Love.
This is Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Beared Chicken on the Bengals Radio network. Paycore paycor is proud to be the official hr software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering Health best Care for the Best Fans, Carry Health, official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
It is a Friday afternoon in Cincinnati, and a big football weekend is about to begin. Huge high school games coming up tonight, the bear Cats against the Arizona Wildcats in an important Big twelve game coming up tomorrow at noon, and of course the game we are going to get you set for over the next three hours, the Bengals against the Pittsburgh Steelers coming up on Sunday at one o'clock in the Steel City. I'm Dan Hord with Dave Lapham. This is the Bengals pep Rally show presented by Just
Bear Chicken. Here on ESPN fifteen thirty. We are at our Friday afternoon home, the on the Ryan Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. If you have not been here before, it is the Food Haul on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on Court and Walnut. We are on thirty minutes earlier than usual today because of a scheduling conflict, So it's a two thirty to five thirty show this afternoon, as is always the case, will be joined by a very special guest. He'll be here from four thirty to
five thirty and he is a fan favorite. Dave Lapham, the guy known as Money Mack Evan McPherson.
Money Mac, no question Dan he is. He is a fan favorite, and he's because he can be a hero, you know, or a goat, I guess, depending on the way his kicks go. But he's executed at an extremely high level. I mean he makes money Mack. It's almost like automatic money Mack. It's you just you just start counting the points before they're actually up on the board. And he's got a huge leg got He's got such range, credible range. I mean he can hit from fifty five
sixty yards. He shit a fifty seven yarder this year. He made a sixty yarder that was nullified by penalty, so he can kick it a mile literally and very popular with his teammates. Cincinnati Bengals are glad to have a player of that caliber. Darren Simmons, a special teams coach loves him, loves him to death, and he's a weapon on kickoffs as well. He can manipulate the football like a very few can. He can do a lot of things with that football.
He's got eight game winning field goals in his Bengals career, the most recent against the team the Bengals have played this Sunday, to Pittsburgh Steelers. They met on Thursday night, almost exactly a month ago. Cincinnati won the game on a kick by money back with seven seconds to go. And let's face it, if not for that victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, we might be thinking that this game on Sunday doesn't mean much. But it does because of
the state of the AFC North. In a normal year, honestly, the Bengals would probably be out of it. Yeah, Normally you'd expect Pittsburgh or Baltimore to be seven or two, maybe the other team six and three, But not this year. Pittsburgh is five and four on top of the division and the Steelers are reeling. They've lost three out of
their last four. Baltimore is coming on. The Ravens have won three straight, but that's after a one in five start, so they're four and five and who knows, Lamar Jackson's already missed a couple of games with a hamstring strain. He could tweak it again this week, sure, and the Ravens would be in jeopardy if that happens. So the
Bengals still have a shot. They can climb right back into the thick of the race if they can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road this Sunday, they would be three and oh in the division and two and oh head to head against Pittsburgh. Let's hear from Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase on the importance of Sunday's game.
Yeah, you know, our division is why open. I think Pittsburgh's five and four at this point. We play them this week, so you know, everything is still there in front of us. It's very rare that our division looks like this, but it does this year, and so you know, I think we'll be at least in it until the end.
Yeah, it's muscling if you want to win AFC.
Yeah, it's approaching any differently because of.
The no I mean you can't approach another game differently because it's muscling game that approach every game the same. You want to win every game, so I approach every game the same.
Lap. We've been working together for fifteen years now, you know me. I hate the expression must win. Right when people start throwing that out in week three, I want to put a fist through a chalkboard. It drives me bananas, and it's common for people to do that. Sure, I will use that expression this week. If the Bengals have any shot of going to the playoffs and winning the division, realistically, they need to win this.
Week, absolutely, Dan, I mean, it's got to have a game. You know, the Cincinnati Bengals have really no choice. They have to come out and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not an easy task, and to beat them in Pittsburgh makes it doubly difficult. They play well in front of their hometown crowd, The fans respond to Mike Tomlin, they absolutely love. It's a love fest with Mike Tomlin the Pittsburgh Steeler fan base. So this is not going to be an easy task. The Bengal's gonna have to play, in my mind,
the best game they've played to date. This season in order to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, and they come off the bye week, you know it'd be timely to do that. You know, you have a bye week to make some adjustments, tweak some things, figure some things out, you know, find out what you do well and emphasize that and things you're doing poorly, eliminate them or change them up somehow. So I know the coaches have been
grinding during the bye week. They put in a lot of time and have been studying tape and trying to figure out a way to get on a run. And the best way to get on a run is to beat the Pittsburgh steel Is at Pittsburgh. That's Game one, and then string a few together. And it's a tough
task though. I mean, you look at that, You look at who they've got Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh, New England here in Cincinnati, at Baltimore at Buffalo, Baltimore at home, what I mean, finish the season at Miami, Arizona, here, Cleveland here. But man, the stretch, these one, two, three, four, five game stretch, that's as tough a five game stretch as anybody in the National Football League has over the next
five weeks. So the Cincinnati Bengals are going to have to play their best football of the season to put it together in terms of you know, if you don't win them all, win four, four and one.
Not bad against a schedule like that, or even three, and it's the right three Pittsburgh Baltimore, Baltimore. If they can win those divisional games, that's the formula this year, because they're not going to be the wildcard team at three and six. They have to go six and oho or five and one in the AFC.
North, absolutely, and if they do, if they win, they'd be five and zero in the division at that point. One of those games, I mean that that is that's just what the doctor ordered. That would be a must, that would be a requirement if you not if your overall record is a blow par so, very very important football game in Pittsburgh this weekend.
The Steelers started the year four and one, but they've dropped three out of four. That streak began with a loss on a Thursday night to Cincinnati at pay Courts Stadium. Thirty three to thirty one was the final score. We think of the Steelers for great defense, but it's been up and down this year. They're near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed, they are dead last and passing yards allowed. They had a lot of sacks, They've
got a lot of takeaways. But if you can preventure or protect your quarterback brother and avoid turnovers, you can put points on the board against this Pittsburgh team. And when we come back, that's what we are going to discuss. Are the Steelers still the Steelers on defense? This is the Bengals pep Rally Show live from the on the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Dan Ord and Dave Lapham back on the Bengals pep Rawley Show, presented by Just Their Chicken on thirty minutes earlier than usual this week. It's a two thirty to five thirty show. That will also be the case again next week. So keep that in mind as we come to you from the on the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati, the food hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and walnutt. It's the Bengals and Steelers this Sunday at one o'clock. When you think of Pittsburgh, we tend
to think of Blitzburg. Great defenses, and they've got a lot of sacks this year as they always seem to the time for second in the NFL in sacks with thirty two. They've got some tremendous defensive players. Three guys on the defense are seven time Pro Bowlers T. J. Watt, Cameron Hayward, and Jalen Ramsey. That's incredible. Patrick Queen's also a two time Pro Bowler. So naturally when you think of Pittsburgh, it's that physicality on defense. Let's hear from Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight.
We know this is a team that you know they like the pounding ground and you know that's that's who they are, and that's their identity, identity of their head coach. And I believe that that that's there, that organization's motto, you know, being being very hard nosed and you know, being old fashioned football.
The run, run, run, run the ball.
So for us, we're getting back to again mastering the basics. After everybody got fresh and everybody got healthy, we're getting bast to just giving it back to them, you know, making sure that we don't end up being the but also you know, for being an enforcer, being the hammer, striking first before they can strike strike us. So make sure we jump out to it a fast start. It's been amount of just since the beginning of the season,
so it's not going to go away. So just continue to start fast in this in this opportunity and bring it to him as as as we know.
As we know how so.
I focused on the physicality on defense before we heard from Demetrius. Let's talk a little bit about the physicality on offense because in that first meeting a month ago, we saw a lot of a sixth offensive lineman coming into the game, double tight ends, including Darnell Washington, who is a tight end in name only. He's more than three hundred pounds. He's really an extra tackle. It's like having seven offensive linemen on the field.
It is I mean, uh, Darnel Washington, like you say, is is definitely you know, a monster. I mean he's he's a moose.
Uh.
And it's a tackle that has great feet. I mean, he's a he's a good athlete. He he's not a joke as a tight end. I mean he's a legitimate weapon. He can run good routes, he can catch the football, he can put the football away protect the football. He's a he's a hell of a football player, and he does get movement when he's in the football on the football field at the end of the line of scrimmage.
You watch tape of Darnel Washington, he is moving people and laterally, and he's if they if they slant, he's carrying him way past where they want to be. And if they're not, if they're trying to gap them. Again, three hundred pound guy gets good low pad level, bends his knees well because he can flex his knees being the athlete that he is, and and he's got flexibility in his ankles as well, and he can move people.
Staelers value the trenches. They always have the first round draft pick this year a defensive tackle Derek Harmon, their first round drift draft pick last year an offensive tackle Troy Fatanu. There are a first round draft pick the year before that, another offensive tackle, Roderick Jones. So their last three first round draft picks have been guys in the trenches.
And and that's that's what Mike Tomlins all about, you know. And it goes, it goes all the way back to in the trenches. In the Pittsburgh Steelers when they had the Steel Curtain, and remember playing against those Pittsburgh Steeler teams when the steel curtain of Joe Green, Dwight White, L C. Green, would Ernie Fatz Holmes. Those guys were amazing, very very difficult to try to handle them on a on a snap by snap basis when the Pittsburgh Steelers
were reigning supreme in the National Football League. And then their offensive line, you know, anchored by Mike Webster, who you know, unfortunately passed away way too young, was a pretty good friend who played in a bunch of college All Star games with Mike Webby Webster and he was he was a great player. But they've moon Mullins. I mean, they they've always had very very strong offensive lines physically strong and athletic, you know, not just big stiffs. These
guys are athletic. They can they can go out and pull and get get out in front of people. They have a nice trap game that they've had for years. In their offensive line they've had they always had like a big physical back Franco Harris, I mean, Franco's a big dude.
Man.
Rocky Blier, you know, another guy served in the military. You know, it's just a hard nosed dude. The Pittsburgh Steelers have always been about physicality. Dan, There's no two ways about it.
The Bengals dead last at stopping the runs so far this year. They are going to have to be much better than the one hundred and sixty six rushing yards per game that they've allowed in the first nine games this season. We'll take a time out when we come back. Would you sign Joe Flacco to a contract for next year? Right now, I'm seeing nodding in the audience. Well, this guy's that when we come back. This is the Bengals Pepper Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken on ESPN
fifteen thirty. Welcome back to the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Fair Chicken, live from the on the Rhine eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. It is the food hall above the downtown Kroger at Courton Walnut. Plenty of parking nearby, including a garage that's attached to this building. Lots of seating available inside here, particularly right now. I'm sure it'll continue to fill up as we get closer
to four to thirty. When We will be joined in the final hour by our special guest, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson Money Mack. We've got round two in the Battle of the Aged on Sunday, forty year old Joe Flacco against forty one year old Aaron Rodgers. Rogers, by the way, turns forty two in about two weeks. Real Flacco one round one, thirty three to thirty one about a month ago. We'll see if Joe Calm can do it again. Flatco
has been incredible since joining the Bengals. He's averaging three hundred and thirteen passing yards a game, eleven touchdown passes, two interceptions, passer rating over one h two. The Bengals are averaging more than thirty two points a game in the four games that he has started, and he has obviously become embraced by his teammates and coaches.
Here's Joe, Well, I feel like I'm a part of the team, you know. I think that's a big thing, you know, like developing relationships with the guys and you know, proving to them that you belong and that you can play, and yeah, it means it means more when you can look guys in the eye and like know.
That you went to battle with each other.
And I think that's the biggest difference, is just feeling like I'm a part of all that, all.
Right, lap I asked the question before the commercial break, if Joe Flacco wants to play and be Joe Burrow's backup next year at the age of forty one, would you sign him to that deal today?
I do it yesterday. I mean, like, uh, the ankor would be drying, be bone dry today. Yeah. I think that Joe Flacco has exceeded. Uh, he's gone above and beyond expectations. That the numbers that he's putting up are incredible. They really are. And he's he's very humble. He's like you said, Dan, and you know, the listening to the interview of the tape that you ran of Joe Burrow, Joe Borrow, Joe Flacco talking about his teammates, he is extremely humble and they love the guy. Uh, you know,
he's he's not about himself. He's not about you know what. What all I'm worried about is how many yards I'm throwing for, how many touchdowns I'm throwing. He's all about the w's man. He wants to win as many football games as he can. And when you have a quarterback that has that kind of a mindset, that is that unselfished, is that much of a team player. You have a diamond in the rough, you have a gym.
So the Bengals protected him him extremely well. In that first game against Pittsburgh. He got sacked a couple of times, but obviously that doesn't cost you the game against Pittsburgh as long as you hold onto the ball. He didn't throw any interceptions in that game. Aaron Rodgers threw a couple to me. That's the game. Protect Flaco, don't turn
it over, and you got a chance. You still might not win if your defense struggles the way the Bengals defense has struggled, But you got a chance if you can keep Flaco on his feet and avoid turnovers.
Exactly, Dan, I mean, you know, make sure that Joe Flacco takes the first nap and the last nap. Make sure that he's there performing at a high level for the entire football game, and don't let him take any shots. Don't let him take hits even after he releases the football. Sometimes those those shots that you take right after you have let the ball go.
Man.
Those things. Those things linger, They stay with you, and you know he's you just have to protect them. When you're over forty years old, all your body parts start to feel it a little bit. You know. You wake up in the morning and get out of bed and man, and these a little bit stiff. Man, it hifts a little bit stiff. And then you start to rotate your arms a little bit. Man, the shoulders are a little bit, a little bit stiff and sore. Oh flex the arms. Men,
the elbows a little bit stiff and sore. So when you have a commodity that is as valuable as Joe Flacco has been to this football team at forty years old, you have to do everything you possibly can to protect him. Maybe that's putting in another offensive lineman, extra offensive lineman, and making sure you can double more than one of those great defensive front four members of the Pittsburgh Steelers
if you have to to keep Joe Flacco clean. With that said, the biggest thing is don't give the football away. Do not give extra possessions to the Pittsburgh Steelers. If you can take them away from him, take at least one away. If you could take two or three away. You should be in high cotton. You should be in good position to win that football game. Close that football
game out. But you can't be given the football away and expect to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers no matter where you play him, home, away or in the moon.
Let's get to the Bengals injury report, brought to you by the Kettering Health Network. Joe Flacco has been dealing with a sore shoulder. He only practiced once this week. Didn't practice Wednesday, did practice yesterday, did not practice today. That was the formula in his last game, and he
threw for four hundred and seventy yards. It sounds like his shoulder is feeling better this week after a bye week than it did going into the Bears game, So I don't think that's a big concern, even though his practice has been limited this week. Trey Hendrickson, as expected, is out, Shamar Stewart has expected is out. Samaj p Ryan as expected, is out. So the Bengals are going to be missing two good players on their defensive line and a great third down running.
Back, no question. And let's start at p Ryan first. The offense. I mean, he's had a hell of a year. He's a special player in my opinion, because he's such a special human being. Had a great career at Oklahoma, had a great high school career before that, most definitely, and goes to Oklahoma, performs at an extremely high level there, gets drafted. This is his second go round with the Cincinnati Bengals. Drafted by the Bengals coming out of Oklahoma. He can do it all. He can run, he can
run away from you. He can run for power with power, he can catch the football out of the backfield, runs great routes, soft hands, puts the ball away. And the big thing that he does and Joe Flacco and Joe Burrow both appreciate this. He will stick his nose right in the middle of the chest of a linebacker or a defensive end or an outside blitzer safety, whoever it may be, and stone him, stop him right in his tracks and allow the quarterback time to get the football away.
That is invaluable, and he is. He's a significant member of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive skill position players for sure.
It's the Bengals and Steelers. This Sunday at one o'clock will take a time out. When we come back, we will head to Pittsburgh and get the latest on this week's opponent, the dreaded, hated but grudgingly respected, very grudgingly Pittsburgh Steelers. This is the Bengals pep Ratley Show presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from the on the Rhine Eatery on ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Dan Horde, He's Dave Lapham. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just
Bear Chicken Live on ESPN fifteen thirty. We are broadcasting on this Friday afternoon, as we do every Friday, from the on the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. Evan McPherson Moneymack will join us in the final hour of the show from four thirty to five thirty. Right now, it is time for our no the Faux segment. Let's get the latest on this week's opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and to do that we had to Pittsburgh, and we welcome in a buddy of mine. He is a broadcaster,
a podcaster, and a columnist in Pittsburgh. He is also a proud former Syracuse Orange Grass Cord and lapham our pal Tim Benz. Tim welcome back to the Bengals Pepperrilly show.
Yeah, I like it.
We're deploying the Syracuse line here. I'm actually listening to a Penguins game right now at two pm in the afternoon from Stockholm, So I got hockey on the brain. I'm calling a hockey game tonight. So it's crossover season.
You know how that goes. We certainly do. Yeah, yes, all right, Tim, Let's go back about a month Thursday night at pay Course Stadium, Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh thirty three to thirty one. Aside from the final score, obviously, what was the most disappointing aspect of that game from the Steelers perspective.
I just think it was the overall lack of answers, the inability to when they adjusted, come up with anything better. I think there's a little bit of a misconception that they didn't try to adjust on Jamar Chase and see Hagen's particularly Chase. I mean, they did at times go from zone demand, but they were playing man so soft because they were so concerned about getting burned. It looked like zone, you know, and that kind of became apparent
in the analysis afterwards. But the corollary to that I would see the second part beyond just not being able to proficiently adjust and get better once you figured out what's going on is they never figured out the pass rush either. They never applied any pressure on Joe Flacco. He dropped back forty seven times. I think he got
sacked twice. He's in his forties, he can't move. And if you can't get to him and you allow him to get the ball off as quickly as he did, as good as those two wide receivers are and I think below the line as the Steelers are on the secondary, it's gonna make for a long night. And that was exactly the formula that was followed throughout the course of that game.
Yeah, that's that's pretty amazing. I mean, you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers and you think about the Pittsburgh Steelers pass rush comes to mind immediately. You're just catching up talking with Dan earlier about playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers back in the seventies and early eighties with the steel Curtain defense. Oh my god. And they could bring the heat. Any one of them could have a multiple sack game.
You know, you got Fast Holmes and Joe Green at defensive tackle Dwight White on one flank and Ernie yeah Else Greenwood, big, big, long, tall, strong Elsie Greenwood on the other side. I mean it was those were challenges, those those were big time challenges. This Pittsburgh Steeler defensive football team. Mike tom has been around a long time in Pittsburgh. You've seen a lot of great defenses. What does he think about this crew?
Well, he was really sold at the start of the year, these now departed one Thornhill, who they've already gotten rid of. They had an interview session with him media members up there at training camp, and he talked about how great this defense is going to be. He was just gushing about how awesome it was and how it was going to set records, this, that, and the other thing. Tomlin goes on the morning show for the flagship station forty hours later and they asked him about that, like, do
you want to tamp that down at all? They asked it that way.
Is is this a little extreme?
Do you want to tamp down that conversation all? He goes, No,
I think we can be historic. So he ratcheted up the speculation, and you know, you get out there and you play against a team that can throw the ball with a smart quarterback and good wide receivers, and you get exposed passing the ball after they had been dealing with a carryover from the end of last year where they couldn't stop the run against the Jets and some other teams earlier in the season, and right away he kind of looked dumb, and the entire defense looks silly
for propping up this notion that they were going to be to your earlier points akin to what we saw in the seventies or the nineties or.
The early two thousands.
Around here. They are not that they are not closed, and especially in the secondary. I think they just miscalculated what they were getting in some of the veterans they were requiring. Obviously they swung and missed on Thornhill. They thought that Ramsey could be a safety corner hybrid. Clearly he's still got the safety instincts and skills. He can't run with good wide receivers anymore.
And Slay was just shot.
You didn't hear a lot of people complaining in Philadelphia down the turnpike going, oh my god, we lost Darius Slay. No wonder you saw what happened when he came here, and they're trying to puff up Brandon Eckles like he can be the answer.
He was a nice little signing.
But let's not get carried away and think he's going to be mel Blunt if you want to continue with the seventies analogies, right, he ain't that. He's not even to Shaye Townsend. So like that's the biggest problem.
Tim Ben's is our guest. This is year nineteen from my Tomlin in Pittsburgh. He went to two Super Bowls in the first four years of his tenure, winning one. That means no Super Bowls in the last fourteen years. Hasn't had a losing season, as everybody knows, but there's been a lot of a game over five hundred cup three seasons where they finished exactly five hundred. I say
all of that to bring up this. After the Giants fired Brian Dabole, some columnists nationally suggested, you know what, Mike Tomlin would be the perfect guy in New York. Maybe it's time for a change of scenery. Forum. How would most Steeler fans react at this point if that went down? Did welcome in?
I think the majority would welcome it. The majority of people I think who are Steelers fans are ready for change.
They don't see an.
End to the perpetual wow, slightly above mediocre level of football that they've.
Put out there.
There's been a lot of nine and eights and ten and sevens that have been baked up to feel better than what they are. It's not just a Tomlins streak.
By the way.
That streak of non losing seasons goes back to when Roethlisberger was drafted towards the end of the Cower era in two thousand and four, so it even pre dates Mike it's even longer than his run here. But you know, I think it's also I made the hockey reference before.
There's an analogy that a lot of people are drawing that the Penguins just got away from Mike Sullivan after he won two Cups and it got very stale and they didn't have a playoff round win since twenty eighteen and missed the postseason entirely for the last three years, and they made a change and the Penguins are off to a much better than expected start, And it's pretty
low hanging fruit. But it also drives on the point of maybe you get sedentary and you get afraid of change because you're used to what you're getting and it's not terrible. It hasn't been terrible around here. It's been okay. A lot of our franchises in football would kill per okay. But when you know what's gonna go on, Mike Tomlins tombstone is the phrase. The standard is the stand and it's been substandard to what that standard is supposed to
be around here. You can't live with that credo and live beneath it for the majority of the past eight seasons, and that's definitely caught up to him when it comes to public perception going on what is almost now a decade in the making since the last time they want a playoff game.
Mike Tomlins can definitely coach defense. He can definitely coach football. I mean great. We've talked about great head coach on twenty five straight non losing seasons. He's responsible for a high number of those. A big percentage of those great seasons went to Miami of Ohio. Played wide receiver there. You know, hell of a football player goes into the coaching profession and succeeds at an extremely high level after matriculating at the Cradle of Coaches, and I think he
might have been an assistant coach there after graduation. And he's a hell of a football coach. He knows defense when he watches the Cincinnati Bengals, and I know, you know, you're not in there with him watching tape and getting his thoughts and opinions on the Bengals defense. But he knows good defensive players, he knows good defensive coaches when he sees it and works against it. What does he think about the Cincinnati Bengals unit, Well.
I mean he's kind of avoided spending too much time talking about it publicly, honestly. And he was actually the defensive back coach at Cincinnati. That's where his relationship developed. Rick Minner and Jesse Minner, who's you know, just put on a good display from the Chargers the other night.
But yeah, I mean, I think what he has said about the defense of the Bengals is you know, he's always kind of he does the Louholtz thing, you know, whenever he does his weekly press conference, he spends the first fifteen minutes talking about every team like they're the nineties Cowboys, the eighty five bears right, And when he was talking about the Bengals defense this week, he kept talking about the young developing players of what they could be.
Spent a lot of.
Time focusing on DJ Turner and you know, like the job that he's done, and he played against Metcalf last time. And you know, even though it's pretty clear that Trey Anderson was gonna play, he was talking about Henderson and you know how much he has when he is in there. So he had a very depth way to not talk
about where the Bengals defense has been. But you know, people in Pittsburgh, people who analyze this sort of thing, have definitely said this is a game that the Steelers probably will have to win in the thirties and probably can and should win in the thirties. Because that game from Aaron Rodgers was his first bag game, I.
Don't as a Steeler. It was off the Sharks bad, don't.
Get me wrong, But I don't quite think I'm ready to believe that we're getting into Russell Wilson territory like we saw the last five weeks of last year. This might be the exact elixture that that offense and Aaron Rodgers needs to face the Bengals defense, and you know, I expect a similar tone to what we saw in.
The first game.
I'm not certain the Steelers are gonna win, but I would expect to see that overheit. I think it's at like fifty and that feels like something that both these teams, even to the field has turned sworn off after Notre Dame and pitt and the weather's not great, which potentially could be the case. I still see an option for a lot of offense this weekend.
Right.
That has certainly been the way it's looked in Bengals games since Joe Fleco has been Cincinnati's quarterback. Tim, we appreciate your time, enjoy that hockey match, and we will see you on Sunday at Akroshore.
All right, good cashing up with you guys.
Thanks for having me.
Safe travels, Tim.
All right, that is Tim Bens again, a broadcaster, podcaster, and columnist covering all things Pittsburgh in the Steel City. We'll take a time out when we come back with Trey Hendrickson out, Shamar Stewart out. Can Miles Murphy step up start to look like a first round draft pick? We'll hear from him next. This is The Bengals pep Rally Show on ESPN fifteen thirty Dan or Todave laugh them back on The Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from the On the Rhine Eatery
here in downtown Cincinnati. Mike Mills is our engineer, Drew Wester Heidi is back in the studio. We appreciate you joining us on this Friday afternoon. Evan McPherson's going to be here in the final hour of the show today. That's four thirty to five thirty, not the usual five to six. So if you're listening, have that time period off. Maybe have a kid that would love to meet Money Mack. You've got the opportunity to do so. Today from four
thirty to five thirty. Evan will sign, com sign autographs, whether during the commercial breaks, he will pose for pictures. All of it's free. Come down and join us here at the on the Rhine Eatery. I say all of that because we have friends here today that are going to get the greatest autographed item from Evan McPherson of all time. They've got the leg of a mannequin in part of a Bengals uniform with an orange sock and like a kicking shoe. Yes, and I assume it is
here to get signed by Moneymack. That is going to be the coolest autographed item by an NFL kicker of all time.
That's a show and tell man, you got to take that to school. You know, let everybody, everybody give the gander that bad boy.
So if we get a quarterback to come by, we'll you get the arm from the same mannequin. Yes, they will, all right. Before the commercial break, we mentioned that Trey Hendrickson is out this week dealing with a hip injury. Shamar Stewart is out this week dealing with a knee injury. Hopefully those guys will be back soon. In the meantime, somebody's going to have to step up put some pressure on Aaron Rodgers this week. Joseph Osai could be one
of those guys. Hopefully they'll get a pushed from inside from somebody like bj Hill or Chris Jenkins. But let's face it, the guy that we keep hoping is going to urge is a dependable pass rusher. Is the twenty eighth pick in the draft a few years ago, Miles Murphy. He's going to get a bunch of playing time this week against Pittsburgh, and I talked to him about that and much more this week. Miles, You've led the Bengals defensive lineman in snaps each of the last two games.
You were too off the lead in the game before that. Is this the opportunity that you've been looking for?
I mean yeah, I feel like as a player, you always look for any opportunity you can get, and really, anytime you're on the field, regardless of the snap count, you want to take advantage of each and every snap, whether it's one or seventy, you want to take advantage of each and every one of them. And you know he's being the pun.
To put your best before it. Really, do you feel like all of these snaps are paying off? And if so, how uh?
Yeah? I think experience is the best teacher, regardless of who your coach is. Like, if you're on the field, you're you're gonna learn something coaches helped, So the coaches help you progress faster, but experience, I feel is.
The best teacher.
Put his dudes that are just year ten, year twelve that I've talked to and it's just things that they've learned just by playing the game and being on the field, like just small, small stuff to give you a little bit of an edge on a handful of plays. So yeah, I think experience is the best teacher, and I'm learning.
I'm learning a lot just being just being on the field, anticipating, anticipating runs and passes a little bit better, going against elite tackles and developing my pass rush and run moves whatever. So yeah, I think I'm learning, learning and developing a lot just being on the field.
You were one of the youngest guys in your draft class. You're still only twenty three. Do you feel like you're still relatively early in the learning process?
Uh?
Yeah.
That was one of coach Taylor's main points coming off of last season. I'm stilling my the things that infancy of my career. So it's it's okay to continue to get better. It's rome wasn't built in the day, regardless of what anyone else says. And here I know I've
gotten a lot better since my rookie year. And the biggest thing because that is just being able to being able to anticipate, being able to anticipate plays, knowing knowing how to watch film, sting, sending in the film with h jmo or Jerry, just having him walk me through things to look for, how to watch film, what to what to study, how to dissect players, how to dissect
backfield formations, being it. Yeah, just doing things like that, and and and anticipating plays, being able to just play fast.
Visiting with Biles Murphy. You've been teammates with one of the better sac artists in the NFL now for three years and Trey Hendrickson. Are the things that you pick up from him? Or is it easier said than done to just say, I play with Trey Hendrickson, therefore I'm going to be able to pick up tricks of the trade from him.
Nah, you can't just be here. You can't just show up and say, Okay, I'm gonna evolve into trade now. You gotta really tap in, like you can ask him. I've since I've gotten here, I've been asking him questions. And it's not all just football stuff. How do you throw your swipe?
Is?
Like what do you do when you go home? Or something like that, Like how do you recover so? And like one of the things, I'm a pretty good observer. I've observed a lot of things and people.
He is.
He and him and Sam Hubbert when he was here, we're very anal about their schedule still are, and it's like I can I can show up to the I can show up to the facility, and I can expect Trade to be in certain spots and he's always in certain spots because he is on top of his schedule. And I've I tried to do the same thing. I tried to create a schedule and be on it every single day, especially when it comes to recovery, because that's the that's the biggest thing. I didn't really I kind
of just did what I was recommended in college. Now, since it's so much just free time, you can do whatever you want me to go home, I had to just create a schedule, stick to it, create a diet, stick to it, and really hone it on film and just use use my use my free time.
Wisely, Really, you are a smart cerebro guy. I enjoy talking to you. I wonder as a pass rusher if that works against you, are there times where you find yourself thinking and maybe you'd be better off just going uh yeah.
Early on in my career I admitted that I think my rookie year and a little bit last year where I was just thinking overthinking myself of second guests and on some rushes where I should go inside or outside or just power.
Us to the guy.
But I think now I've kind of develop a mindset of pick one and go commit to it. That's that's the big thing. That's a big thing. You can portray said, you gotta just commit to a rush. You can't if you go into a rush. He says it all the time.
You go.
If you go into a rust thinking about a counter, thinking about a if this doesn't work, go to this, You're probably not gonna win. So it just really just commit to that one rush, as for already thinking about or setting up. So that's a big, big teaching point that I kind of took in this year.
This defense is filled with guys that had tremendous college careers, played on great college teams, and unfortunately, in recent weeks the Bengals defense has struggled. How hard is it when I'm sure you feel like you've let the offense down to a certain extent.
It's a tough phone, a swallow for sure. But like you said, us coming from winning programs, successful, successful team successful defenses, Like we all know, we all know what it looks like, we all know what it feels like. Although yes, sharel was at the college level, some of the guys that were here during that Super Bowl year, BJ, TREYE and some of the other guys, like, they know
what it looks like on this level. So those are the leaders that are stepping up and really just us taking what we knew from college, what worked in college, bringing it here kind of just adding on, adding on to the things that the vests did that Super Bowl year and just taking coaching and retaining it and continuing to stuff forward. That's the main dame. He can't can't step back, can't let the confidence kind of just wither away.
Like we know, yeah it's a little bit of a value right now, but that doesn't mean just the season's over. So you got to just keep keep stepping forward.
Honestly, appreciate your time. Best of luck this week, Thanks so much. Appreciate it all right. Laugh. That was Miles Murphy. Here's my feeling on Miles in year three of his Bengals career. I think he's improving as a run stopper. I think he's been decent at that this year, I haven't seen enough growth as a pass rusher, and obviously the numbers bear that out. He's got one and a half sacks this year.
Yeah, one and a half sacks this year, four and a half for his career. I mean a guy that was picked where he was twenty eighth and has the ability, the physical talents, the physical skills that he's been blessed with. You know, you just you expect much more production than yeah, you know, and he's a puzzle. He's a quandary for coaches to try to figure out because it's not like he's loafing or you know, not interested, not paying attention. He's not anything like that. He wants to be good.
He wants to be he wants to be a dominant player. He wants to be an upper echelon NFL edge pass rusher that offensive tackles in the National Football League are like, oh boy, I got Miles Murphy this week. Oh man, but he got a lot of sleep better eat right, And you know, it's it hasn't hasn't panned out for him, hasn't turned out to be the case. So I know he's not going to quit on it. I know he's
going to continue to work and work hard. And uh, the organization, the coach's position, coach coordinator, head coach, nobody's gonna quit on the guy. They're gonna give them, give him their full attention as well. I'd like to see Murphy have a you know, eight or nine sacks season. That would be That would be great. That would be a coming out party, you know, that would be Welcome to the National Football League here, I am.
He's got a year left on his rookie contract prior to next season. He'll be eligible for a fifth round option. I'm sorry, a fifth year option as a first round draft pick right now, there's no way he gets it based on how he's played. So he would have to really have a surge over these final eight games for the Bengals to want to invest beyond next year.
Yeah, and like we talked about, you know, they're in the beginning of a stretch. Okay, Pittsburgh. You got Pittsburgh twice. No, you got Pittsburgh once. I already played them once. You get them again. Aaron Rodgers, you know upper echelon guy new England quarterbacks playing at a high level. Baltimore. We know he's playing at a high level. Buffalo, He's playing at a high level. You could use somebody on the
edge that on a snap by snap basis. These quarterbacks have to, you know, get their head on a swivel and look look for a little bit, get their eyes off the downfield coverage. And Miles Murphy is that kind of guy. He just have to He has to believe it and he has to get there.
The other team's quarterback this week is Aaron Rodgers. Coming up next, what is it like for a twenty three year old rookie to face a quarterback in his twenty first NFL season. We'll hear from Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter next. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken live from the on the Rhine Eatery on ESPN fifteen thirty.
This is Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Bared Chicken on the Bengals Radio Network. Paycore Paycor is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering Health Best Care for the Best Fans. Kettering Health Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen to thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
One Hour in the Books, two hours to Go on the Bengals pep Rowley Show, presented by Just Beared Chicken. Here on ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm Dan Horde, He's Dave Lapham. Evan McPherson will join us in one hour. He'll be here for the final hour of the show. If you want to get an autographed for a picture with money Max, this is your opportunity to do it. It's absolutely free, although we highly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities for food and drink here. Beyond the rhyine eatery,
plenty of inexpensive food options. There's a great bar here as well, So if you want to come out and start the happy hour on a Friday afternoon, have something to eat, this is a great place to do it. Hoard, Lapham and Mills have been sampling the dry rub wings, yes, and the potstickers so far today. Both delicious, outstanding. The wings in particular tremendous.
They're cooked to perfection. I mean just enough spice, you know, just enough seasoning in.
Correctly perfect, really really good. Yeah, we tend to bring them home as well, have no question. So we got the Bengals and Steelers coming up this Sunday at one o'clock, second time this year that the Bengals will face forty one year old Aaron Rodgers. He will be forty two year old Aaron Rodgers in eighteen days. What a career he's had. He's a four time MVP, he is a Super Bowl MVP. He has passed for so many yards in his NFL career we can convert them to miles.
He has passed for thirty six point eight miles in his NFL career. He's thrown for five hundred and twenty one touchdowns, including four in the first meeting between these two teams about a month ago. Cincinnati did win the game thirty three to thirty one. So imagine what it's like for the Bengals rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter to walk up to the line of scrimmage, look at the other team's quarterback, stare them in the eyes, and see a guy that's been playing in the NFL
since they were two or three years old. Let's hear from Bengals rookie Barrett Carter on what it's like to go head to head with a legend in Aaron Rodgers.
It was so cool planning to get some side note, But what I learned is that you can tell he's been playing the game for a long time and for a long time at a high level. At that just you know, he's walking up out of the huddle and he's he's viewing the defense and he just looked super super like calm out there. So that's really that was really that was really cool to see and just being able to you know, I was I remember I was a kid watching him and I got to play against
some first hand. So he's a he's a pois player, plays with a lot of confidence and uh, you know, you got to.
Be on your piece accus when you play him. The Bengals intercepted him twice in that first meeting. Jordan Battle got him, DJ Turner got him. Came on back to back possessions in the second quarter. More than anything else, that was probably the biggest key to the win. Because the Bengals defense clearly is not shutting teams down. They've got to get some takeaways and they got two in that first beating.
Absolutely and uh, you know, we thought turnovers were going to be a big key in game one, and they were two interceptions that that Aaron Rodgers threw. Joe Flacco didn't throw any, so that that was big. That was a deciding factor in the in the victory for the Cincinnati Bengals in a hard fought two point win. So yeah, it's it is. Uh, you go, You're gonna have to take care of the football, There's no doubt about it.
And Aaron, Aaron Rodgers is going to the Hall of Fame that five hundred and twenty one touchdowns in his career, kidding me, it's ridiculous. He did throw four touchdown passes, like you said, Dan, two interceptions hurt four touchdown passes almost overcame those interceptions and almost led his team to victory. You do know that Aaron Rodgers will compete. Aaron Rodgers wants to make amends for what he feels like a game where he cost his team a football game and
you know, you can definitely say it. You know it's a and he realizes that. So he doesn't want to be the goat. He doesn't want to wear the goat horns. Again in the Pittsburgh steel of locker room when that football game ends.
So we talked about the Bengals injuries earlier in the show. Now the Steelers injury report is out and there is some good news where the Bengals are concerned. Alex Highsmith is out. Wow, one of their best pass rushers, a guy who has given Cincinnati fits over the years. Linebacker Clay Holcomb is out. That's not quite as significant, although he had been playing well when he was healthy. Their
left guard Isaac Seamalo is questionable. He did not play last week in their loss on Sunday Night against the Chargers. He might be the best offensive lineman they have. He's certainly the most experienced, so questionable means it's fifty to fifty. The Bengals can keep their fingers crossed and hope that he is out this week.
He is a beast. He really does a hell of a job. He kind of controls an aw owns the owns the line of scrimmage. I think that that's an underrated group to the Pittsburgh Steelers, their offensive line, how well they've played, you know, as a group this season. Thought to know at the right tackle position is another horse. He's a He's an excellent player. Zach Frasier is a grizzled veteran center. McCormick uh plays well at the at the right guard position. Roderick Jones a big old, big
old body at the left tackle spot as well. They've got players. I mean, the Pittsburgh Steelers know what they're doing. Their stuarding department as a formula, the things they look for in offensive lineman that over the years they've monitored, and most of the offensive linemen that have been successful in the NFL, particularly with the Pittsburgh Steelers, have fit the bill and and been in the mold of these physical traits. So they know what they're doing. Absolutely, they
know what they're doing. And I think a big key in the football game this time, just like it was in the first matchup dan is who runs the football? Well, you know who gets their running game going. And you get that running game going play action pass falls into plays very easily. So you don't get that running game going. It does not.
All right, you just talked about the Steelers offensive line. We're going to talk about the Bengals offensive line when we come back. Is Joe Flacco making the Bengals offensive line look good or is the line actually playing well? We'll discuss that when we come back. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken, live from the on the Ryan Eatery on ESPN fifteen thirty.
They are broadcasting live this afternoon from the on the Ryan Eatery, the food hall above the downtown Kroger at the intersection of Court and Walnut. It's the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken. Joe Flacco has been the Bengals starting quarterback for four games. In those four games, the Bengals are averaging more than thirty two points.
He's being sacked less than two times a game. The Bengals running game is averaging five and a half yards per carry, which is excellent, and all of that suggests that the offensive line is playing well. The Bengals offensive line's taking a lot of shots in recent years when opposing teams have gotten to Joe Burrow, and some of that is obviously deserved. So when they're playing well, they deserve some credit. Yep, let's hear from left tackle Orlando Brown Junior.
You know our standard has Risen is going to continue to rise. We've only gotten better as time's going.
You know.
I also want to come in the coaches too. I feel like in the way coach Taylor, pitch Scott Man, coach Hills, coach Casey Hopefully, I'm not forget any of the position coaches. Man, They've put us in great position and the way that they've been calling the game has allowed us to flourish and allow guys to play with emotion and you know, pund teams in the run game help keep you know, flack o'clean in the past game. And but a lot of that is just a collective effort.
You know.
Offensive line play.
You know, we could sit here and talk about talent all day and o line coaches, but to me, it's a collective thing of receivers getting open, which requires coach to call certain plays, you know what I mean, in the rhythm of a game, to go a certain way.
Laptist line features a twenty two year old rookie starting at left guard, Dylan Fairchild, twenty three year old rookie starting at right guard, Jalen Rivers, a twenty three year old second year player starting at right tackle, Marius Mims. What is your view of the progress of your old position group, the offensive line.
Yeah, I agree with what Orlando Brown was talking about in your comments, and everybody's really thoughts about the offensive line on a weekly basis. Seems to be improving. You know, the performance is definitely better in a lot of areas, and I think their understanding of what the expectation is at that position is starting to starting to take shape. They're young, like you said, I mean twenty two years old.
That's unbelievable that you're starting in the National Football League is a twenty two year old guy, that's truly amazing in today's NFL, particularly amazing. So they've got a long way to go. They're not there yet, but they are starting to climb, you know, the latter of success or rung at a time, and they're starting to see some success, particularly in that running game. Like we talked about earlier,
you can run the football. Play action pass is going to happen, and you're gonna get some big plays out of it. And then all of a sudden, it's going to be easier to run the football and one hand feeds the other, one hand washes the other, And I think they are starting to realize that big time.
We've arrived at a point that we were at in twenty twenty three when Jake Browning played well while Joe Burrow was out. One of the things that the Bengal did more when Jake Browning was playing well that year was half him under center. Yep, they ran the ball well with him under center. It opened up more of a play action passing game. We are led to believe
that that is not Joe Burrow's preference. That he likes to be in the shotgun scan see what the defense is going to do and would prefer to do that than be under center. But seeing the effectiveness that they had in twenty three with Browning, seeing the effectiveness that they're having with Joe Flacco doing that, does Joe Burrow have to do that more when he's back and playing.
It's a great question, million dollar question, and only Burrow can answer it. I think the coaches will if Joe Burrow says, look, I don't like I'm being under center. I'm not comfortable, they won't do it. But Joe's like, you know what you know, watching Flacco, watching Jake, I mean, there's something to be said for you know, mixing it up and getting under center a little bit. I'd still
want to play out of the shotgun. I don't want to give it up totally, but man, there's some reasons, good football, sound football reasons to get an under center. One of the big ones is when you're under center, you know, you you give the look that you know you can do either run or pass. You turn your back. You turn your back to the defense a little bit, and Joe Burrow hates it. A lot of quarterbacks don't like turning their back to a defense, so you lose
track of what's going on with the linebackers. How deep they're dropping safeties? Is one rotating up and the other one rotating back? Are they you know, doing that at the safety position? Did they change their blitz look? Did they drop out of it? Or did they come from a pass drop look to a blitz look. So a lot of quarterbacks like the shotgun staying in the gun because they can see all that. They can see the field, and they they're not surprised. They're never like, oh my gosh, man,
I lost track of that one. So it's interesting. There's pros and cons to everything, and there's pros and console a lot of things in the game of football as well. And I guess you know it all. It all boils down to what do you like, what do you feel best doing, what fits your skill set better? Do you think allows you to, you know, make throws you want to make read the football field more easily, more comfortably, And I think Joe Burrow would vote for a shotgun.
Has Joe Flacco helped the offensive line and if so, in what ways?
I think he has, dan And the biggest way is he gets rid of the damn ball so quickly. I mean, it is out two and a half seconds. It's if there's nothing there, it's gone. It's either on the ground, not intentional grounding, but putting the ball, you know, low and on the ground where nobody can make a play on it, you know, Or if he sees an opening occurring,
he'll throw the receiver open. He gets the ball out so quickly, and he throws the ball so beautifully well that I do think that he's helped the offensive line a little bit. I think his fourteen years experience has helped the offensive line. I think he wants to help the offensive line a little bit, and the offensive lineman
love him. They love that quick release man. I mean, it's a valuable commodity for a quarterback to have that feels confident and comfortable enough to get the ball out of his hand as quickly as Joe Flacco does.
Coming up next, the Bengals scored thirty eight against the Jets and lost. They scored forty two against the Bears and lost. What's a simple thing, just a simple thing that they can do on defense to play better this week against Pittsburgh. We'll hear from linebacker Demetrius Knight with the answer to that when we continue. You're listening to the Bengals Pep Brawley Show live from the on the Ryan Eatery at ESPN fifteen thirty. Welcome back to the
Bengals Pep Rally Show, presented by Just Fair Chicken. Here on ESPN fifteen thirty, live from the on the Rhine Eatery in downtown Cincinnati. It's on the second floor above the downtown Kroger at Courton Walnut. Lap and I are here until five thirty this afternoon, not six half hour earlier than usual. This week, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson will be joining us from four thirty to five thirty. He will be signing a leg lamp. We look forward to seeing his reaction when the person with the leg lamp
approaches the stage. The Bengals defense is obviously having a rough year. They're giving up thirty three points a game that is last in the NFL. It would be the most in team history. But they've got eight games left to improve and hopefully with the young players they have out there, they are going to improve. There have been some signs of improvement, but obviously they've still got some big strides to go to reach the point where they
can win games with their defense. Let's hear from one of their two starting rookie linebackers, Demetrius Knight, on one very simple thing that they can do better that would help.
Yeah, it's just just about doing your win eleven on the field. Everybody feeling in those tied and critical moments, Oh I got a strain and make the play. It's not about making the play. It's about doing your win eleven and if the play comes to you, then you make the play. Not just going out of your way to jump out of your gap in a crucis situation where you can get off the field or trying to, you know, overrun someone who's already into in the flat.
Just knowing your job, doing the best of your ability, and knowing that the guy to your left, here, right in front of you and behind you, he's going to do the same thing.
Lap. It's something you talk about a lot. Harvest your own crop.
No question, And that's a damn smart rookie right there, realizing that that's what you gotta do is don't try to do too much. Your natural reaction on a football field, if you're a football player and a good football player is I got to do more. I got to make sure. Man, my teammate over here is not having a good day. He's made a couple of mistakes, he's hit the wrong gap, he's not where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. I gotta go make amends for that.
I got to go make up for it. That's the worst thing in the world that can happen, and coaches hate it. Coaches tear their hair out by the roots when that kind of thing is going on. Coordinators, position coaches, everybody. So that's the one thing that you can't do. You can't panic. You can't sound the alarm. Just you know, line up and in the huddle, make a commitment, commitment to yourself. I'm going to do my job. And that came from Paul Brown, that that phraseology, that sentence, that saying,
don't try to harvest somebody else's crop. And it makes so much sense. I don't care what era you're talking about a football, I don't care what level of football you're talking about. Do your job, don't harve someone else's crop. Don't try to do someone else's job on top of your job.
So since the Bengals last game and since our last show, they have traded away Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys. So if the rookie linebackers weren't already you know, the leaders of this defense, or at least the guys in the middle, they certainly are now Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter. They do have a veteran that can help them in Orrin Burke's played on a Super Bowl champion last year, played on the Super Bowl loser the year before. He's been in the Super Bowl each of the last two years.
So the guy has some great experience. But man, after that, it's a bunch of young guys that don't have a ton of experience. So those live backers, they got to grow up. They got to grow up fast they do.
I mean it's sink or swim time. You know, you got you gotta show up. You gotta make plays, You have to do exactly what you're assigned to do. You have to have belief that your coaches are gonna put you in a position to help the football team, help the football team win games. I I do know that these young players have a tremendous amount of respect for Al Golden. They saw what he did with Notre Dames defense, and they were they played such good team defense. You know,
guys are talking about one eleventh. You know, I gotta I gotta be my one eleventh. Make sure I'm the one eleventh that everybody's counting on the coaches, the players, everybody. Don't try to be two elevenths yours and another one that's not gonna work. That's gonna that's gonna it's gonna be. You're gonna negate, You're gonna race. Uh, you're one eleventh,
so you can go back to ground zero. Do your job. Uh, it's it's it's it's it's a given, it's a must, and it always will be in the game of football.
The Bengals lead the NFL in missed tackles. I did an interview with Tony Pike earlier this week, and he did point out something that I hadn't considered. Part of the reason why they lead the NFL in miss tackles is that they're in position to make them, which in a way is a good thing. At least, you know, guys are not running down the field untouched, right, it's being in a slightly better position to make them.
It is.
It's like you have to go back to your techniques and fundamentals, and when you are in position, get your head across the bow, get your helmet in front of the offensive player. That will curtail his momentum, that will stop him from moving the football down the football field anymore. And then the thing that they do not do, and they've done, they've missed so many tackles because wrap your arms around the ball carrier and take them to the ground.
Wrap them up and take him to the ground. And we used to do a drill every day before practice with Paul Brown called the routine tackling drill, and that was actually doing exactly what I just said. You know, you to guys lineup against each other. The guy goes on a forty five degree angle carrying a football, and you put your helmet across the head and helmet across the bow, wrap your arms up and take him to the ground. Basic fundamental football Blocking and tackling wins you football games.
This week's fun Fact segment coming up next, It's The Bengals pep Rally Show on ESPN fifteen thirty. Thanks for turning into the Bengals pep Rally Show live from the on the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati, Money Mac Kevin McPherson, we'll be here in about twenty five minutes. He will join us for the final hour of our three hour Friday afternoon extravagan Money Mack, It's the Bengals Steelers this Sunday at one o'clock. Right now, Time for
this week's fun Fact segment, presented by Skyline Chili. Time for some fun facts with tight end Noah fan from Omaha, Nebraska, the biggest city in Nebraska, give the home of the College World Series Noah. Based on what I've read you're the youngest of six kids. Is that accurate and what was that like?
Yeah, I'm definitely definitely the youngest of six, three brothers and two sisters, and it was a great, great upbringing. Definitely. My my siblings thought I was a little bit spoiled, but it was great. I have great relationships with all of them, so couldn't complain.
It's funny you say that because I'm the fourth of five, and my older siblings always said, You've got it so easy. Mom and dad have just kind of given up. They're letting you do whatever you want.
Yeah.
No, I definitely definitely think there's some of the same. But my parents were tough on me growing up, but in a good way, so I was blessed to have them.
One of your older brothers was your high school coach. Was he tough on you?
Uh? Yeah, I think so.
I think my brother just wanted the best for me, wanted me to achieve greatness, and yeah, he was a big part of my development early on growing up, as with my dad and my mom, but yeah, he was.
He was a big part of that.
You attended Almaha South High School but also took classes at the University of Nebraska Medical Center while you were in high school. Tell me about that.
Yeah, the un m C High School Alliance was kind of a program for high school students to kind of get a fast track to any any medical profession that they wanted to get into going into college. So it was taking college classes out of college at a college campus and uh, you know, kind of working in and seeing what path we wanted to take.
When we got into college. So it was a great experience.
And I still keep in touch with some of the people that run that program and have gone back to visit before, and yeah, I'm just super fortunate to be able to partake in that.
You dealt with Kidavers, Yeah, what was that like?
You know, it's definitely a unique experience.
Not something that I thought that I would have been doing that young but uh man, what a cool like a like cool experis't a blessing for me to be able to do that at such a young age and really learn I learned so much in that program and the classes that I took, So I was super fortunate to be able to be a part of that.
In your scouting report coming out of college on NFL dot com, it said you had an idea of possibly being a surgeon after playing football. Is that still a remote possibility in your mind?
I'm not so sure yet.
It's a lot of schooling that I don't have to go through after playing football in year seven, So we'll see how it plays out.
But not shutting in any doors.
We're visiting with Noah Fat. When it came time to pick a college, you chose the school with the reputation of being tight end you Iowa, Dallas Clark, George kittle, TJ Howkinson, Sam Laporta, Ralf from the Bengals, and others. How do you explain that lineage of great tight ends?
Yeah, I think that just like when I was going to Iowa, the guys that were kind of there before me were like Dallas car Tony Mulaki, I think, Scott Chandler, guys of that nature that had been there before and had made it to the NFL, and it was just kind of one of those things that was that was a selling point that if I wanted to play tight end in a in an offense that used the tight end quite often, that I wanted to be able to
do that and go and go there. And obviously my freshman year was Georgia's senior year and then after that it's just been pumping out tight ends, uh, definitely more frequently ever since. So it's been It's been a really cool experience to be a part of, for sure.
Is it almost like a self fulfilling prophecy where the best high school tight ends in the country gravitate to Iowa and then it's almost destiny that they're going to turn out to be pros.
You know, honestly, I think that I wouldn't necessarily say the best, like the best top recruits that tight end really go to Iowa. I think Iowa does a really good job of identifying guys that have the trades and then developing them. Like when I was coming out of high school, I was a three star atta fleet out of Nebraska. I had like fifteen offers from different schools, but wasn't like a top recruited five star tight end
coming out of out of high school. So they do a great job of identifying guys with those traits and developing them into a all around tight end. So that was something I was I was really proud of going there and being a part of.
After three years with the Hawkeyes, you entered the draft and were selected in the first round twentieth overall by Denver. Describe your draft night experience.
Yeah, it was a great experience.
I mean, obviously it was waiting a little bit twenty picks in, but it wasn't complaining at all. It was just like a very stressful situation. But what a cool experience for me and my family being there all together in the green room and getting that call from Denver at the time, and it was it was a surreal moment, So really cool experience for me and my family.
You had three good years in Denver, you probably expected to be there for a long long time, and then the Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson, giving up multiple high draft picks and yourself in that deal. Did you have any inkling that you might be traded or was it a total shock?
No, I was.
I was pretty shocked, to be honest with you. Hindsight twenty twenty. Obviously, I'll understand, right, it's like you get your shot at a franchise quarterback at the time that you think it is your franchise quarterback and you're gonna do whatever. You know you're not going to hold back a tight end to for that deal, you know what I'm saying. So I understood, I understood it. I was
definitely shocked and taken it back by it. Some would say blindsided, but like, man, it was such crazy experience, and obviously was traded to Seattle and had some good years there, but uh, yeah, it was.
It was definitely wild, a wild experience for sure.
So three years in Denver, three years in Seattle, and then earlier this year they let you go kind of in a salary cap dump type situation. But it did give you the opportunity affinity to choose for the first time since you were in high school. Did you enjoy that?
It was a very interesting experience because it was I supposed to choosing thing, but at a time that was very late in the process, and you know, people had already really had the roster set and things of that nature. So yeah, it was nice to choose, I suppose, but like, wasn't an ideal situation that late in the game, which is kind of a little frustrating. But yes, I was
happy to be able to land in Cincinnati. What a great place for me to land that with coach Taylor and and pitch and and James Casey is a great, great Titans coach. I've been really really fortunate to be able to work with them and be in a good situation here. So it ended up working out, but obviously it was definitely a process to get there for sure.
All Right, a few wild card topics now for Bengals tight end Noah Fan Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?
I would say Michael Jordan. I wasn't old enough to like see him in his prime, but just like the greatness of him and the championships that he's won that is all of his highlights.
He's just an iconic player.
Whenever someone mentions like a goat of a sport, it's like he automatically comes up. He's definitely a polarizing player that not only changed the game, but changed really just like the world kind of honestly, He's like he was
a world known athlete. So it was like, what a cool what a cool experience, like experience to be able to see but unfortunately I wasn't able to see it, But what a cool experience to like be able to go back and watch those highlights and experience that greatness so, and he made.
It okay for people like me to be bald. Yeah, you've spent seven years in the NFL, You've done well financially. What do you like to splur John, Food?
That's like, that's one of the things that I'll like pay a good a good dollar for. Is like a just a really good meal, especially like with friends and families, which is which is one of the things that I value very much.
So food is definitely one of those things.
Big fancy steakhouse are something more eclectic and foodie either one.
I'm I'm a pretty wide range guy that'll that'll like have anything to eat, And honestly, it's a it's just a what's the choice of the day, honestly.
So other than sports, do you have any hidden talents?
I don't know about hidden talents.
I just kind of I try to view myself as like a like a pretty multifaceted guy, Like I just like a lot of different things. I do a lot of different things, and I don't think there's just one one singular thing that I'm like super talented at though.
All right, final fun fact for Noah, this one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history living or deceased. Who would that person be.
I would want to meet my my dad, my dad's dad. He passed away when my dad was very young, so it had been my grandpa, but I never got to meet him. But I definitely wouldn't want to met him and just kind of talk to him and see what he see how he viewed life, see how he viewed everything. Obviously my dad didn't wasn't able to have those those moments with him very long, But yeah, I think those would be some really cool conversations to see what he thought.
No doubt about it. No, I appreciate your time, best of luck the rest of the year.
Thank you. Appreciate it all right?
That was fun Facts with tight end Noah Fan, great job Dan, now, thank you. When the Bengals signed him, we thought there was going to be the opportunity for some great two tight end packages with no and Mike is Sicky. Fortunately, Mike got hurt early this year with a pectoral injury, but his four week window for where he has to be out is about to run out and he could be back soon. It sounds like he's recovering well from that pectoral injury.
That's good, and he is a He is a weapon.
You know.
I think back in the day, teams that could run two tight end package were formidable because it just balances everything out, you know. I mean, the defense can't really have a pre snap read in terms of where's the strength of the formation, where might they go, Where's strong side weak side? Kind of distorts all of that. So having multiple tight ends on your roster that are capable and can go out there and play at a high level and help you win football games is a great luxury in today's NFL.
All right, Coming up next, we know that Joe Burrow is back at practice. The question is should he play this year regardless of the Bengals record. We'll discuss that when we come back. You're listening to the Bengals pep Rally Show live for the on the Ride Eatery here and down town Viincinnati. Who da is here?
Who is in the house?
At ESPN? In fifteen thirty, Dan and Dave lap them back on the Bengals pep Rally Show presented Just Bear Chicken. We are broadcasting live from the on the Rhine Eatery. If you're getting out on a Friday afternoon, come join us. Evan McPherson will be here in just a few minutes. He will join us for the final hour of the show. If you've never been to the On the Rhine Eatery,
it's a great spot for our Friday afternoon show. It's a food haul above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut, with plenty of great inexpensive food options, great wings, great burgers, great podstickers, which we've enjoyed today. There's a bar if you want to come out and have a beer or two. It's a great spot for our show. Plenty of available seating. Who Day is here. Love seeing who Day in the house and again. Money Back will be here shortly. He'll
sign autographs, he'll pause for pictures. It's all for free, unless, of course, you want to spend a few of your hard to earn dollars having something to eat or drink here at the On the Rhine Eatery. Well, we got a very pleasant surprise at the beginning of this week on Monday, when we saw Joe Burrow back at practice, albeit on a limited basis, which is to be expected coming back from his toe injury. But the prognosis when he suffered the injury was that it was a three
month recovery. He was practicing again in less than two months.
And that's that's Joe Burrow. That's what he's all about. He's all about, you know, if somebody says you can't do it, and I'll show you. I'll show you I can do it, and I'm gonna go do it. Uber competitive man, he really is. I mean if if if people say it's unreachable, he's going to reach for it and he's gonna get get grab it, He's going to get it. I think that he plays this this week coming up. I think there's a strong chance anyway, not.
This week, not Sunday against Pittsburgh, the following, Okay, the home game against New England. You think that's passed.
The Patriots game, I think is possible. I'd love to see you play this Sunday, But I don't.
Know he's out for this week because of the.
Number of days. You've got twenty one days and he hasn't served that sentence. Hyeit, but I mean he is a guy that is I'm gonna do it on my schedule. I don't care what you think. Your opinion is your opinion. I know what I can do I know what my body can do. And you know he takes care of himself. I mean the guys in unbelievable shape, the conditioning that he goes through, and unfortunately he's been doing a rehab and conditioning way too much the last few years. But
I mean this guy, he works hard. He works in the weight room hard overall body. I mean his quads, his hamstrings, his calves, his pectoral, his delta, everything is strong on him and he's put on about i'd say a good fifteen pounds of muscle.
Dan.
When you look at him walk into a room, it's like, man, this guy's substantial. Now you know he's put together and he certainly hasn't affected him negatively in terms of how he's throwing the football. He is a beautiful thrower of the.
Football, no doubt. As I said earlier, I was surprised to see him on the practice field on Monday. I was not alone. Let's hear from Jamar Chase and T Higgins.
I didn't know he was practicing. I was surprised. I just seen him putting stuff on. I didn't know what's going on.
Yeah, he caught. I came in the locker room and he was like, you see now. I was like, well he doing He was like, he's practicing. I was like, oh, it's not so. He caught me off guard too.
I think his personality makes him unique. The way he approaches the game makes him crazy. How much he loves the game makes him crazy. That's how much passion he has behind it. And nothing's wrong with that.
He just wants to win. And you know you need people around you like that.
All right, lap, Let's get to the big debate that's going on right now among Bengals fans. The Bengals are three and six. Yeah, if they win in Pittsburgh this week, they are still in the hunt right to win the AFC North. If they don't, it is a real long shot. Although I guess if Baltimore loses this week, maybe they've still got a pulse. But anyway, should wins and losses matter or should Joe Burrow come back at some point this year regardless of what the Bengals record is?
Yeah, I mean that's a matter of opinion. I'm sure Bengal fans would be Look, if don't win this week, three and seven, the odds of turning it around and having a potential playoff season are almost nil. But Joe doesn't look at it that way. Joe looks at he lives to play football. I mean, he eats, sleeps, and drinks football. He's football twenty four to seven, seven days a week, three undred and sixty five days a year, and twelve months a year. It's just the way he's built,
the way he's uh, he's put together. You know. I think he wants to see where he is, and I think he wants to evaluate physical He'll want to play absolutely and you know, and compete against the best at the highest level for as many games as you possibly can. It's uh, it's it's what makes him get up in the morning, man. It's what makes him tick, makes us heart kicking, makes everything tick.
I'll be honest. My feelings on this subjective changed. So during the early stages of his recovery, I thought, all right, if he can come back and the Bengals still have a chance to make the playoffs, you'd certainly want him in the playoffs if he was healthy. So I was kind of thinking, it's going to depend on the record. Now that he's practicing and could conceivably come back with four games left, right, five games left something like that. I'd play him because A it's his belief that you
can always gain something from playing. You can learn something, you can develop timing and you know, chemistry with your receiving targets. It means something to him to show that he can come back this year. It means something to him to show that his teammates, show to his teammates that it's important enough for him to come back this year. So my feeling has changed from only bring him back if it's important too. If the doctors say the toe is not at risk and he wants to play, let him play.
I agree. And I mean everybody in the division has four losses, you know, I mean four losses or more? Yeah, four losses and more so. I mean, if the Bengals knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers again and they fall, they're closer, They're closer to where the Cincinnati Bengals are. And I just I feel like, no matter what if the if the division is within grasp and there's a month of playing the season, he's gonna want to go after it
tooth and nail. He's gonna go want to go after it one hundred and I think the more snaps he gets. The more reps he gets under his belt, the more confident he's going to be, the more comfortable he's going to feel, and the better he's gonna play.
Naturally, if the Bengals are out of it and he plays, you open yourself up to the biggest second gesh of all time. Should another injury happen. Yep, that would be the risk. But that's football. So are you gonna put him in bubble wrap forever?
Uh?
You know, when he feels healthy and ready to go, I don't think he can do that. This is what he does. If he feels healthy and back in a good practice groove, wants to play, and feels like he's ready to play, then he's a guy.
You got to play. Yeah. This is who he is, This is what he wants to be. This is what he's chosen as a profession in his adult life, and he's great at it. And uh, you know he he's going to be able to put up significant numbers. He always does. I mean, when Joe Burrow plays, he rings him up, He rings up numbers, and he's not playing to pat his stats. That's not what I'm saying, and that's not what is in his mind, he's playing to win football games for the Cincinnati Bengals. Uh, there's no
question about it. That's what his mo is. But man, I think, I think when he when all said and done, when he's done playing the game of football, he's going to have numbers at the quarterback position, yards, touchdowns, uist, interceptions. He's going to be the leader across the board. I think he's got that.
Kind of ability, kind of like those Aaron Rodgers numbers who have given earlier sixty four thousand yards crazy five and twenty one touchdown passes and twenty.
One touchdown passes. That's absurd, man, that's crazy, it really is. I mean, mind buggling.
Aaron Rodgers will take on the Bengals for the sixth time in his career this Sunday at one o'clock. The Bengals do have a winning record against him. They're three and two in the previous five games. They've come up with quite a few interceptions in those games. Aaron Rodgers historically has not thrown many in his NFL career, but in five career games against Cincinnati, he's thrown six interceptions, including two in Game one earlier this year. Won by
Jordan Battle and one by DJ Turner. All Right, two hours just about in the books. One hour to go. Our special guest is here. Will take a time out, We'll come back and we will introduce Bengals kicker Kevin McPherson. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented byy Just Bear Chicken on ESPN fifteen thirty.
This is Bengals FeH Rally presented by Just Beared Chicken on the Bengals Radio Network. Paycore Paycor is proud to be the official hr software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Kettering Health, best Care for the best Fans. Kettering Health, Official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen to thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Money Mack is ready. He takes a deep breath, waits for the long snap back to Rico. Rico puts it down to kick his up.
It is good, gosh, and the Bengals have a two point lead with seven seconds left on the clock.
Nice gotta love it. Joe Flacco, Welcome to Cincinnati, my man.
All right, that's how it sounded almost exactly a month ago. The last time the Bengals beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati winning on a field goal with seven seconds to go by Evan McPherson thirty three to thirty one. And that makes our special guest this afternoon here at the on the Ryan Eatery very appropriate. We are joined by the guy that made that kick, one of eight game winners in his Bengals career. Money back, Evan McPherson, Welcome to the show. Thanks for being here.
Yeah, it's always fun to get to do a show with y'all. We appreciate time very much, much self time worth it.
Thank you. Let's turn the clock back to that game. It was an interesting one because with less than a minute to go, that was the game that featured this unselfish t Higgins slide when he could have run in for the go ahead touchdown, but given the Steelers more time to potentially come back. Instead, he goes into the slide. But once he did that, then all the pressure shifts to you.
Yeah, you know, that was a really unselfish play by team because he definitely could have easily walked into the end zone. But I mean, you got to realize who's on the other side. Of the field. One of the best to ever do it out of Aaron Rodgers. And he's got a good receiving core and group there and really dangerous team. And so you're taught, and we're taught as a team to be unselfish in times like that
and set the team up for success. And this really unselfish play by Tea And as soon as he did it, I knew kind of what we were going to do. Set up for the last second field goal. It's a it's a make or break and win a loss, and those are always a lot of fun.
Darren Simmons, Yes, it has been your special teams coach your entire career in the National Football League. In my opinion, he's the best in the business, the best at any level. Yeah, of football. You're with him basically every day.
Huh.
What makes Darren Simmons special? What separates him from the pack man?
He he's a nitpicker. He'll yep, if I'm not making field goals down the center of the uprights, he'll give it to me. Even if they're going in, he'll say it's not good enough. Then you go down the center. And he's like that with everybody on the team. If you're doing your job correctly, he's gonna find a weak point that you have and he's gonna tell you that you need to work on it. So I think just his attention to detail is probably above the rest, I
would say. So, I feel like his attention to detail and his willingness to not just kind of tell you what you want to hear, but tell you what you need to hear is kind of what sets him apart.
In that Pittsburgh game where you hit the game winner, I remember looking down toward the field before the game. So it's a Thursday night game against the Steelers, and there had to be twenty guys, thirty guys, like thirty grown men wearing yeah McPherson jerseys. Who was that group?
Yeah, So there's a small group I'm part of, been a part of for about three and a half years. And it's a group of twelve guys that we got together through crossroads, you know, just kind of a group that I was thrust it into, invited into, and they've been great for I feel like development off the field, em just in my relationship with God and just my relationship outside of football. I can go to them with
any issues anything I'm feeling struggling with. And they've been a real important part of this journey in Cincinnati.
So there, it wasn't quite as big as I thought from looking down there. But twelve guys yep, wearing your jerseys that you befriended through the Crossrooms church.
Yeah, it's been great. We meet every Monday night. Well I say every Monday night, Monday nights every whenever we all can, but it's usually every Monday night, if not every other. But yeah, we just get together, talk about life, talk about the Bible, just kind of bounced off off each other, and any struggles that we have in our life, we talk about it. And there's a lot of wise men in that in that room that are older than us and have been through a lot of situations, so
they're good to kind of learn from. And had breakfast with the Leader this morning, so.
That ye great that they could be there for that particular night. The way it ended.
We always me and the Leader will always talk like strategy, What game should the guys come to? And I always tell people you need to come to a night game at Paykor Stadium because I think the fans show up and show out for those for those games, and I always enjoy night games, so I always tell people to come to those.
I'm with you.
So, what's the longest field goal you've made? Sixty one for the Bengals?
Sixty on unofficial? Yeah, yeah, yeah, in a game when the unofficial didn't count.
Yeah, give us stat first.
Yeah, the sixty seven in Green Bay obviously went in, didn't count.
The time out actually the timeout was yeah right.
Yeah, yeah, all the time out to nullify it.
But yeah, I think the longest field going franchise history, right is fifty nine?
Correct? Somebody won a gift card for eventually guessing that events earlier that we went through every number in the spectrum from about fifty five to seventy before we have actually got the correct fifty nine.
Yep.
Yeah, I remember that one vividly right Week one against Pittsburgh. I think it was. Was it my first field goal to open the season the second year, right, first field goal my second year? Yeah, I hit it really well, game didn't and how how i'd like it to.
That's the one where you lost your long snapper, correct, Harris yep, and poor Mitchell Wilcott tight end gets thrussed in there trying to long snap and actually did. Yeah, but you know that's a hard thing to do when that's not your job.
It is, yeah, because we have guys that we also like obviously prepare for the worst of the situations and so like we have backup holders. Charlie Jones is our backup holder, and once a week he'll get a rep and he's like, if I get into a game, I'm gonna be He's like, I don't care about kickoff, kickoff return, punt return. My sole focus is going to be on holding, and I'm gonna be terrified for my life. He's like, that is the most stressful thing that I've ever.
Done in my life.
Is Tanner Hudson your emergency long snamp?
Yep? Yeah, yeah, Tanner. So they both get a wrap once a week just to make sure that you know, you brush up on it and you're never surprised whenever that kind of comes up.
So is what what is when you when you make a try attempting these long field goals a game winner. You know you're down a point or two points and you have to make this this long, monstrous field goal to win the game. What what goes through your head is it. Is it the mental part of the techniques fundamentals that you've worked throughout the entire week, your legs swing, all the mechanics and all that, or is it like all right, deep breath, calm down, let me just get
myself composed. What do you what do you think about? More?
I just try to kind of keep myself calm and keep myself from having negative thoughts as you've probably experience, Like the mind is is your biggest enemy. Yeah, and for whatever reason, in those big spots, like your mind just wants to flip to like, oh, well, what happens if I don't make this? Like and you just kind
of have that run through your head. So for me recently, it's just running through my head the scenario of what happens when I make it and seeing that ball go through the uprights before I even step out on the field, and I'm just telling myself, you know, you got this, You've done it in a million times, to just go out there and do it one more. And just the whole visualization of just seeing that ball go through the uprights in my head and then just kind of reacting to that right to what I see.
So in your rookie year when you made five lockoff game winners for very first NFL game, you made one Amsy Championship game, you made one. We'll hear that later on the show. Were you like too young and naive at that point to even have any negative thoughts?
I guess so, because I go back and think about that year. I definitely struggled mentally there for a little bit, like middle of the season, and then for whatever reason, I came out of it on the other side and later in the season, and it's kind of expresses like you just kind of blacked out and don't remember much and don't remember what I was thinking in those moments. I was just kind of going out there and reacting and just kind of letting letting loose and just swinging, swinging away.
You know, people, I think a lot of times don't give kickers the credit for the athlete that they are, because in Bengals history, the kickers, I mean, I had a teammate, Jim Breach, unbelievable athlete. Jim Breach was like All City, All State in football, basketball, and baseball. You know, I mean, point guard in basketball, shortstop baseball, hell of a golfer. He has the hell out of the golf ball. He's amazing and a lot of Doug Pelfy in the
same way. Pelsa hell of an athlete. And how about you, what's sports would you excel at besides just kicking the football?
I mean, I grew up playing I feel like all the sports I stopped, soccer was my main sport. I stopped playing baseball when I was twelve, and then basketball in eighth grade, but I stuck with soccer for the most part, and we won a state championship my freshman year of high school. So that's kind of my My big success in high school is the state championship in soccer and then one I feel like state titles, like in travel soccer. Uh, it was like Division two, so
it was like redbind Division one. We went to Division one for like one year and it was just a whole different level. Yeah, so, but we wanted a few state titles in Division two soccer and travel years from like seven to i'd say thirteen to fourteen. Yeah, but yeah, so soccer. I was pretty good at golf. I'm getting better at every year, you know, trying to do yeah, trying to get better.
Yeah, so am I it's only been fifty years trying.
Let me ask you out watching you, uh, in practice on the on the foot, on the field in warm ups before games, you'll have like a bottle or a can of some sort of beverage or whatever. Yeah, that that your your leg swing is like right in front of it by like the centimeters, you know, half an inch or an inch. Yeah, what what are you doing there? You're just trying to groove your swing or your leg.
Yeah. You know a lot of people picked out uh kind of that drill that I'm doing. And it's a simple one that I started, like back whenever I was going through the draft process. So with my plant foot, my left foot, I'll get into a situation where it can get a little too close to the ball and I'm a little pigeon toed, so to be kind of pointing right and then it'll make me like swing around it and go get around the ball and pull it.
And it's just super inconsistent. And so I kind of hurt my ankle a little bit back in May, and then it was forcing me to protect it kind of be a little more pigeon toed. And so throughout the summer and the more my ankle got stronger and felt better about it. I started using this ball. I remember what the drills that I did through the draft process and what helped my plant foot kind of stay straight down the field and wide enough away from the ball
so I can have consistent ball contact. And so that's what it is. It's just kind of like a drill that I'll use to kind of get my plant foot in the right spot. And so whenever I'm out in the field, it's kind of the same thing. Like I don't really think about it with all that training that I'm doing. My body just kind of reacts and.
Does it all right, We need to take a time out. Evan McPherson is our special guest. He'll be here until five thirty today. We're live at the On the Rhine Eatery, the food hall above the downtown Kroger at Court and Walnut. At ESPN fifteen thirty, we are back on the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Bear Chicken. We're live at the On the Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati.
Now.
Normally our special guests signed during the commercial breaks, but we are extending that a little bit right now because money Mack Evin McPherson is signing a leg, not an actual leg like a leg lamp. It is a mannequin's leg with a light bulb attachment on the top and a white kicking shoe. Is that the first one of those you've signed?
I don't know if it's to your surprise, but it's it's not about that. Yeah, I probably, I don't know, maybe around ten ten. A lot of people have those.
That is hysterical.
It is funny because the first one I saw is like somebody's like, do you know what this is? You know it's from?
Is it Chrischristmas Story? Christmas Story?
Yeah?
So I had a lamp before, but I.
Don't think I really watched the movie, so I understood what it was and I think it's great.
Yeah, that is That is definitely the best autograph item we have seen on this show so far. Here, what is the most unusual thing you've signed? Have you signed like baby's heads or anything?
Or I mean I've signed a few babies like clothes signed while they were wearing it's a Yeah, it was kind of strange, and I feel like if you guys have done this as well, like there's somebody at training camp that's a prosthetic leg that they will take.
Off okay and give it to you to sign.
And then I know there's one lady that has like a little orange car car. Yeah, everybody signs, so it's pretty strange. But yeah, I say, a prosthetic leg is probably the strangest thing that I've signed.
Strangest thing I've signed. Yeah, where it's panties. Well it was at a show.
Hopefully they were not No, no, she didn't take.
Them off for anything. Sign. Yeah, they didn't go through the washers, dryer. But another parent it's like these they're very nice. I'm so glad.
I asked, all right, we need to take another quick time out more with money Mack Kevin McPherson in Just a Moment here at ESPN in fifteen thirty, Dan Orden, Dave Lap I'm back at the on the Ryan Eatery here at downtown Cincinnati. It's the Bengals pep Rawley Show presented by just Paar Chicken. Our engineer is Mike Mills. Drew Wester. Heidi is back in the studio. Nicky Growl
is helping us out with the autographs. Today we appreciate everybody involved with this show, and we obviously appreciate our special guest Evin McPherson with us for the final hour. Today, Let's hear from Special Teams coordinator Darren Simmons on Money Mack.
I've learned to not worry a lot about things with him that he'll.
Get it figured out.
He's very, very very strong mentally. He's really really mature and understands a great deal about being a kicker and what it means to be an effective kicker in crunch time. So I never ever worry about him in critical spots. He thrives in situations like that because he's so competitive.
I agree, we never worry about you and those critical spots almost every time you were able to deliver. Here's my question for you. Darren Simmons was a college punter, so he's got some experience kind of in the kicking world. But who taught you? Were you self taught largely? Did you have a kicking guru from an early age? How did you learn to do this?
I feel like early on it was a lot of self taught YouTube Definitely. My older brother was the one that tried it out first, and so whenever he tried out for the football team and made it and started kicking as me and my younger brother were just in the front yard just kicking footballs. Didn't really know how we knew how to kick a soccer ball, so we just kind of implemented that and watched a lot of YouTube videos to start, and then we started going to
bi weekly. This guy like an hour and a half away, his name is Mike McCabe. One on one kicking. That's where we started, Uh, just kind of like one on one training and then with the camp series and trying to get exposure and rankings, like we would go to Cole's Kicking and that's kind of who I stick to now. Jamie Cole is the head of that and he's just fantastic human being, a great person personally for me to just kind of reach out to and talk to every
now and then. And we get together once a year, uh probably about twenty of us like kickers, punters, long snappers, and Gatlinburg once a year and we just kind of get together kick.
College people.
Yeah, so they have like a huge weekend NFL will be I think it's Wednesday Thursday. NFL guys will come and kick and then call it or now Tuesday, Wednesday will be NFL Thursday, Friday's College and then Saturday Sunday is there big high school camp. And so they just make a big week out of it in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. And so you have your slots, but it's always fun just together like with other NFL guys, with Jamie and
his staff, they've they've got a great staff. They don't they care about you as a player, but more important, they care about you as a person. And that's kind of why I graduate kind of favored them more than the others, is just because the way they had treated me off the field, and they were They've always been great to me, great to my family, and I will forever be in debt for for the work that they put in to get me recruited and get me looked at.
So Kickers are great athletes. You know, we talked about it a little bit. Preach. Preach was unbelievable athlete in high school, All state, All City, all state basketball player, football player, baseball player.
Yeah.
I'm not sure if you played soccer or not, but I mean he played as many sports as you could play. Were you of that same mindset? Did you probably everything when you were younger.
Yeah, definitely tried everything whenever I was younger, but in high school, mainly for me, it was just soccer, football, you know. It didn't really golf as much as I do now. You man, I've got a core group of friends. It's probably make up of a like five to seven guys that will come up to one one game of year.
And I started playing soccer with them whenever I was like seven, and we played all the way through throughout high school with and so you know, I still talk to them on a daily basis, and they're some of my biggest fans, and so I love just keeping that relate those relationships, those those are big for me and just being back from home. It's always good to see him whever they get to come up.
That's awesome.
Who are your closest buddies in the kicking fraternity?
Closest buddies in the kids like that? That's a good one.
Yeah.
So my best friend I met him. It was eighth grade. I think it was eighth grade camp. One of the first I met him, name is Jake Kmarta. He's a punter from Norcross, Georgia, and I got injured at this camp, and I was pretty upset that I didn't perform the way I wanted to. And he was the only guy that came up to me after the camp when I was visibly upset and asked me how I was doing. And from that point on, we just kind of started following each other on Instagram. And he had a girlfriend
at the time, I had my wife. We were dating at the time, and we would just take turns kind of visiting each other, double dating at top golf and going out to dinner together. And that's just kind of blossomed into where I mean, I facetimed him today, so we talked daily. You could ask both of our wives if they're annoyed by it, So I would say he's my closest friend. He was with the Bucks for two and a half years and then short stint with the Bills, and now he's he's on the streets right now but
looking to get another opportunity. But other kickers, I mean Cam Little, that's a record holder, Yeah, new record holder. So you know, if if the record would account, it wouldn't stood.
For long, that's right. So just to explain for people wondering what I'm talking about you attempted a sixty seven yarder against Green Bay. First try was good, the coach called the time out. Yep, second try was a little bit short. That would have been the NFL record. But then a couple of weeks later, your friend cam Little made a sixty eight yarder for Jacksonville and that's now the new NFL record. It is.
So we'll see if he gets broken, but yeah, him, they're punter. Logan Cook. He was at Missippi State whenever I was getting recruited there, so I built a relationship with him, and I mean from there, I feel like a lot of the guys in the NFL were good friends with Obviously Eddie Pinero, he was at Florida right before I got there. Thomas Morestead at San Francisco. He's always at the Coles camps in Gallinburg. He's a great mentor. He got Austin McNamara in with the Jets.
He was here a brief teammate.
Yep.
He's really good dude. And I'm sure I could name play somebody from each team. I feel like I have a pretty good relationship with all.
Right, we're gonna take a time out when we come back we'll turn the clock back to perhaps the most important kick in Cincinnati Bengals history. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Fair Chicken. We're live at the on the Rhyin Eatery here on ESPN fifteen thirty, final half hour The Bengals pep Rally Show presented by Just Faired Chicken. We are live at the on the Rhine Eatery. It is our Friday afternoon home for this show. It's been great this year. If you haven't been down
to join us, what are you waiting for? We're here every Friday, usually three to six. This week two thirty to five thirty. Next week again it'll be two thirty to five thirty. Great food options here. There's a bar, there's a ton of seating. It's all free unless you just to get something to eat or drink. Bengals players join us every week. They're kind enough to sign autographs and take pictures. Just has Moneymack has been doing today
our friend Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. Prior to the commercial break, I promised we would listen in to perhaps the most significant kick in Cincinnati Bengals history. So let's turn the clock back. It is the AFC Championship game against Kansas City in the twenty twenty one season. After falling behind twenty one to three, the Bengals come roaring back and the game in overtime came down to this. Four years ago, he was a senior in high school in tiny Fort Payne, Alabama.
Now the Bengals Super Bowl chances rest on his right foot. The kick is up, yeh ye.
Good coffin nows bam, bam bam.
That is unba believable. The Cincinnati Bengals come from behind on the road. Unbelievable.
Dan, It is no fluke, it is a fact.
The Cincinnati Bengals are headed to Super Bowl fifty six.
Gives me chills. Yeah, thinking back to that moment. Yeah yeah, hair is raising on my arm. Thank you for that memory.
We appreciate shit. You know what it fit really well right there is it wasn't an upset.
You like that line so earlier this year, you see, had a big victory when they were an underdog, and I said, it's not an upset, it's an uprising. And he found me like two days later. That was a great line. So thank you, Thank you for listening. Appreciate it, of course.
But yeah, that one that day special. I definitely remember it for the rest of my life. My parents are there, my family was there. I feel like just the only person I wish would have been there was my wife. We were dating at the time, and she was unable to make it. She was still in college.
But she go to the Super Bowl.
She did Okay, Yeah, at the Super Bowl is where she decided that she was going to graduate early and we were going to get married. So well, we were engaged. I shall say that we moved our wedding date up because she decided to leave so early.
So and you were both able to watch the halftime show.
We both were goe. I reminded Darren of that. Not a couple of days ago. I think there was like a Doctor Dre's song on and I was like, I got to see him in concert. He was like, oh, yeah, when was that.
So you're coming off your bye week and basically during this time period you lost one of your closest friends off the roster. You haven't lost him as a friend, but you and Logan Wilson were tight, Your wives were tight, Your daughters were born at basically the same time.
Was that tough for you, Yeah, you know, it's tough to seeing a good friend like Logan go. But I feel like, like I've said, I feel like we're still gonna stay in touch obviously, because I feel like of how close our friendship is. You know, it sucks that I'm not gonna get to see him day to day, but you know, I can always keep in touch with him. I know our wives will more than likely text every single day just to keep up and see how each other are doing. But I feel like I'm more sad
for our daughters. They really did enjoy spending time together, and Morgan and Cambry, their daughter, actually spent the night with us last week before they flew out because their home was gutted into they needed a bed to sleep in one last night, and so we had them over and the girls got to play together and fight for a few hours, and they fight like sisters and they're hilarious together.
Refresh my memory. Were your wives like an adjacent hospital rooms or something like that.
Yeah, the thing was me and my wife got there March fourteenth, and we had our daughter at like four point thirty seven on the fifteenth am and then Logan and his wife came in that afternoon and had their daughter and so on the recovery floor we shared a wall. That's crazy and that was kind of wild. And then they came in a few days I think the next day and introduced everybody. Everybody got to see each other and it was a fun experience.
Yeah, you're gonna have fun when you guys have your reunions. And yeah, ten or fifteen years down the road, it's like, oh, yeah, gee, what's so Oh he got into uh investment world and he's a multi gazillionaire now. And you know, I think that this football team has a bunch of guys that are really smart, you know, I mean, yeah, very smart raw football raw IQ and then football IQ as well. It's gonna be really interesting with some of these guys do down the road.
Yeah, you know, that's always the fun thing is like what to do after football? Right, everybody's got their their thing that they're interested in. And we've got a few different ones that you wouldn't even think about, like with Marco Wilson in his fashion he's got his own clothing brand, and yeah, long snapper Will Wagner, he majored in he's a it's an engineering guy, isn't Yeah, what is it mechanical? I don't know if he's a mechanical engineer, but yeah,
he got his engineering degree. And if you maybe, if you talk to him, wouldn't even believe it. I get a hard time, but yeah, you know, we got a lot of unique guys on this team, a lot of good guys, and we all have our little special skills, right right.
So the big news of this week was Joe Burrow's return to practice on a limited basis on Monday. We heard earlier on this show that Jamar Chase and t Higgins, two of his closest buddies, didn't even know he was kind of back. What about you?
Uh, you know, you can't can't reveal too many, too many sources, But I mean I had an idea of what he was looking at to kind of get back to. But I can tell you if you didn't ask, you were not gonna know, because you know, Joe's not the guy that's going to tell you face to face like what he's thinking about. But fiig, you're gonna have to go out and ask. And so I had an idea of whenever he wanted to return. But I can definitely see where some guys are like, oh.
What's your practice today.
But it's impressive to see his rehab and how hard he's going at it and how much effort he's putting into it. You can really tell that he didn't want to let it be a season ending injury after a couple of years ago.
Yeah, that's that's the thing with this everybody as a group on this football team, we talked about the makeup of the character of the football team, not only the intellectual abilities of a lot of the player, but the you know, the football toughness, the mentality, gonna go get get it, gonna get after it, not gonna miss. They're saying I'm gonna miss. The three minds say I'm gonna
be back in a month and a half, two months. Yeah, And Joe Borrow kind of leads the charge there, you know, I mean, he he knows that guys are looking at him, looking up to him, and the bottom line is he wants to play. I mean, then this is this is what he's a football player and he uh yeah, he's at his happiest and his best when he's not leading the football team.
Right for sure.
Yeah, he's a really tough guy, and I think he's uh shown that over the whatever six years that he's been here, willing to play through injury and put the team kind of first. And he's been really good about being a leader vocally just showing out on the field. And you know, I think a lot of guys would be excited to get him back, and I think a lot of guys are excited to see him back out there just kind of going through all of what he needs to get back on the field.
And in the meantime, Joe Flatto has done an incredible.
Amazing job.
I find it impossible to imagine how he's pulled this off with a limited number of reps he's had with the team, and Bengals have averaged more than thirty two points a game in the four games that he started. Would have been your biggest impressions of your your forty year old quarterback?
Yeah, the guy that could probably be my father, you know, Joseh Yeah, he started you. You know, he's a really cool guy. You can tell, you know that he's been doing it for a long time. It doesn't take a lot, I feel like for him to be prepared for the moment because he's been in that moment for so many years. And you can tell that he's NFL MVP, super Bowl Champion, super Bowl MVP just by the way he carries himself, like throughout the locker room and just keep in his
body in check and keeping it healthy. And there's the way he carries himself is really impressive. And you know, he is a really personable guy and he likes to chat it up and just kind of talk about anything. And that's kind of what's been cool for me is you know, not that I watched a lot in NFL football, but I knew who Joe Flacco was growing up. So it's really cool just to put like a human perspective on Joe Flacco and not just like the football version.
How old were you in twenty twelve?
I was twelve depending on the year thirteen.
So that's when he won the Super Bowl. You're a twelve year old kid when he was leading the Ravens Super Bowl title. Yeah, amazing, yep, Now your teammates.
Exactly he is.
He is a kind of a one of a kind, yeah sort of guy. I mean, I hear you know a lot of players saying how much of an impact he made in such a short period, It's that's tough to do. Yeah, but joined the team, you know, after you know, an x period of time. Everybody's going from together.
Different guys have different friends, different yonds, and for him to be uh, to be part of that as quickly as he has forget the football part of it just to become part of the the the organization, and a lot of it is his character, right, I mean he's a high character guy. That's uh uh Yeah, He's all about success.
He's driven for sure, and I think he's a great locker room guy. And I feel like coming into this organization and this team, I feel like he probably had to feel pretty good with with five and one r out there running outs for him, no doubt, he's probably all I gotta do is back and just throw it up and they're gonna come down with it.
Yeah, definitely works.
So but no, he's been a great addition, uh, great guy to having the locker room, great guy to have on the field obviously, and I feel like he's going to continue to lead this team, uh where we need to go.
All right, We're going to take our final time out when we come back we will play America's favorite game show, Know Your School. Five questions about the University of Florida for former Gator Evan McPherson. This is the Bengals pep Rally Show Live from the on the Rhine Eatery on ESPN fifteen thirty. Final segment of the Bengals pep Rally Show, presented by Just Fair Chicken, Live from the on the
Rhine Eatery here in downtown Cincinnati. We are getting ready for the Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers coming up on Sunday at one o'clock at Akroshuer Stadium. Our special guest today and we really appreciate him joining us. He does it every year, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. We've reached the final segment of the show, and that means it is time for America's favorite game show. We call it No Your School. Oh yeah, we've done this with you before, so I
hope I came up with different questions. We've got five questions about the University of Florida for a former Gator, Money Matt, Are you ready need to get at least three rights?
All right?
To be declared a winner? Let's start easy. Florida has had three Heisman Trophy winners, the most recent in two thousand and seven, named the Gator lefty who won the Heisman that year.
That's tough, Tim Tebow.
Tim Tebow is correct?
Can I name the other two?
Sure? Go ahead?
I mean Steve Spurrier, correct, Steve Superior, Danny Warfore, you.
Are right here we go now he's showing off. Bus questions are gonna have to be harder next time. And by the way, I heard audience participation. No, I frown at audience participation. Question number two.
I can't hear who da is here?
So this is a good question. Florida has two alligator mascow Albert and alberta.
Ooohh boy, how about that boom?
How about that boom?
He's two for two. The most famous building on campus, Oh I think we is one hundred and fifty seven feet tall and features sixty one bells. What is the name?
This was a question last time and I didn't know it, and I still don't know it.
I don't remember it. It's going to keep being the question until you get this right. Century Tower, Centry Tower, Cree Tower. Two questions left you need to get at least win, right, all right, to be a winner. You're Alma Mater won the NCAA basketball championship last year. Okay, four players averaged ten or more points scoring. Boy, can you name one?
I know one was like number one.
I think.
That was probably Walter Clayton. It was really good. Elijah Martin, not gonna Will Richard and Alex Condon.
I didn't watch one game.
Oh.
I watched the National championship game, and then I threw up a post like I watched every game. After they won, they.
Tried to claim was the biggest by that I've done worse. All Right, It all comes down to this question. Dave Lapham is going to know the answer to this question. We'll see if you do name the former Gator played with Dave Lapham in Super Bowl sixteen who can now be heard every week on Sunday Night football.
You know, he's a neighbor of mine, so I didn't know. No, he's not. He's not actually my neighbor. We just live in the same like city because his wife drug him there Thomas. Yep, she's born and raised Fort Thomas. And she said, we're not leaving. And the answer is Chris Collins.
Chris Collin correct number.
Eight, Chris, his wife and few kids. They were at the we go to Tower Park a lot and him and his grandkids were there one day when we were and it was cool to see him, you know, just being a granddad and a father, and he was running around going down slides, swinging. Uh So it's just fun to see him out about like that. Yeah, he's a great dude.
Do you remember a linebacker that played at Florida by the name of Glenn Cameron. Do you remember that name? He was a first round pick of the Bengals back in the late seventies. We were good friends and his wife Liz and my wife Limb good buddies. And we started a T shirt company called Pro t Shirts that was around for a little bit.
Your a T shirt guy, left shirt man.
We had this one. It was like the excellon Tiger and it was yipe stripes we put on there and then every player signed it. And it was like, right after the Super Bowl sixteen.
Do you make some bank?
Got the kids from school?
You know.
The table. I didn't realize you were the entrepreneur of this group. Suppressed my man cranking out T shirts back in the day. All right, You're heading to Pittsburgh Sunday one o'clock game against the Steelers. Yep, that's notoriously a tough place to kick, between the wind and the field. Pitt plays Notre Dame there tomorrow, so the field's going to get chewed up, of course. Is it the toughest place to kick?
Toughest, Uh, it's up there, up there, up there. I've always struggled in Cleveland for whatever reason. Uh, you know, put a complete game together this past year, which felt good. So we'll put the struggles behind us in Cleveland. And I feel like, for the most part, I've always had pretty good games in Pittsburgh. The wind hasn't ever been really too crazy there. I remember my rookie year, I got a little breezy and the field was kind of
chewed up. But the other two times we played at nine, we're kind of midday, and I think they resided like right before we came. So grass was great when wasn't too bad as it has been freezing when I've played there. But you know, I've put it. I've put together a few good games in Pittsburgh, so I've always enjoyed it. It's a fun stadium, fun environment to play in. Crowd really gets into it and the towels waving and whatnot. They got good traditions there, So I always enjoy going to UH.
To Pittsburgh Renegade at some point in the second half get the defense.
Yeah, I mean, I always love a good tradition and just getting to watch other teams kind of traditions and like the Vikings had a really cool like intro video that I get to watch, and like Pittsburgh with the the Renegade. It's you know, I'm just big on like traditions, and I won't not enjoy somebody's traditions just because I'm playing against them. You know, I'm gonna sit there, I'm gonna be like, oh, it's cool, let's just go beat them and send everybody home upset.
Now, see, you're more mature than I am. Because I can't like anything about the Pittsburgh Steelers, I can't blame you. I always refer to them as the dreaded, hated, but grudgingly respected Pittsburgh Steeling. So like the fact that you can enjoy their traditions even as you try to beat them.
Yeah, you know, it's really cool something.
If a kicker is struggling in the league, do the is it a big fraternity to the other kickers kind of everybody take somebody to reach out to them and say, hey, look we're thinking about you. We noticed it. You might be doing this, or you might want to try this. You guys do any of that.
You know?
Not really?
Yeah.
I feel like if anybody is struggling or anybody has any questions, they'll reach out.
Yeah.
But I will say, if I have a really close friend that I'm like in speaking terms with like regularly, yeah, I'll reach out to him, see how he's feeling, what what he's thinking about, and kind of what's going through his head. So I feel like in certain instances, yeah, that would be the case.
All Right, we are just about out of time. A few thank yous are in order. Thank you to our engineer, Mike Mills pipe man came down early and set everything up even though he didn't know the show started two thirty today, so we appreciate how early Mike comes. Thanks to Drew Wester Heidi back in the studio. Thanks to Nicky Growl who helped us out with the autographs today. Thank you to the manager here Nick. Thanks to George,
you're bringing us food. Most of all, thank you to our special guest, Evan mcphersource and thank you to the Bengals fans who came out to be part of the show. If you bear listening too, the Bengals pep Rally Show on ESPN fifteen thirty.
This was Bengals pep Rally presented by Just Baird Chicken on the Bengals Radio Network. Pay Corps. Pay Corp is proud to be the official HR software provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. Ulti Viber Alta Viber the official wife Fi and Internet provider of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals,