Bengals Booth Podcast: Black and Yellow

MMQB website, Albert Breer. In May, he wrote a great behind the scenes story about Joe Burrow's comeback, and we'll get his thoughts on the Bengals QB after the first two games of the season and much more. My one on one player conversation this week is actually one on two, as I talked to former NC State roommates Jermaine Pratt and b J Hill about being reunited in Cincinnati. Dave Lapham joins me to discuss the latest Bengals news and

share some keys to beating Pittsburgh. And finally, it's our no the faux segment, as we discussed the Steelers with a guy who has the team for more than three decades, Ed Bouchett. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by bud Light, Seltzer refreshed the game. And 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 on iTunes, Stitcher,

Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since the Bengals fans who regularly turn out for our radio shows. Dave Lappleman I host the Bengals Game Plan Show at a different Cincinnati area sports bar every Wednesday night from six to eight, and there are quite a few loyal fans who never miss a show. Of course, it helps that we're usually joined by former Bengal standouts

and have giveaways during the commercial breaks. But regardless of the location, or the weather or how the team played the previous week, we know that our loyal crew will be there. Having said that, the More the Merrier will be at the Holy Grail across from Great American Ballpark next Wednesday night, and expect to be joined by Kenny Anderson one night before he enters the Bengals Ring of Honor. Now let's get to my guests, beginning with Albert Brier

from Sports Illustrated and it's MMQB website Albert. You have written a lot about Joe Burrow in the last couple of years, including a great behind the scenes look at his comeback from knee surgery. As you talked to Joe and his parents and Bengals coaches for that story, what stood out the most of you. I think it was sort of how he attacked the rehab and you know

how aggressive he was about it. And you know that first offseason for a lot of guys coming into the NFL is sort of one where you decompress, you know, and you think about the way guys come into the league and you go from your final college season, then usually to a college All Star game, then usually to the Combine. Then you have your visits, your your interviews, you have all of that different stuff leading into the draft,

and you get drafted. Then you go to OTAs, then you go to mini camp, then you have a little bit of a break there, then you come back for training camp and it's onto the season and really what it winds up atting up to his eighteen months, you know where you're just sort of in this meat grinder, and you know, I think the fact that Joe was so aggressive and attacking this being on the back end of that period as a player, I think sort of

shows how motivated he was to get back. The fact that he stayed in Cincinnati and worked with his trainer there exclusively, didn't take vacations really, I mean, he went to Florida with his parents for a little while, I think for a week or so or whatever it was. But you know, even that, like he was taking his work with him, and so I think, you know, as much as anything else, Dan, it was the sort of I think, constant focus on I need to get myself back.

And I even think that that played into some of the struggles early in camp because I know, you know, just having talked to him, he wanted to go through the whole process of feeling comfortable with people around his legs before he saw it in game action, and I think that was sort of why things were interpreted as, oh, you know, he hit a real roadblock like here in the first or set week at camp, whereas he was really trying to just just generate and fast track generate

situations in fast track his recovery. So you know, I've just sort of been impressed with the think intention, attention to detail, and also like how he's really stayed on it as much as anything else. You know, at a period of time when most guys that age coming into the NFL are pretty worn out and need a break. So Joe was tremendous in Week one against the Vikings, had a tougher time obviously last week against the Bears. How do you think he looks through two games? Great

and week one? Not as good in Week two? And I think that's part of it too. You know, there's gonna be the back and forth, I think a little bit. I mean, look, they need to play better in front of upfront. Two. Um, you know, I think with the defense looking a little better through two weeks, that's really going to be the story of the season. It's what the offensive line looks like. Not that I need to tell you that, because I know you guys have been

talking about that for over a year now. So you know, I think the things around him were better and we one than they were in Week two, and that played into it, you know. But I did like the way that you know, he kind of kept swinging at the end and the Bengals had a chance there. Now, obviously the Bears plows him out in the end, but they're able to take advantage of the turnover and he throws a touchdown passed so quickly to Tea. I think a

couple of plays after that, you know. I like the resiliency in week two and then the overall game operation in week one, and you know what he was able to do down the stretch in that game, and you know, changing the play in overtime and getting the ball to CJ and um, you know, sort of his command overall of the offense. I think it's really impressive for a

guy in his second year. And again, there are going to be some ups and down still because he's only in his second year, you know, but I think right now he's got the Bengals in a chance, in a position to be competitive every week. And I think he even saw it last week in a game where you know, quite honestly, like most quarterbacks play like that, yere out of the game and they're able to put him in a position to to to kind of compete in the end. And so it was encouraging to me the way he

kept swinging in that game. And I think you see too some of the belief that the other players and the team having him and that they were in that situation at the end of the game, even though it was as sloppy as it had been for three hours out there. Our guest is Albert Breer. You can follow him on Twitter at Albert Breer. You made a trip to Cincinnati for training camp in early August. Aside from watching Joe Burrow, What were some of the things that

caught your eye. I think one of the things that sort of come up big for the Bengals early in the season. This is something that actually Joe point out to me, you know, last week was just and this is something the coaches talked about back in the summer too when I was there, is sort of how the secondary is having an effect on the entire team and how they focused in the offseason. I'm bringing in and guys from winning programs, and so you know, you gotta

at Adobie Woozy who's coming over from Dallas. You have a Mike Hilton who's coming over from Pittsburgh. You know, you have a Von Bell who played in New Orleans. Trey Hendrickson, of course he's not in the secondary, but

he played in New Orleans as well. And so you've got all of these guys now on the roster, who've been in winning programs, who've been in playoff games, and you know, I think the way the secondary is sort of coming together now and the way you're seeing the experience that they've injected in the secondary, you know, through being aggressive in free agency, the way that that's sort of paying dividends. That's one of the things that's really

stuck out to me. And I think when you look at some of the things that the coaches are a staff are talking about over the summer, and then through two weeks you see those things sort of coming to life. It's an encouraging sign. At least the vision that they

have for the team is working, you know. And so I think, you know, having guys like you know, again like Cheeto, like Mike Hilton in the building, you know, like Avon Bell in the building, and I know he was acquired a couple of years ago, not this offseason. You know, I think you're actually seeing some of the beliefs that they're able to inject into the program. And you know, I think the communication on defense has been better on a micro level of the communication on defense

has been better. This is a result of having those veteran players in the equation. But I think overall, just as far as you know, trying to, you know, make the team believe that that that they've got a chance in every game and that they can be a playoff contender. I think bringing in all these guys from winning programs has really helped for a team that hasn't been in

the playoffs the last five years. Albert Breer from Sports Illustrated is our guest, what does success look like for the Bengals this year in your opinion, being in the running until the end, you know, and in December having a chance entering that month with you know, an opportunity to compete for a playoff spot. And then I think player developments the other big part of it, you know. So do these players look like they're ascending at the end of the year. Does Joe Burrow look like he's

ascending at the end of the year. Do Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins look like they're ascending at the end of the year. How's Jonah Williams holding up at left tackle? You know? On the defensive side, you know, how have the veteran players come together and maybe elevated some of the young guys They have on the roster there. I think this year in a lot of different ways, is going to be about, you know, taking another step in Zach Taylor's third year and competing for a playoff spot.

But I also look at like the players they've invested in and young players they've invested in in the draft, and I think so much of it's going to kind of come down to what this looks like when we get to the end of the year and whether or not, you know, you're in December and you're saying, God, these guys like this Jonah Williams, this Jamar Chase, this Tee Higgins, this Joe Burrow, like these guys look really good now, but man, what are they going to be in twenty

twenty two? Like that, to me is going to have to be a big part of the success of this season is that, from you know, a player development standpoint, they're getting back to where they were in like twenty eleven and twenty and twelve, when you started to see some young players in the who had been in the pipeline for a while starting to turn corners. The Bengals

and Steelers renew their rivalry this weekend. Pittsburgh got off to a great start with a win at Buffalo in Week one, then lost at home to the Raiders last week. What's your take on Pittsburgh this year? It's like a lot of teams. You know, you read a lot into Week one and then you find out maybe week one didn't mean as much as as you thought it did. Uh.

It feels like halfsolute. I mean, it feels like like I don't know what the count is, but it feels like there are a lot of one and one teams right now, So you know, I think you know, my overall feeling on the Steelers is actually sort of mirrors what we've just been talking about with the Bengals, which is that the offensive line it's going to dictate a lot as far as how far the team can go. Defensively,

I think they'd be really good. Now that's pending t J. Watt's injury and um, you know how quickly they can get them back and all of that. But defensively, I think against Buffalo you saw what they're capable of, and I think they have a front that's capable of being the best in football. And if you start there and you're better in the secondary, and I think they believe they're better in their second than the secondary than they

have been. Like now, all of a sudden, you know, I think you're talking about a defense that maybe you can get back to the level that they were at, you know, ten fifteen years ago with the Troy Palomalos and the James Ferriers and the James Harrisons and the Lamar Woodleys. So like, I think the defense is capable of being at that level of TJ's, you know, if

he's healthy and right. And I think for a little while at least, that defense is going to have to carry the offense because they are going to be figuring

out some things now. Naji Harris looks like he's a real player, and they've got a couple of rookies starting on their offensive line, and so I think, you know, their ability to kind of develop an identity offensively over the next i'd say two months is I think going to dictate how far they can go, And so much of that is gonna ride on how an offensive line

plays and a group that lost all at once. Now Alandro Villanueva, David de Castro, and Marquis Pouncy, who have been foundation pieces for them for quite some time, So I'd tell you right now, Dan, you know, I think a team is capable as long as t J. Watt is healthy of being elite on defense, a team and it's got good skill and a team ultimately that's going to you know, a lot is going to ride on their ability to develop that offensive line and bring that

offensive line along. Well. As for t J. Watt, I think he needs to think big picture and take a week off. That's just me, but I think that that would be good for his long term prognosis. Final question for Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Am I correct in thinking that you are a big fan of the Bengals new uniforms. I love them? Yeah, I mean I thought the last I had, the last set like had a little too

