportunity? Should we give them more snaps?

Now?

They are only three games left. But if if he were to say, you know, uh, light it up against the Miami Dolphins and give him more opportunity, see see what he does. See see how he he handles maybe a little bit more burden of responsibility against Arizona and Cleveland, to see how he responds.

Still ahead, those Miami Dolphins will put them in the spotlight as we head down the stretch. Bengals Line, Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We continue on in this Monday Night Bengals Line. Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred w W. I am Lance McCalister. He is Dave Lapham.

Yes, Sir Lance in pay Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Next up, those Miami Dolphins. They are six and seven. They're still in playoff contention. They are in action tonight against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football. So a short week for them in the turnaround against the Bengals. But the Dolphins are clinging to playoff hopes, desperate playoff hopes. They've won four straight. Their season had gotten sideways, but then they reeled off a win over Buffalo thirty to thirteen.

Tell you the turnaround game thirty thirteen over Buffalo. We know how good Buffalo can play. I mean Buffalo came in and I mean spanked us, really really did a number, did a job. That's a good football team. They have a hell a quarterback. They've got a lot of good football players in that organization. There's no question about it. So you know, don't fall don't sleep on the Miami Dolphins. The Miami Dolphins are capable of putting together, you know,

Yeah, and you better better tackle well eight chan they're they're running back is rushed for over eleven hundred yards, he's averaging almost five point eight yards of carry's got seven touchdowns, so he'll be something on the ground. And yeah, they're they're they're getting right at the right time. And again, desperation drives a football team and they're certainly trying to okay, and the weather will be you mentioned the weather earlier.

Yeah, quite, that's dramatic, man, it really is. I mean that you go from bone chilling cold to like, hey, it's gonna be sweating freely. Man, there's no question.

Uh, you know what, you know what I just thought of because everything goes back to the Freezer Bowl. It makes me think of when you guys played the Chargers in the Freezer Bowl the week before they had beaten, of all things, Miami and the and that the game where Kellen Winslow is held off the field and he's dehydrated and was so hot, and then the next week goes welcome to the Freezer Bowl and Cincinnati.

Yeah really, and uh, I guess I guess, Ah, maybe a gauge for how how different those weather conditions were. The Gatorade, the gatorade in Cincinnati was frozen. The gateor raade down down there in Miami was a little bit warm as you kind of swashed it around your mouth.

Beautiful. I before coming in, I happened to look it up and Bengals and Dolphins, And of course you played the Dolphins a number of times and played in the Orange Bowl. And I'm thinking of in your first year you had a Monday nighter there. But the coaches on the sidelines. Just to think Don Shula and Paul Brown really on the same field across from each other, that's just iconic, Iman, that's football big time.

Oh and remember Don Shula played for Paul Brown with the Cleveland Brown He played in the secondary and Don Shula was a Paul Brown said, a very very intelligent football player. Boy, that's a shock, you know, a guy that ends up going into coaching and accumulates all the wins that Don Shula accumulated. Man, there's no doubt that he was a smart football player as a player.

Man. And I looked up and I'm sure these names will ring a bell in your days of playing the Dolphins. A Verned, Yes, Bona Khani, Bob Bombhauer and aj Dewey. Guys like that. Oh, those are some names.

Some names big time, no doubt. Aj Dewey out of it, out of LSU, Bob Bombhouer, Yeah, that that Kim Bokamper memories man boy. Yes. And Nick Bonakhani that little sucker. Man, I'm telling you he was like five eleven and you couldn't get under his pads. I mean that sucker would we would bring it went to Notre Dame and uh, you know I hate Notre Dame, but Bonakhani was. He was a heck of a football player. There's no doubt.

We'll head down the stretch, put the raps on it, and uh send you on your way. It's Bengals On on the Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred W l W. All right, here we go. Let's put the raps on it. Final segment tonight of Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio Network.

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

By the way, along those lines, and I just thought of it now, I can't remember where I've heard him. You've had Sam Hubbard, And you're having Sam Hubbard this week again since your Wednesday Friday show Friday, somebody shows Friday. How cool was it to catch up with Sam Hubbard? Very cool?

I mean he is uh, he is mister Ohio football, Moeler High School, Ohio State, Cincinnati Bengals. I mean, he is the Cincinnati kid, you know, the the rumble fumble I should say, in the Jungle, a moment where he goes, you know, coast to coast plus one hundred and two yards, incredible moment. And the thing I really respect about Sam Hubbard is he is He's as humble as humble can be. Man, humble pie all the way, you know, and he just

Yeah, and I wonder, I don't know, maybe he doesn't know what he's going to do next, but he's one of those guys. Whatever he does he will be successful.

At Absolutely, he's got a foundation that's that's killing it, and it's it's helping kids that are hungry, you know, and don't have can't get enough food, they can't get three square meals at home. So he's helping the community in that regard. And uh, that's that's part of his uh, you know, the golden rule, that's part of his upbringing is help others that need help.

Man, no doubt, no doubt. All right, we have put this one in the books, thankfully in many aspects because that was difficult to watch at times. Yesterday was really frustrating to watch yesterday. But the beauty of the NFL is there's next week, there's the Miami Dolphins. Let's gather here on Monday night and talk about, uh, the the bounce back of Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Does that sound like a play on Dave Lapham.

Sounds like a huge plan, a big game for Joe Burrow. Intua will struggle.

Thanks for hanging out with us tonight. This has been Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio network. In seven hundred WLW.

This was Bengals Line on the Bengals Radio network. Pay Corps. Pay Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. Ulti Viper Aulti Viper the official Wi Fi and Internet provider of US Cincinnati Bengals. This is seven hundred WLW, the home of the Fest Bengals coverage.