Hi, get everybody on Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast the because the ninth addition has the Bengals return to prime time for the second straight week, looking to knock off the six and three Chargers on Sunday Night Football coming up, Mike Turrico will be in the Booth for NBC and tells us how he views the importance of this game for Cincinnati. I'll talk to cornerbacks coach Chuck Burks about the loss of Dax Hill, the play of Cam Taylor Britt and the challenge of
facing Justin Herbert. And we'll get an in depth look at the Chargers from Daniel Popper, who covers the team for the Athletic. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official health care
provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Jay Morrison getting the picture. On Sunday Night, Zach Taylor will coach against Jim Harbaugh for the first time, but it's not the first time they've met. Their initial meeting happened many, many years ago.
I went to my first ever NFL game, I think was ninety two Bear Steelers, and I got to go to a Saturday walkthrough and I have a picture with Jim Harbo, me Press Taylor and Jim Harbo ninety two ninety three. I'm not sure which year it was. It was a Steelers at Bear's Bubby Brister versus Jim Harbo, so I'm sure I think they retired Mike Singletary's jersey at the game. I think very shaky memory as a nine year old, ten year old freezing. I remember just
being why are we here? I think was a question I posted a bit so Jim wouldn't know that, But but again that's that was the first ever NFL practice and game I ever went to. It had to have been a Saturday walk through because I remember the fridge driving around a golf cart throwing snowballs at people, and we got a picture with Mike Didka and Jim Harball. The two people got pictures with picture. You have it, I don't know where it is. Yeah, uh, all right,
I'll continue the story. When I was in Miami, the picture showed up at my house autographed when I was with the Dolphins, and I remember calling my mom saying, why do I have an autographed Jim Harbaugh picture? Which I don't know if he actually autographed it or not. It might have been somebody at the forty nine ers.
My grandfather thought that Jim Harbaugh needed to know that the two kids in the picture are now NFL coaches, and so he kept sending it to the forty nine ers and was getting no response, and I'm sure a secretary somebody eventually just signed it and sent it back. And so he shows up on my doorstep in Miami, and I remember call my mom like what are we doing?
And she explained the whole situation, which I understoo. My grandfather's very proud and felt like, you know, Jim Harball needed to know, like he hadn't taken a million other pictures with other kids before so the picture exists. I don't know where it is. Is probably my parents' house.
Norman like that Sunday, You'll go, that's really cool. You're probably right. Would you like to see the picture? Of course you would like to see the picture. Our pal, Jay Morrison, contacted Zach's mom to get the pick and some additional details about the meeting. Just search for Jay Morrison Sports Illustrated, then scroll down to the story about Zach meeting Jim Harbaugh for the first time in thirty
two years. It is outstanding. Now time to look ahead to Sunday Night with Chris Collinsworth's broadcast partner on NBC. For the fourth time this year, the Bengals are in primetime. It's the second time they are on the most watched show on television, Sunday Night Football, And that means my buddy Mike Tarico be in the booth for NBC. Mike, the Bengals are a game out of the final playoff
spot in the AFC. How do you plan to frame the importance of this game for Cincinnati when you sign out on Sunday Night.
It's not a must, but it is right.
It's not a must because there's no mathematical elimination, any of that stuff. The back half of the AFC is not who we thought they were, to quote Denny Green, but the Bengals have let them off the hook.
A couple of times here To continue that thought.
They had great chances to win a few of these games, and now they're out of chances pretty much. And Dan, I think it's one of those games that all of a sudden, if you get the Chargers to six and four and then you're sitting at five and six. Let's forget the imbalance of the number of games, but now you're looking at the lost column. Go okay, now we're two within two of these guys and have a head
to head against them. It just shortens the deck a little bit so mathematically in the big scope of the AC playoff picture, which I guess we'm starting to see on TV now, right, that's how you know it's getting cold.
If you live in the Northeast, they are living the North.
Rather, the golf courses start to put temporary greens out and play less plentiful, and the playoff picture shows up on TV. You're in that mix. If you get a win in the AFC against one of those other teams in the mix. So I think it's not a must win, but it is for the Bengals.
They could easily have two wins over Baltimore. They could easily have a win over Kansas City. How would you describe the Bengals season to date?
They're good enough, but they've been disappointing. I mean, the difference is I'd probably say good teams play five or six games in that neighborhood, and the really good ones go five and one, and the okay teams go three, three, two and four. But the teams that aren't good don't win these games. And that's where the Bengals record is right now. And look, Tony one's playing better, I got that, But that one feels like there's one you'll never get back.
Right.
Sometimes you lose a game, you say, okay, you know what, things will leaven out during the year. That one feels like we're not going to get that game back. There's no makeup for that loss during the season, and now it's it's requiring other people on the team to match the remarkable that have come from the quarterback of the receiver. Burrow and Chase have been truly remarkable. Highlight moments, big
plays gotta have it. Everybody in the ballpark knows it's going to him, and he he still ends up opening catching the ball. There have to be other guys, not that everybody's been poor, but other guys have to come up to that level for this team to go on a run that they kind of need. At this point, you're looking at you know, a five and two, a six and one. You need everybody else to be great along with them. I think that's the key to this team right now.
Mike, you've been doing NFL games on primetime for about twenty years. Have you seen a better combo than Burrow to Chase.
It's a great question.
You know, the year of Brady and Moss was ridiculous and the records show it. There are you know, there have been guys along the way at years like this, I mean Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson at a couple of months like this. But this is right up there and it's sustained and it's I think Dan. What maybe puts it in a unique place in space is they're both making spectacular plays. The hits that Burrow is taking, the ability to stand in the pocket and deliver on
past forty eight and fifty two. We've been beaten up all night. That jumps out to you and Chase on the business and there there is almost nobody. You start going through how good the receiver group is right now in the NFL. I don't think I'd rather a ball be thrown to anybody but Jamar Chase right now. And that's in the Justin Jefferson comversation. We just had him
a few weeks ago. I watched all his catches. I watched all the Chase catches from the year earlier today, and you just go, Okay, speed, yes, strong hands, hands, catch, catch on the run, work his way open, physical contact, double teams. It's like every box possible for well the receiver catch against these circumstances, He's checking every single one. And I said it about Joe like his toughness is off the chart, off the charts.
He's been so good.
So I think it's a long way of saying probably not, but that Brady Maushiere was pretty special. So I don't want to dismiss being a prisoner of the moment right now.
You and Chris had the Bengals Giants back in Week six, Cincinnati held New York to seven points in that win. It's their best defensive performance of the year. The Giants offense obviously has something to do with that. But did you see anything that night that makes you think, all right, if the Bengals can do this a little bit better defensively, they've got a chance in the less seven that night.
Yes, not as much last week.
Cover like the first half last week, they had Lamar Jackson.
And the Ravens kind of flummixed a little bit.
They had them gasping and grasping for straws, and then all of a sudden, it was like every every pass was accessible and open. They need better corner play, they just do. And I know louis shuffling the deck as much as possible. No, look, the linebackers to take them with everybody with Trey has done up front with eleven sacks. Now that's you can't get better that, especially when there's not an opposite number who's piling up five or six. So Trey is doing it with all the attention on him.
So edge rush is there can need some help. That interior push isn't the same as it was. That would help, But the corner places got to be better down the stretch here. And the Chargers are an interesting team because Herbert contest Herbert and Burrow. If the game gets bad, I think we're just stopping at halftime and just let those guys just show off their arms, because it's two of the greatest throwing shows you'll see in the NFL.
And there's a ball Herbert threw in a game last year that I still can't believe he completed against Miami. And we've seen Joe do it like I was talking about before, But the Chargers are playing harball. It's just like kind of rough and tumbling. Here comes a defensive line and we've turned into a full back and we're gonna make him into the same kind of piece that Patrick Ricard is in Baltimore. Jim Harbaugh has a way of kind of making a physical, tough team come together.
And that was never ever what you said about the Chargers. But in nine games you do because of harball. But this is to your question, your point, like, if Herbert needs to throw, he can throw. And Quentin Johnston has been good, Joshua Palmer was good with injuries a few years ago. He's good, and Lad McConkie has done a
very nice job as coming in. So if they need to sit back and throw, they've got the people to do it, and the quarterbacks got the arm to do it, Which means the Bengals corners might not be tested as much as they will against other people, but they better be ready because this can morph into an explosive offense if they so choose.
The Chargers are giving up thirteen points a game. Nobody scored twenty on them yet now they haven't faced the top ten scoring offense to this point of the season. Is that the big story Burrow Chase hopefully Higgins versus that great Chargers d.
It is in large part, and I think one of the big stories with that is the edge pressure that the Chargers bring. We'll talk about Cincinnati needing other people that come along here.
You know the Chargers.
You think of, Oh, it's Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack And we've seen those guys are a lot of years. They're both very good and we know what they can do over the years. But all of a sudden, Twoy two Polo two who played for them last year. He's been an effective pass are and Bud Dupree, who most of the people listening and watching this know from the division. He's come in and given them a factor. So when you can roll four guys in there, now you've got something.
And I think that's been the basis for a lot of what they've done. The same defensive coordinator that we saw, Jesse Minter, who the Minter family is very well known to the Cincinnati folk from Rick Stays at EC. Jesse's just a it's a solid defense. It's a solid defense with a piece in Derwin James playing what's become I think dan one of the coolest positions in the NFL's slot corner. They are like seven or I wonder who the best slot corner is in the AFC. I mean,
you guys see Mike Hilton on a regular basis. We saw Kenny Moore with the Colts. We've seen Taron Johnson with the Bills, we saw Houston and Petrie last week. That position has become populated with some really good players, and they've got one in Derwin James, who they finally I think it found the right role for on this team. So that's a guy who's gonna be nosing around to try to take away any easy throws for Joe.
This is a good defense.
But like you said, now you step into the deep end against as dynamic and offense as there is in the league throwing the ball. Can you keep them to thirteen fourteen points? If you do that, then then you probably win a football game.
Final thing for my buddy, Mike Tarico. You've hosted the Olympics, the Masters, the Kentucky Derby. You're gonna get to call the super Bowl following next season. So you've done it all. But this past Sunday night, you were part of the greatest timed sideline report in the history of television for people that might not have been watching. Can you explain what happened?
Oh, it was crazy. Usually the sideline reports. Here's coach X after halftime. Yeah, you know, we went in there. We told them we've got to stop the running. We got establish the run. If we could stop the run and establish the run, I think we can win the game. Thanks very much. Back to you. So Dan Campbell's interview air coming out at halftime, and here's a backstory. Nobody's heard Dan the time before it. Dan Campbell's good TV. Right, you just put a microphone in front of his face.
He's good TV, but with forty five seconds, which is long to squeeze in after a kickoff and before the next play. So we're going back and forth with Rob Highland, our producer, and me like how do we do this? And said, hey, I'll get it to you. I'll get it to it as quick as possible. Let it lead into the first play. He's like, yeah, let's do it.
That's fun. Good idea. So he was driving that bus and then of course Dan Campbell's answers.
We got to come up with some turnovers and five seconds later, boom, there's a turnover. Actually, if I wasn't fast so fast getting to the interview, it would have timed up right to the second, but it was. It was pretty funny, and then kind of set the tone for the whole half. And it's interesting.
Every once in a while, I think they have value because I like to.
Hear the voice that the guy we're showing for three hours and more and more coaches say things Brian Dable after the first quarter a couple of weeks ago, at least gave him some sub since on what's bothering him and what's the key? Right?
So I think they're better than other people do. But that one was the al.
Timer, and that's one that will gladly be a part of forever.
The game was an all timer, two five picks for the team that won. Maybe we'll see something similarly crazy this Sunday night. Looking forward to seeing you, my friend. Thanks so much for your time.
Wait a minute, Wait a minute, wait a minute, before you keep going.
You knew I was going to get you on this.
Cincinnati, your voice of the Bengals and voice of the Bearcats, Dan Hordes, being honored by our album out of Syracuse with the Marty Glickman Award. Marty Glickman was the early great broadcasters of all time. Look them up. He's a great story. Marty's legacy means a lot to the people in Syracuse. And Dan is being honored for his contributions to this industry with that award, and I just want to say congratulations.
No one deserves it more.
You know what you mean to me in my career, and we are so thrilled that you are joining our club with this award. Sinceres, congratulations, Cincinnati, you have an all time gym on your hands, the last on a quarter century and I hope you just appreciate him as much as we do, so congrats, Budge.
I got to know Mike when I was a junior and he was a freshman at Syracuse, and here's what you need to know about him. Despite truly being one of the best sportscasters in the history of TV and radio, Mike is that guy that never forgets his friends. When he comes to town, He'll reach out to grab breakfast if something significant happens for one of our college buddies. He is the guy that makes sure that everybody else
knows about it. I am blessed to have wonderful friends, and Mike Tariko truly is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met. Now let's get to my second guest. In my conversation with Mike, he mentioned the need for better cornerback play in order for the Bengals defense to take a big step forward in the final seven games of the season. I discussed that position group this week with cornerbacks coach Chuck Burt. Chuck, let's start with the guy that unfortunately you lost back
in Week five to a torn acl Dax Hill. How was he playing when he went down?
Yeah, I thought Dax was doing a phenomenal job, especially for somebody making a transition. You know, within a year, he was really playing extremely consistent. The game against the Ravens, he was actually starting at corner and starting at nickel because Mike Mike Hillton was gone and he was on his way to have a good game that week. He was, you know, really playing the best out of all the corners to that point of the season.
And that was a tremendous loss.
You know, I told Lou that when we lost Dax, we really lost three starting positions. We lost the corner, we lost the nickel, and we lost you know, a tight end cover guy on third down. So that was a tremendous loss for the defense.
Outside cover corner is one of the most difficult positions to play. It's why the top ones make more than twenty million dollars a year. Did Dak show you that he had the ability to be one of those guys?
And you know, I've never doubted that really since he was drafted. You know, I always believe that that Daks could play outside corner. And you know, when he made that transition, you know, he didn't blink. I didn't blink. I actually felt that we had drafted the first round corner this year, you know, when we made the switch. So I definitely see it from an ability standpoint, But more importantly, Dax has the mental makeup of being able to play that position and critical moment of the game.
And what makes these guys elite.
Me and me and Jase mccordy is actually having this conversation, is what makes elite corners elite is their elite and third down raider and two minute against their best. That's what makes these guys elite. And you have to have the right temperament for it. You have to have a short memory and be able to have a tremendous belief in yourself throughout the game.
And that's what Dax has.
We're visiting with cornerbacks coach Chuck Berks Cam Taylor. Britt is twenty five years old. He's in his third NFL season. He wants to be great. Play this year has been inconsistent.
What stands out to you, you know, it's just that, you know, it's just that it's it's the inconsistency with the with the details and the day to day things that he knows what to do and he just has to do what he knows on a consistent basis. And me and him had a conversation the other day about what makes a pro. A pro is consistency, being able to go out and play at a high level on a consistent basis, not just for one week, not for
two weeks, but throughout the season. Now, they are gonna be games where, you know, those guys on the other side get paid as well. But we just want to make sure, you know, whenever those plays are made, it's not because of us, because they're being great, you know, And that's that's what we're getting to. I don't I don't have a lack of confidence or lack of faith and came to the Bride. I've had him since his rookie year. I know that he wants to be great. I know that it's important to him.
I know this team is important to him.
And he's fighting through it and it's it's growing pains. Know he's still a young development player in our league and it is hard to do.
It's hard to do, but.
The great players do the hard things and if that's what he wants to be, we gotta fight through it.
He had one of the greatest interceptions ever in Week two against Kansas City, has he gambled for interceptions since?
You know, there's.
Definitely been y'all wouldn't say a gamble for a particular play. But it's just honing in on your technique and not necessarily wanting to do everything, wanting to do too much, you know, and just honing in on the things that you know to do. And that's what we're just trying to get back to is just those little things. There's the play is not going to come to you. At times when that play doesn't come to you, your technique
needs to be great. Your eyes need to be great, your pad little needs to be great because eventually the ball's gonna find you. And if you do that consistently, when the ball shows up, you're gonna be in position. But when you know, as you kind of alluded to, but when you're you know, when you're looking to make a play on every play, that's what's gonna lead to inconsistency.
DJ Turner moved back into the starting lineup after Dax's injury. How has he played through ten games?
You know, I've been pleased with Dj.
Obviously, there's always things we want to get better at but you know, there's a there was a few penalities I believe in the Cleveland game and the Giant game that you know, we we want to get our head around and those penalities obviously could have went the other way, but we want to take it out of the ref's hands. But other than that, I thought DJ covered extremely well this last game versus tough cover you.
Know, Zay Flowers.
You know, when you assigned somebody against a Flowers one on one, that's you know, that's that's a tough task.
And he did it.
He finished well, was on third down, and then one of the last plays that we gave up, he was in great position and he was covering them all over the end zone. So I've been pleased with DJ. He's going to continue to get challenged. Both of those guys are going to continue to get challenged. But I'm looking forward to these guys stepping up and you know, really putting us in a better position towards the end of the season.
Mike Helton continues to excel at age thirty. What do you admire and respect about Mike Helton?
I really admire Mike's leadership, his willingness to challenge the people around him, his willingness to h you know, he has a unique path to you know, where he's at today.
And he's been through adversity.
He's played on multiple teams, he's played on you know, obviously playing with the Steelers and you know, making a name for himself there. And he's really been a consistent voice to lean on with the younger guys and just telling these guys and reiterating that, look, the season is long. And you know, he may have played poorly or inconsistent in October a little bit in November, but he's been harping on the guys that, look, we still are in it,
just like anybody else throughout the league. And I've really admired that, and then it really shows up in his play. I think when you watch Mike play and make plays and you know the energy that he brings, you really see a guy who's been through the ring of the NFL. You see a guy who's had to fight for everything that he has and everybody respects that. So UH love having Mike as a player and being able. It's really an honor to be his coach and he's doing he's doing well.
Josh Newton played a season high nineteen snaps against Baltimore. Do you see his role growing?
I do?
I do.
Josh.
Josh is another guy who's he's earned his opportunity, and he's relation to this opportunity.
He's went out, he's covered well.
He covered well versus the Raiders, and he's covered well this past game versus the Ravens, and you know, he's a guy that I want to put him in there a few snaps at outside corner, you know, just to see how he handles that, and really pushed all these guys because you know, at the end of the day, everybody is always competing with themselves, and whoever's getting better
and whoever's getting hot, they're gonna play. So I wouldn't say that Josh is far off because he's getting better each each and every day and we're gonna have to depend on him to get to where we're going.
A couple more questions for cornerbacks Coach Chuck Burkes, you face the Chargers this week justin Herbert has as much arm talent does any quarterback in the NFL. What's the big challenge for your group as a result.
The big challenge for us is simply everybody's open with a guy like Justin Herbert, no matter where he's at on the field, he can get the ball there. He has tremendous arm talent, he has tremendous confidence in his arm talent, and he's gonna make the tough throws. So we have to definitely be on top of the positioning that we are in relation to the receivers. We have to you know, be in great position on our zones.
And one thing that I think that he's doing, you know, better this year is he's taking care of the football. And that's a really kudo to you know, Harball, Greg Roman. That they're protecting him with the run game, you know, putting the receivers and advantation's positions with high percentage throws, knowing that this guy can make any throw in the field.
But they're.
Really making the game more efficient for him, which you know, I know he is excited about, but he's he's talented.
Is any quarterback in the NFL.
You're four and six with seven to go. You could easily have two wins over Baltimore. You probably should have had a win at Kansas City. Have you ever been in a season like this where at least to this point, it seems like all of those close games are just slipping through your fingers.
I wouldn't quite say this kind of season where you know you're in these games and it's like one play away, you know you can ease a lady if you know one player here or one player here, that our season will be a lot differently but different. But I really
believe that you know, everything happens for a reason. I think that you know that all of these guys are learning lessons from this, and I think at the end of the day, it comes down to us winning as a team, winning on offense, defense and the kicking game and playing, you know, playing off of each other. And when one side of the ball creates momentum, the other side of the ball needs to continue to maintain that momentum. And I think ultimately the Ravens did that last week.
You know, the Ravens created their momentum and they carried the momentum through the fourth quarter and they finished. And that's we can learn a lesson as a team through that, because this is a game of momentum. This game versus the Chargers, at the end of the day will come down to the fourth quarter and what we do in the fourth quarter as a team will dictate the outcome of the game.
I always appreciate your time. Best of luck this week, all.
Right, thank you.
The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber, future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business, and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you've listened to our radio postgame shows over the years, you know that after a Bengals win, you can usually hear loud
music pumping in the background. Well, last week, after the Chargers beat the Titans, when reporters walked into the locker room, the song they heard playing was Gordon Lightfoot's nineteen seventy six folk song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It tells the tragic story of a shipwreck that took the lives of all twenty nine people on board. You know the song The Legend Lives On from the Chippewa on
down of the Big Lake. Nicole get Chigumi. It's one of the most unlikely hit songs of all time, and coach Harbaugh has frequently used it over the years to motivate his teams, the message being that they're going to have to try to make it through choppy waters at various times during the year. Well, he used it with the Chargers last week, and whatever he's doing seems to be working. LA is six and three after winning a
total of five games last year. Daniel Popper covers the team for the Athletic and he joined Dave Lapham and me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show. Let's start with the appius head. Oh, Jim Harbaugh. What are some of the biggest things that he's done to turn this Chargers team around?
Yeah. I think it starts with sort of the buzzword that everybody uses, which is culture. I think what he's done is really created a level of togetherness, a unity in the locker room that had been missing for this team in recent seasons. And you know, when you have a schedule like the Chargers have had this season, where it's quite a few middling teams on the schedule, you know, if you can get a certain amount of togetherness, a
certain amount of unity. You play hard, and you obviously improve the coaching and the preparation and the consistency in that.
Phase, you you're gonna get some wins.
And so I think that's a big reason why there's six and three. There's a real culture being built here by Jim Harbaugh. Obviously, he's done that everywhere he's been at both the college and pro level.
As a former offensive lineman. Let me ask you about the two edge players for the Chargers defensive football team. Khalil Mack only played two snaps battling that groin issue last week, didn't practice today. Joey Bosa on a pits count. He got his seventieth sack. That's that's huge, number two in Charger history now, but he's on a pitch count. What do you forecast for the two edge players in terms of playing time?
Yeah, So, Joey Bosa has been dealing with this hit problem, missed several games with it. It was initially a groin strain, it ended up moving into a psiatic nerve, but he's been improving the last few weeks. He played a season high twenty two snaps on Sunday, against the Titans. Obviously got that sack as you mentioned, So I think he's steadily improving, figuring out how to sort of play through
the pain and discomfort that he's been dealing with. And I think we'll start to see a version of Joey Bosa closer to his fully healthy self here, you know, starting Sunday and moving forward. Khalil Mack obviously, like you said, was injured. He's been playing at an extremely high level all season. He's been playing at an extremely high level ever since the Charge Is traded for him in twenty twenty two, both as a as a rusher, you know, a pass rusher and in the run, in the run
game as a run defender. He's been a very elite player. But they have a lot of depth at the position Tooey twoy Polo Tu who was a second round pick last year. He's playing at a really high level. He brings a level of physicality to the edge as a pass rusher and as a run defender. And then they signed Bud Dupree in free agency. He had a couple of sacks against the Titans on Sunday as well. So we'll see what happens with Clion Mack. He's gonna work
through it, see where he's at. But if Clill Mack is still sort of limited, Joey Bosa is still sort of limited. They do have a second line of edge rushers there in Bud Dupree and Tuy two Polo two, who would frankly be starting for quite a number of teams in the NFL.
Our guest is Daniel Popper, who covers the Chargers for the Athletic. Let's talk about this defense as a whole. It's been incredible through ten games. They played a couple of good offensive teams Kansas City and Arizona. Most of the teams they've played have been on the lower end of the NFL's offensive statistics. Is that the big story this week, Daniel Burrow, Chase hopefully Higgins against that great Chargers.
D Yeah, I know, I just left the locker room about a half hour ago, and I get the sense that, you know, these guys, especially on the back end, really want to prove themselves and what better tests than than this offense, and especially the way that Joe Burrow and Jamar Chains have been playing this season. You know, you know, there is a sense, you know within the locker room that this is sort of a litmus test for this group. As you mentioned, they haven't really played high level offense
of this season. You mentioned the Cardinals. I thought that was one of the Chargers' worst defensive performances of the season. They didn't tackle well against James Connor. They let Kyler Murray get outside the pocket and score on a forty four yard scramble touchdown. So when they've had to go up against better offenses, and there's been a few opportunities to season, I think we've seen a different version of
the defense. But the way I'm looking at it is, you know, I think Jim Harbaugh has raised the floor. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has raised the floor for this unit, which is better coaching, more cohesive coaching. But this is a real test here about what the stealing of this defense can really be. Are they what the statistics say, are they really a top five unit or are they not quite there yet with the talent that they have
on the roster. I think that's really the question that we're going to see answered on Sunday against the Bengals.
For the Chargers, jesse Minner, the defensive coordinator it seems like he's got an allergy with regard to explosives. I mean he's not going to give any up. I mean he keeps everything inside and in front of him. Defensively, you know, it's like, try to make the offense take multiple snaps, you know, ten twelve play drives increase the chance for mistakes. If you can execute for that long a timeframe, you know, God bless you, We're going to make a play at some point in time. They're playing
very fast. It looks like in very free and very very confidently. Is that pretty much the case. He doesn't over complicate anything. It seems to be fairly simple concepts.
Yeah, you're seeing it exactly right. I think talking to players starting in training camp and then through the season, the big thing that guys have talked about is that jesse Minter has really simplified things. Now they do a lot of disguise, there's a lot of posts, snap rotations. But I think the big thing with jesse Minter is that he's going at the speed at which his guys can can execute the defense. He's not trying to do
complex stuff in the name of complexity. He wants his players to be able to play fast, and I think that's what you see in the field. You see a level of physicality, You see how fast these guys are playing. You see a lack of coverage bus. Now, there was one on Sunday against the Titans that was probably their worst coverage bus of the season where it looked like where they were trying to rotate to a Cover two look and there wasn't a safety to that side of
the field. But those have been few and far between. I think you just have a scheme and a system where the players really understand the ins and outs of it, and the way that jesse Mentor has explained it is when he simplified things in that way, then your players can be can become problem solvers on the field. I think that's what you're seeing. It's there's a level of connectivity with the defense that just wasn't there under the
previous regime. He has these guys playing fast, and I think they're able to limit mistakes because they really understand it because he's not making it more complex than it has to be.
Daniel, the Chargers let Tenan Allen and Mike Williams go after last year. I think a lot of people wondered how good would the weapons be for Justin Herbert. Well, they've got a rookie wide receiver, h Luke McCaskey or McConkie, rather Ladd McConkie. Excuse me, who's played well? He's their leading receiver, got a former first round draft pick in Quenton Johnston. How good is McConkie, How good is the group?
Yeah? I think Ladd McConkie is a real, really good route runner. Now. The way they use him is a lot in the slot, a lot of option routes, whip routes, and he's very shifty. He has a really good understanding of leverages. He can beat don't coverage, he can beat man coverage, and he's really been a depth at operating over the middle of the field. And I think his knowledge and his ability to field defenders is a big reason why Justin Herbert trust him, particularly in third down situation.
So he's a real dynamic player. You know, against the Saints in Week eight, he was able to get down the field on the slot fade and actually attack vertically. He has the speed to do that. He's a four to three to nine guy. We haven't seen a ton of it. But you know, that's another thing that he's potentially adding to his game sphere as he moves through his rookie season, is potentially being able to attack vertically.
You know, Quinn Johnson has really developed. I think the coaching staff deserves a ton of credit here, starting with Jim Harbaugh, but especially wide receivers coach Sanjay Law, who came over from Seattle where he worked with a good group of receivers there and with the Seahawks, and he's really gotten a ton out of Quinton Johnson. He looks
like a completely different player. His route running has really improved, his hands have improved, how deceptive he is when facing cornerbacks, is setting them up, all of that has really improved, and he's really become a legitimate weapon now. The other guy to keep an eye on his DJ Shark. He's only played one stat ball season. He was on IR. Last week was his first week he was active in a game. They haven't really used him that much, but obviously he's an experienced player and he could be a
factor here. So I think, like it's not an elite group, but they have enough to get the job done. And obviously they have a quarterback in Justin Herbert, who's going to elevate the receiver? And I think that was the vision going into it, and I think we're seeing that materialize with how some of these guys are playing right now.
Not just a quarterback that's elevating receivers, but I mean a guy that's taking care of the football man one interception all year Long's he's pubbled at four times but only lost one. And the knock on him, he was a little bit of a turnover machine. I mean he would average, like, you know, ten giveaways a season. Now with Harrorball, he's got seven straight starts now without an interception. That's the longest streak in the National Football League and
it's a Charger record. I mean, how big is that fall security is that Herbert's showing.
Yeah, it's absolutely massive. And I think over the course of his career, Justin Herbert has been very good at avoiding turnovers. Some of those higher interception seasons, there were some slooky stuff that happened with deflected passes and wrong routes run and that sort of stuff. I think overall, he's been very good at protecting football. He's been very good at avoiding sacks and avoiding negative plays. I think it's been one of the best parts of his game
through his career. But that has been a point of emphasis. I mean, Jim Harbaugh, when I asked him about the identity of the offense a couple of weeks ago, you know, the third thing he mentioned was protecting the football. So they've made it a big point of emphasis, and I think Justin Herbert explain well when he said, like the statement is that you know, sacs aren't the worst thing in the world. Turnovers are the worst thing in the world.
And so what I think we've seen this season is maybe he's been a bit more willing to take a sack here or there as opposed to trying to make some sort of heroic play. And obviously in a lot of those situations when you're escaping pressure, you're outside the pocket, and you're in those types of situations, that's and you're throwing late in the down, that's where times where where fluky things can happen, you get deflected passes, you can
make a poor decision. So they've emphasized it, and I think Justin Herbert has really done a great job of executing that. Taking facts when that is the better alternative, not throwing late over the middle, and really being smart about where he puts the football in certain situations, especially when he's throwing into single coverage, putting the ball into windows where it's either his guy makes a play or it's it's incomplete. And obviously like his talent allows him
to do that because he's so accurate. But that's been a huge part of their ability to build these leads and games and really avoid having those catastrophic negative plays offensively.
Our thanks to Chargers reporter Daniel Popper, and that's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast, brought to you by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official
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