much going on, you know. And I mean, I don't know, I'm old school, so I guess you'd call me minimalist, right like where I think less is more and uh yeah, so I think like the fact that they're just and I don't know, I'm like, I mean, like, look at how I'm dressed right now. I don't know if if anybody should be taking fashion advice for me, but m I H yeah, I mean I like the fact they look cleaner to me, and I like the fact that

they're a little simpler. And I actually made this comment a couple of years ago, like, I thought their color Rush uniforms were awesome, and these feel like kind of like a I would say, uh like, kind of like a continuation of those. Now. The one thing I would have done differently, I would have gone with a I'm a big fan of the block letters. I think block letters, like are the block numbers like the block numbers I think look great on football uniforms. But other than that,

I think they did. They did a really nice job. It's a much much cleaner look. And that's I think about as much fashionate analysis as anybody wants from me. By the way, Albert is a proud Ohio State grad, and if you see him on TV or YouTube while he's being interviewed from home, you'll notice an Ohio State helmet over his shoulder. It's game used and belong to current Bengal Eli Apple when he was a Buckeye. The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's

light and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. When the Bengals traded Billy Price for b J. Hill just before the start of the season. They not only acquired a solid defensive tackle, they added one of Jermaine Pratt's closest friends. I sat down with the two of them this week. They have been reunited in Cincinnati, four years after they were roommates at NC State linebacker Jermaine Pratt and defensive lineman b J. Hill. Jermaine, how did you

two guys wind up rooming together in college? They sep their roommates. We was early in rodies, so I guess they put us together. You know, I don't know. I don't know why. I really don't DJ. Did you two hit it off right off the bat? He was kind of to hisself at first, being a little a little awkward, But then we all, you know, that close. So you two guys are too young to remember the TV show The Odd Couple, But when I was a kid, there was a show about these two roommates. Oscar was a

total slob, Felix was a neat freak. Jermaine, does that describe you two guys living together in college? Pretty much? I'm neat for you? He told us, law I would like but I think for the most part, the house is clean. It'sill like we had like game the season started, get hited, you know, it started being like a lot of decent stuff, but it was covering my other roommate. He was just terrible. It's terrible. We did this is and stuff. He always out to play with other days,

but it was my other roommate, So BJ. I've been out of college for more than thirty years now, but I still talk to my roommate every few days or text him every few days. Have you guys stayed in regular contact while you were playing for the Giants and he was playing for the Bengals. Oh? Yeah, we talked perby every other day every day. We always shooting till the text message, FaceTime or some Instagram, So we always talking. And we also lived near each other during the offseason.

So yeah, he can't get away from both North Carolina guys. We're talking to Jermaine Pratt and BJ Hill. So this year, just before the start of the regular season, the Bengals pull off a trade. They send Billy Price to the Giants for BJ Hill and now you guys are reunited. Germaine. What was your reaction to that? Trade from like a player. At standpoint, I was like inside of you know, getting

a new addition on the defensive line. You know what kind of player he is, you know, hard, hard working and like take take home blocks to keep the linebackers free. So I thought it was a great opportunity for him to come play and be better, and then as a friend being a friend with him, it's a new new start for him, you know, new challenges in the NFL, new opportunity for him to showcase his talent, and whatever happens after this happens. BJ. When the trade went down,

was your friendship with Germaine? One of the first things you thought of, Oh, yeah, that's the first person I called crazy little story. Um, I called him. I knew that Sunday I was gonna get traded. I called him like, I'm coming to sense. He was like, now you just playing. Then the day later I called him back, I would saying I'm really come to sense, and he's like, man, why are you playing? Did he call coach or whatever and ask him? I was like, I told him coming.

So it was I was excited just knowing that he's here. Um. He made it easy on that, you know, just coming over here and making you know me field. We're talking to Jermaine Pratt and b J Hill. So in your first NFL game as teammates, you forced the fumble and then recovered the fumble in overtime that led to the game winning field goal. BJ had two sacks of Kirk

Cousins in that win. I want each of you guys to describe the other one as a football player and as a person and what you admire and respect about him. So Jermaine, you go first talking about your friend b J Hill. I would say I forgot the question. I was stuck out. To be honest, I would say, like, he just a hard nosed player. You know, a guy that get outrever, he athletic, three tait and eat whatever.

He could play all over the the line. So he was athletic, big, strong, physical guy they can thinking is not bagging dead, getting the rusting and like create hit in bedfield. And as a person. As a person, he's a chill, laid back guy, goofy guy. I say, like, but here, cool guy. All right, BJ, here's your chance to talk about Jermaine Pratt as a linebacker and as a friend. Uh a line becker he knows what he's doing,

um all the time. He knows what play's about to come, he knows what the formations, the they're about to line up. He just he just you know, think ahead. And he's very smart as a friend, you know, one of my best friends. Uh routerda No matter what, by you do it all all right. So your two games into the season, the defense has played extremely well so far this year.

You got the Steelers coming up on Sunday, Jermaine, Let's start with stopping the run, because you guys have done a great job against Dalvin Cook and David Montgomery in the first couple of weeks. Three and a half yards to carry for those guys. What is the biggest key to playing great Runde defense. Everybody just doing their job.

You know, everybody had that mentality stopping the run, trying to eliminate exposal plays and everybody just doing their job and trying to eliminate trying to one dimension on offense. It's hard for a team to really attack you if you didn't stop the run game. You know, the ring games started. They got to start throwing the ball or spreading out, you know what they're doing. And then now that you got d line ask head that you got interior guys that can get to them to the quarterback,

yet outside the guys can't get the ball. So it's really showing showcasing what we brought here over the last year or so, showing how elite we working and trying to come together and trying to be that top defense in the NFL. And BJ, you guys have been getting after the quarterback. Six sacks in the first couple of games. What do you think the front four has shown teams so far this year? Just playing physical, playing tough, and stopping to run. It's the most important part. I'm sitting

down the run. Didn't have some fun third down or whenever they throw the ball, and there was our goal the first two games. It's gonna be our goal this week two well, playing physical, getting not back, use hands and get to the running back and then get into the quiabit. Germaine has been great to have you on the team for three years. BJ. It's great to have you reunited with your former teammate. I appreciate your time.

Best of luck this week. By the way, Pro Football Focus currently has BJ Hill graded as the fourth best interior defensive lineman in the NFL. Josh Tupo is ninth and DJ Reader is eleventh. Impressive stuff by the guys in the middle of the Bengals defense. Now time to discuss some of the key storylines heading into the Pittsburgh game with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Lap I want to start with the Bengals offensive line. According to ESPN's pass block win Rate stat the Bengals are seventh best

in the NFL. According to Pro Football Focuses pass blocking efficiency rankings, the Bengals are nineteenth in the NFL. So, according to Dave Lappham, are they top ten? Are they middle of the pack? Are they lower than that so far? Yeah, I wouldn't. I would not say that they're much above middle of the pack. But I think, honestly a lot of it has to do with who they're playing against too. I mean, they're playing against some pretty good defensive fronts.

And I know you can say, oh, you know, that's an excuse that's real in Pittsburgh, even though you don't know exactly who's going to be out there. If T J. Wat, for example, can't be out there, you know, obviously that's a that's a huge factor. But man, don't count Melvin Ingram Short watching him on tape, Bengals had trouble blocking him last year. And that guy, that guy's a definite, definite threat. And they still have Cam Hayward. I mean all, he's got his thirty three sacks in the last four

years as an interior pass rusher. And and to me, you know, I guess he's win rate. Everything's subjective. All I know is too many times space is an issue, not necessarily time and times an issue quite quite regularly as well. But even when there's time there, it's closing in on them. They're not given enough space. And you know, I remember from the very beginning, you know, Tiger Johnson saying, man, you know it's not just given the quarterback time. Man,

we got to give him some room, some space. He's got to see the football field. You know, we can't we can't be crowding his crowding his space. And uh, he's right. Joe Burrows stats were far worse in game two than they were in Game one, but he told reporters today actually felt more comfortable in game two than he did in game one. How comfortable does he look? You know, I think I think that repetition breeds comfort level, you know. I think just just the raw repetition factor

is probably a contributing factor to that. Uh, it's going to be interesting how long it takes them to design moving the pocket and that sort of thing getting him out of pocket, because if you are getting consistent pressure, the best way to combat it is moved the pocket a little bit, not give the defensive front a stationary target. They know, like you know, if he's in the gun, exactly where he's going to be, if he's under center, depending on three step five, step seven drop. They have

aiming points, they have targets there. So if you can disrupt that, you know, and change the launch point, that could be a factor. And they haven't done that much yet. They have done it with him in the past, haven't done it yet that I can recall by design all that much. So that's that's something that they can do. And I think as they feel that he's more comfortable, and as they become more comfortable seeing he's more comfortable,

I think those things may may eventually occur. But I do think we talked about the final box that needed to be checked was having that that push in your face, and that was his mental block at training camp for a period of time until it happens live bullets. That's something that you're you know, you haven't done yet. You know, it's sure if that's the final box to check, He's

checked that box. You know, it's been checked many times unfortunately, and I think he's getting more and more comfortable, you know, having to deal with that. The Steelers drafted some offensive linemen, none of them in the first round. Two are starting, one at left tackle, one at center. The Bengals drafted

three offensive linemen, none of them are starting yet. Here's my question in the modern NFL, when they don't hit that much during the week, once the season begins, really in training camp too, but especially once the season begins, how does a guy like Jackson Carmen get better to

the point where he can slide into the starting lineup. Yeah, that's a good point in I mean, I think I think that they're not is concerned with him his physical components as much as can he handle all the exotic Mike Zimmer Sabant on third down, all these exotic pressure packages. Can he decipher and handle it all in the in the heated battle? Can he accept communication and pass on communication and then at the snap of the balls, be able to apply that communication to full speed action in

front of them and all those kind of things. So they're they're in that in that, like we talked about before, that decision making part of Well, I've got veteran players that I feel like I can trust. They've played a lot of football, They've seen a lot of NFL snaps, They've seen a lot of blitz packages, they've seen seen seen all this kind of stuff. I feel comfortable with them mentally, but physically the young bucks may be better,

but mentally we're gonna have to take our lumps. They're gonna have to take their lumps, and we're gonna have to take him as well. And you know, it's like, as as an offensive line coach, I'd be like with some young guys not I think Deante Smith to me, it looked like he kind of caught onto things a little bit faster, you know, in terms of trans positioning, and you know, maybe maybe that gap is being closed.

Obviously Smith's been down and Carmen hasn't been if you activated so, but if I'm an offensive line coach, I'm like, ah, I know a Rex coming. I just hope it's a fender bender. I don't want I don't want the car totaled. I just just make it a little fendom mender, you know. And Joe Barrow's probably thinking the same thing. So those are the kind of things that you have to sift

through and sort through a little bit. So A hot topic this week is throwing deep especially after Jamar Chase said after the Bears game that the Bengals should have been doing it earlier in that game. Is that valid? You know? To me, it's a lot easier to say after the fact, but you know, you hear you hear Jamar Chase saying in press conferences, Yeah, I knew it. He knew it, Joe knew it. We were all talking about it. Well, if you guys were all talking about it,

did you talk to the coaches about it? And if you talk to the coaches about it, how come it didn't happen? And I do think there were some instances where the deep ball opportunities were there. T didn't handle a deep ball, Joe didn't throw it. If Joe could have had that throw over again, he wouldn't have thrown He would have thrown more to the middle of the field than the hash mark because the corner had outside

technique and they were playing outside technique. Was safety helped the whole day, and he took it back to the corner more than to the middle of the football field. So where the ball was thrown, you know, the spot that it was thrown too, could have been better, but t could have still could have made a catch on it, and he didn't. You know, another one was thrown out of bounds. I mean other times, obviously things might have happened that took it away, including pressure and not being

able to see things. But you know, it's during the whole in the second half, I kept saying to myself, oh man, where's the double move? The double move? Let's they're so prime for the double move because they're breaking on everything they're doing. There's you know, they're squat and sitting whatever you want to say, and they're just breaking on these routes. So you know, confidently make them pay. You know, just a hook and go or a outnup or whatever. Just a double move takes a little bit

of time. And then even you know, like like they hit Chicago hit a couple of crossers. You know, they missed one and hit one for about thirty yards. Those take a little time too, and it's like, where are the crossers? Where are this? Where are that? And it just seemed like the Bengals almost almost game plan against them. Cells a little bit. They gave Chicago credit, which they deserved, but maybe too much credit because they eliminated a lot of things. You know, I went empty and said, we're

getting out quickly. We're gonna hit our slants, our quicks, you know, intermediate and short field range passes. And in Chicago, man, they just they jumped them and they had confidence in their pass rush. And the thing that probably disappointed me as a former lineman the most though, is when they're doing that, they're not loading the box, and they still didn't run the ball well enough against a box that wasn't jammed up at that point. You know, you got

to win more of those battles. And that's that's where I think Chicago really kind of, you know, stuck it in their face, like, you know, we're not only going to pass Russia, You're not even gonna be able to

run the ball against us. When when we're not stacking the box, you know, and we're going to take that away from you as well, because the game in the first half it was, you know, anybody's football game, and it was until you know, the interceptions, the turnovers in the third quarter, and then they had their furious comeback. And in that time frame, it's like I wish I saw saw more carryover of the momentum they established in the Minnesota game run the ball, particularly when the box

wasn't that full. So it sounds like Trey Wayne's is getting closer to coming back. I don't know if it'll be this week or not too soon to say. Do you think he's going to have a big impact when he returns. I think he will. I think he will, you know. But the danger now is you can't panic and say come back too soon and then all of a sudden, man, you know, it's not quite one hundred percent, and then you read tweak it and now you're out another you know, a month plus, and those things can

be they can nag like that. So you know, the experiences that I had with with guys that had hamstring. I never pulled a hamstring in my life. I don't think I've got one, but you or it wasn't that that finally tuned where I was going to be pulling it? I had I had the hamstring of a of a plow horse, as opposed to Isaac having the hamstring of a thoroughbread um. But with with Isaac he would always say, I feel pretty good. One more week, do that extra week.

That amster week makes a huge difference. So if trades practicing this week and getting close, it would not shock me if they decide, you know, one more week and uh and get it even even better and reduced the chance of oh man, it was almost there and then retweaked it all right. So let's talk about the Steelers a little bit. They started last year eleven and oh. They ended the regular season one and four. They got blown out in their playoff game at home by Cleveland.

Started this year with a great win at Buffalo, then lost at home to the Raiders. So if he didn't just quickly do the math at six losses in their last eight games going back to last year, how good are the Steelers. It's an interesting question because you look at it. They didn't run the ball worth the darn last year, I mean at all. They were just they threw the ball three to one, you know, in play selection. This year in the first couple of games is still

two to one. So they're still wanting to throw the football. And Ben, you know, got the ball out of his hand last year in two point two two point three seconds, the fastest in the league. He's doing the same thing this year. He's quick draw mc graw back there. Man, he's getting it out. And if you know, I think he's gonna play obviously, you know, I'd be stunned if he doesn't. But you wonder they haven't gotten their running game going yet either this year. I mean, they're dead

last in the NFL in the yards per carry. So they drafted rookie running back in the first round, Naji Harris, thinking they may strike lightning twice with the Harris name, you know, Hall of Famer and Franco and they haven't gotten them going. And you have a quarterback that's maybe wounded a little bit, you know, you have young offensive line. The best thing to do is get the running game established. At home. I think they're probably going to try to

run it a little bit more than they have. We'll see, but yeah, it's that the offense is it looks to me they're still running duo. They're still running some things. They're running a little more counter, a little more misdirection counter than they've run in the past, but a lot of it. Even though they have a new offensive coordinator who this is the first year he's ever done it, I do see some carry over, some similarity from my

Randy Fittner's offense. How about that offensive line. They've lost three Pro Bowlers Polac dicstro Villa Nueva I mentioned earlier. They've got two rookies starting. There's just one returning guy back from last year. Are these guys any good? They're not as good as last year, and last year they had trouble, you know, running the football. But I don't think they're as good as last year. And you know, I'm gonna get on my soapbox again about Trey Turner.

We get ejected for spitting in today's NFL with all the protocols in the NFL has for COVID, and you're spitting, you know, and I know if you were spent on first, you know, natural instincts is to retaliate and spit back. But the guy who responds always gets caught. And you don't act like a couple of five year olds out there spitting on each other in that is so stupid. So, you know, Turner get kicked out, it looks like that's going to be the end of it. Kicked out in

the fine and all that sort of thing. But yeah, I've seen him on tape before. He's you know, he can play the right side of their offensive line. They probably have more confidence in than the left side of their offensive line at this point in time, but you know, they're still obviously young. I think the way the Bengals defensive line is playing, I give the edge to the Bengals defensive line, and then I give the edge even though you don't know who's exactly going to be playing

for the Steelers. I give the edge to the Steelers defensive line in front seven stopping the Bengals running game as well. So to me, that's going to be a big key in the game, which offensive line establishes themselves enough to be quasi balanced, some modicum of balanced, and not having to just drop back and chuck it all the time. As we've learned from Davel Appham over the years, a loose groin is a happy growing well. Right now, we've got some unhappy groins in Pittsburgh. Yeah, t J. Watt,

Devin Bush, Joe Hayden. Bush and Hayden didn't play last week. Watt had to exit the game. If those guys don't go, is the Steelers defense all that formidable? I mean it's it's incredible. High Smith is on the four groins. Man, They're not happy in that training room over there at all. There's a bunch of unhappy, miserable groins over there. Yeah, Hayden has had it all through training camps, and that's what I'm talking about. You try to come back a little,

he said, it's I yanked it again. You know, it's still kind of it, jazz me. So I have to I have to get out of the out of the football game. I don't think obviously, if if if a handful of those guys, there's a handful of those guys, if a couple of them don't play, it could have a factor. There's there's no doubt. 'allo 'ALLU how'd you like to be him? He turned down a lucrative deal from Jacksonville stay with the Steelers and then breaks his ankle. He's on injury reserve. I mean that that that's a

blow right there. Like I said, though, I do think Ingram is a guy that can they can pressure or pressure the quarterback. I think that he would still provide some edge rush. But if all these guys play, the fact is they're impaired, so they're not as explosive. They can't be if they if they try to be as explosive, they may yank there you know, the injury and uh and not be able to play at all. So in your mind you think I can go. Can I go one hundred percent? Now? Can I go at least seventy five?

Can I try eighty five? This one? Now that starts to play with your head. You know, as a player, you want to say, look, I'm either going to go one hundred percent or I'm not going to play well if if any of these guys, maybe none of them will be one hundred percent, They're all not gonna sit. Some of them I think are gonna play, you know, hurt play and paired a little bit, and that'll diminish potentially you know how well they can perform out there.

I do think that it's very important for T. J. Watt to think big picture and give it another week I just for his sake, I really think that's important. Agree, how about three sacks and two forced fumbles already unbelievable. I mean, over the last three years, the Pittsburgh Steelers have more sacks than anybody, and they had fifty fifty whatever it was last year and twenty seven turnovers as a result of those sacks. They led the league in

sacks and I think we're third and turnovers. It's It's a disruptive bunch of guys, There's no question about it. And Keith Butler does a good job of taking the talent and putting it together and concocting, you know, configurations that are are problematic. He he emphasizes their strengths as what he does is what's what every good coach does. Sees, Boy, this guy can really do this. I'm going to make sure that I have a package where that's going to be,

you know, first and foremost. He's going to be front and center with that stuff. I think that Butler takes his scheme and matches it with his personnel, and I think I think the Steelers organization as an organization does that better than anybody. They'll be in the draft and they'll instead of having three hundred guys, they'll have fifty guys that their Steelers because they fit what we do. We don't give a damn what Dallas thinks about this

guy that guy. These guys that the physical requirements of what we asked our guy to do, whatever position you're talking about, and they hit on them. You know, they draft those kind of guys to fit their scheme and then develop them. And Pittsburgh has done that over the years as well or better than anybody. I really respect him for that last thing. Tom Brady is forty four, looks like he's twenty four, playing like he's twenty four. Ben Roethlisberger's thirty nine. What age does he appear to

be physically and in terms of his play? Sometimes he looks at least, you know, at least that age. You know, it looks like he's pushing forty. I'll tell you though, that guy man. I mean, he's as we all know, he played at Minami, Ohio when he ran the table there, and every time he comes to Cincinnati or Cleveland seems like he wins. His record in Ohio is crazy, um, and you know he's sure fire Hall of Famer. He's

not what he was obviously, but he's he's he's very intelligent. Um, but he I honestly think this is a swan song. I think he came back for one more year and uh, and he took a five million dollar pay cut. Other guys signed you know, friendly deals to stay and try to make it one more time. This this is the swan song, the final attempt for Ben Roethlisber and Juju Smith.

Schuster ended up signing a one year deal when there weren't big things out there, and now he's signing a proved deal and hoping to have a big deal with Ben Roethlisberger. So it all kind of centered around centers around the quarterback. And he's still very capable, but he's not like he was where it was almost like he stood in the pocket like the Empire State Building, and you'd hit him and roll off and bounce off and it was like, gosh, he was like an impenetrable force,

you know. And then and then he'd he'd be on the right hash mark and throw it all the way back to the left sideline on a rope, you know, and it's like, oh, they just don't make those roles in the NFL. Guys just don't do that Ben did and his prime Ben was uniquely special. And I still think he's very effective, very efficient, but he's not playing at the Hall of Fame level he once did last

but not Lee. He's time to take a closer look at the reigning champs in the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers. They opened the season with the seven point win at Buffalo before losing at home by nine to the Raiders. Ed Bouchet from The Athletic has been covering the team for more than thirty years, and when he joined Lapping Me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show, I started our conversation by asking Ed how good he thinks the Steelers are? Probably thing in Pittsburgh right now seems

to be How bad are they? You know that that loss at home to the Rangers was was kind of disappointing for everybody involved. Um, you know, after the after the big winning in Buffalo against a team that you know it was considered maybe an AFC contender this year, not maybe they were considered an AFC contender this year, you go up there and beat them, boom, but you know they have a ton of injuries now, their offensive line is terrible, Ben Roethlisberger is not getting any time

to throw in. The running game is going nowhere. Other than that, they look pretty good. So let me ask you about Matt Canada first time offensive coordinator and Adrian Clem. You mentioned the offensive line, he's the offensive line coach. There was a shake up in the staff, and what is the take from the players that you've talked to or had a chance to inquire their thoughts on these coaches? Where are they? Where are the players with these new

coaches offensively? Yeah, Dave, I have to tell you, in this age of COVID, it's hard to talk to anybody. You know, you don't get the time to talk to them anymore. They bring them out for mass interviews and that's it. So it's hard to judge. Ben Roethlisberger seemed to be a little not happy with Matt Canada after the game. He talked about not having as a no huddle offense. He said, we don't have a no huddle offense and that was his bread and butter through the years.

So there seems to be maybe some some disconnect there. You know, their offensive line, it doesn't matter who's coaching them, right now, Um, they're they're just not very good, and they're they're young. They're hoping they develop, but there's a lot of hope there because they have two rookie starting, a second year guy starting, and it's just not not not working out. I mean, Ben was knocked down ten or he was hit ten times on Sunday Fox Life. They can't run. I'm drafted naj Harris in the first

run on first round. Sorry and Art Ernie, the Steelers president, proclaimed that they needed to be better at the running game and they're worse. Um, and now they have all these injuries on defense, so it's it's not a very good spot where they're in. Right now, we're talking to Ed Buchet, who covers the Steelers for the Athletic. Let's talk about those injuries. T J. Watt, Devin Bush, Joe Hayden and others. I guess they all practiced in subway shape or form today. But do you think those guys

answer the bell? And even if they do, are they going to be the t J. Watt, Devin Bush, and Joe Hayden that were accustomed to see? Yeah, they have groin injuries and what's unbelievable is there's like for them. They have groin injuries. I've never seen so much at one time since I've been covering them, and those are things it's hard to tell. I mean, they can feel one good one day and then go out and you know, do a few things and bang, it's it's back. T J.

Watt was limited in practice today. I'm Devin Busch who missed the game totally because he injured his groin and practice this last Friday. It was a full practice guy today. So if it's Wednesday, that's a good sign. Um. Joe Hayden was limited in practice. He also missed the game, and they had added another linebacker, Alex Highsmith to their groin injury list UM after the game, and he didn't practiced today. So it's it's really guys, it's really up in the air of who is going to play and

what effectiveness if they do play, they're going to have. Yeah, I've got a little slogan for you about the groin that you want to use. Feel free. Just tell the Pittsburgh Steeler players that a loose groin is a happy groin, and right now they don't have many happy groins over there. It doesn't doesn't sound like so um that is. It's it's amazing how there seems to be an outbreak and an injury. You know, if there's if there's hamstring injuries,

there's like three or four groin injuries. It's almost like a contagious thing. What about Ben rothters Burger's left pectoral? You know in Cincinnati everybody kids about him being a diva with respect to injury. He wants to be John Wayne and save the day. Is the left pectoral legit or is it just Ben being Ben David's not just Cincinnati that jokes about that. They joke about it Pittsburgh too, and all over the league. It's his left pectoral and

he's right handed. They do have these things called pain killers. So I think he's gonna be okay. He didn't practice today, never practices on Wednesday, but they did list that as the reason. Usually they left conscious decisions. But I expect him to be okay. But if that offends the line can't block any better than they did the first two games, How long he's gonna be okay? Yeah, he's thirty nine years old. When he was twenty nine, he could avoid

the rush a little better. He did a good job actually of avoiding some hit Sunday and getting rid of the ball. He was sacked twice, but you know that's not going to work much longer if that continues to happen. You said, he got hit ten times and he gets the ball out like two point two seconds. What's he gonna have to get down to one point eight? I mean to get out without getting hit. It's crazy. Yeah, you know, I don't know how they keep those the

clock on it. I guess that's an average, but I mean he was running around at times where it was much longer than that, and it was like that in Buffalo as well. You know, he came back to win a super Bowl. That's his only reason to come back, and that is after watching the first two games. That's so far away right now. I mean, if they don't get this offensive line six. I can't emphasize enough how they've been. You know, he's not going to make it

through half the season. And here's my final question. Is the Steelers opening day quarterback for next year currently on the roster? You know, that's the question We've been asked for a long time. Really, that was a popular question here, Dan, I don't know I really don't know. I thought that it Ben played well this year, he could even try and come back next year. But that is soot the question a moment. Dwayne Haskins, we have not been enough

of him. Mason Rudolph, I don't know that. Um, you know they did it send him another year, so I would I don't know. I can't answer that question. I really can't. Ben took a pay cut, Hallo Hallo, turned down less money or turned down more money with Jacksonville to come back and try to make this last run. You know, with Ben, um, you you almost like wow. In the early stages here it's too bad, too bad

with some of these guys. But Pittsburgh Smith one year right, took the one year deal and expected to come back right right. So, and Mike Tomlins never had a losing season, you know, fourteen years into his fifteenth. So it's funny in my mind, haven't seen this stealer organization for so many years. Just when it looks it's bleakest, they just

they just come after you somehow. I mean, I'm never going to count them out until all seventeen games are over, but man, it sounds like they've they've got a few problems, these injury problems in your mind. You know, I guess I don't think you have an injury crystal Ball. But do you think every almost every one of those players are going to try to play or do you think, like you were talking about, you can't come back too soon and you know, reinjure the growing er, exacerbate the

groin injury or whatever the injury may be. Do you think most of these guys are gonna play or do you think, yeah, maybe half of them won't. You know? Uh, injuries are so funny. Um, I would think t J is going to play. The fact he practiced on Wednesday, even in limited form that I would think he's gonna play. I think Joe Hayden's gonna play. Um, I'm not sure about Alex Highsmith. But you know they've lost two thirds

of their starting defensive line as well. I mean Stefan to It and all Oallu um And and Cam Hayward were their starters and they Cam's the only long standing right now, and that was a pretty good offense defensive line. So even if those two guys are not going to play, Lullu and Stefan to it, So you know it's Mike Thomas said a long time ago when he was hired. It's a game of attrition and they're losing the attrition

war right now. If I'm an offensive lineman looking like you said, 'allo 'allo out with a broken ankle, to it on injury reserve bud Dupree, you know, with it with another team with Tennessee now it's it's a much different look out front. But I don't know. Man Ingram, don't don't sleep on Ingram. I've seen that. Look good Ingram looks good. Ingram look really looks good. The problem is they have three outside linebackers and they want to rotate them to give them breaks, make them fresh. DJ

want Ingram and Alex Heismith. And when they're all healthy, that first game they were unbelievable. Now and the second game they lost Watt and now Heismith has a growing injury, so it's all, you know, it all will depend on that. Otherwise, they were getting a pass rush on four man rush in Buffalo, like I think they blitzed twice and it really worked for them. But with all these guys out,

that's not working. So I don't know how they're going to do it thorough, you know, if they're going to try and flit them a little more than they've been doing or what. When it comes to learning about the Steelers, there's no better guests than Ed Boushell. It's been covering the team for decades. We really appreciate you coming on the show tonight. Ed. Thank you, good being with you guys. Thank Just a quick reminder to join lapping me for the Bengals pep Rally show this Friday from three to

six on ESPN fifteen thirty. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by bud Light. Seltzer refreshed the game. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thank you for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast