Bengals Booth Podcast: Chicago, Chicago

Hig and everybody.

I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast, the Chicgo Chic Go edition. As the Bengals rest their starters in Week two of the preseason and lose to the Chicago Bears twenty seven to three. Coming up radio replays, locker room comments and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's Fun Facts Conversation, you'll get to know the Eagles scout on the Bengals roster, rookie linebacker Muma

He has the ball.

It's a Blitz gets rid of it as he's hit and it's intercepted as the ball fluttered right into the hands of a Chicago linebacker who picked it off and ran it out to the twenty six yard line, intercepted by amon Ogbon Bamega. After the big hit on the Blitz on loganwood Side.

Eric Washington, I'm pressuring. I don't think they can pick it up. He brought more one more they could than they could block.

Turnover big one third down in goal from the seven. Caleb Williams back to throw again, looking scrambling, gets away from a sack, spins around, rolling left, pointing toward the end zone. Now he takes off and runs and jumps into the end zone for a Chicago touchdown.

For what he did when he created when he spun away and made the opportunity for himself to get outside. Two Bengals defensive linemen fell to the ground so you can't pursue anybody when you're on the ground.

This will be a fifty four yard try from the right. Hash Rico, the rookie punter, puts the ball down. The kick is on its way and has plenty of distance, and it is good and the Bengals in the half with three points. As the clock hits zero on a fifty four yard field goal by Evan McK pherson, Traveon Williams checks back in a running back, first time we've seen him on the field in a while. Here comes another blitz. A pass is intercepted and streaking down field

So you don't have to be a football physicist or whatever. Three turnovers, three giveaways, no takeaways, eleven penalties for hundred and twenty three yards.

That adds up to a tough day.

Yeah, it overshadowed some positive things. But this is football and we got to learn from it as a team. And that's what twenty three looks like. When you get dominated penalties, dominating field position, dominating turnovers, hasting to do it. Talent has undo it scheme. It's just a mindset and an awareness level that we didn't have today. And I was disappointed, particularly in the second half.

The first three three possessions your number two's as such, going against their number ones. Three straight three and outs, I mean no first downs. I mean the game started off pretty well on that side of the football, a.

Lot of positives, I mean three thrad's for the announced defense, the offense moved the ball, got into scoring range, and we just blitz pick up a turnover. Those things bid us there, and really we should have been in a much better situation with the lead, playing with the lead and all the things that comes with that.

They were very aggressive in how they were blitz and they were bringing people from the back end. They were they were pretty aggressive. I mean, was it anything that was unexpected prepared for all of that.

It was as simple as it gets, and we didn't do a good job handling it, and that was disappointing.

Good on them.

They just kept repeating the same nickel pressure over and over because we kept proving we weren't going to pick it up. And uh, that's that's that's on the communication up front the quarterback, and we got to do much better job there.

How did your your young bucket at center performed? Lee took every snap basically in the game, didn't he he did?

Yeah, well we'll see, you know, we'll be able to watch tape and have a better evaluation.

How about Jenkins, he came up with a sack. He looked like he was holding his own in there, going against the number ones.

I mean that was encouraging as well.

Yeah, I mean he was part of a front that really held into four yards rushing through those first three drives. I had the reverse that got out on us, But I thought that there were some positive things from him and the rest of that defense.

What about returning kicks?

Bert, Yeah, you got to use these preseason games to evaluate all your guys and in different places to play him and see how they can help the team. And so we just wanted to get in their evaluation in the return game with him on some things.

So any injuries to speak up, did you get out of it fairly clean? After what took place during the joint practice.

We'll see there's a couple of things that we're gonna have to manage, you know, And so we'll get a better feel for that tonight and tomorrow morning and have more word on that tomorrow probably.

And then you've got practice on Monday. I'm sure that won't be a grinder as such, because you got you got a big joint practice again on Tuesday, don't you.

Yeah, that's right.

We got still an opportunity on Monday to get better and improve on some things and then really ramp up for Tuesday against the Coals.

To be a funday coach. I appreciate your time as always.

You got it.

The bengals only points came on Evan McPherson's fifty four yard field goal with rookie punter Ryan Rico doing the holding on the final play of the first half. Last week, Money Mack missed a fifty eight yard try to end the half.

It was good to get that one to go through.

I get the confidence roll a little bit, get the first one under our belt. It's good for Ryan to get out there too in those situations. It's funny how I played out similarly to last week, but I'm glad that this time we were able to execute what was the field like. This field has always been kind of weird every time that I've been here. They laid the SOD I think on Thursday, so it seems everywhere had to make sure you don't plan on it because it

Haven't signed a contract extension. We understand it's really not a topic yet until you do, but clearly the organization is excited about the opportunity to extend this in the near future.

Yeah, for sure, and I'm excited about it.

We'll see whenever I sign it, we'll get a press converage together, get to talk about.

It a little more.

But no, I'm excited, and I'm grateful for the Brown family and everybody that worked on this steal. It really means a lot that they showed how much they value me, and it just gives me some confidence to go into the season just knowing that this is where we're going to be for the next couple of years. So, you know, I'm excited.

It's reportedly a three year contract extension for sixteen point five million bucks, and it's expected to be signed before the Bengals return to practice on Monday. Now time for the radio guys recap map. I think going into this game, we thought, all right, it might not go all that well. The Bears are going to play starters, the Bengals are not. In the first quarter, the Bengals second string defense did a phenomenal job against Caleb Williams and a really talented

Agreed three straight three and outs. I thought they really showed very very well. I mean, they had Caleb Williams on his heels, you know, and then as the game progressed, he started making plays and started building his confidence. He was on stoes, he was he was playing pretty well. But I agree with you. I thought, in the early stage of the football game, the number two is more than held their own against the Chicago Bears defense.

He has a lot of talent.

I mean, they got a really good quarterback, three wide receivers that are threats, tight end, running back. I mean they're they're pretty darn good. And uh for three possessions, no first outs, three three and outs, I think they only had four yards total on their first three possessions, something crazy like that. So it shows what these guys are capable of. And I thought, you know, guys like Chris Jenkins gets his first NFL sack, he was a disruptive. I thought he was a good a good force inside.

And there's always going to.

Be plays that you want to have back I don't care what position you play, and I don't care what level of football you play. So I think those two young guys probably took advantage of opportunities pretty darn well.

Josh Newton's had an excellent camp, but he's a rookie. They're going to be ups and downs, and he had some downs in this game. A very costly pass interference penalty gave up one of the touchdown passes. So there were some learning moments, to put it nicely, for Josh in this game.

There were And here's the real true test of a rookie. How's he gonna respond. There's no way this kid's going in the tank. He's got too much you know, going for him, intelligence, competitiveness, desire.

He'll learn.

Like you said, there's lessons to be learned, and he'll learn them and he won't make the same mistake twice. And we'll come back against the Colts and probably you know, make plays. And that's the sign of if you've got a football player that can last in the National Football League, going against the best of the best, you know, every single week and every single day in practice. I mean, they're going to be moments where, man, what the heck

The Bengals have issues at offensive tackle.

Marius Mimms out for several weeks with a strained pectoral, Deontae Smith out for the rest of the year with a knee injury. Orlando Brown Junior and Trent Brown did not start in this game. So the starting offensive tackles were guys that they really project to be guards, and as you might expect, the Bears were able to capitalize on that.

Yeah, I thought, I thought Kirkland had a pretty solid day.

I remember Ford getting bull rushed once and you know, there was some some situation there. Like I said, though it's like, you know, you play sixty snaps, which the offense did, there's going to be a handful that you're not proud of. You just hope that they're not catastrophes, they're not tragedies. So yeah, it was it was. It was makeshift in the offensive line.

For sure.

You got a rookie rookie center.

Gillam played a left guard left guard spot, and you know Ford was out there at at right tackle and

Played their starting quarterback, the first pick in the draft, Caleb Williams. For a half, the Bengals starting quarterback was their number three QB, Logan Woodside.

How do you think he did?

I think, you know, there were some ups and downs to his players. Well, the thing I like about him is man I mentioned it during the game. I saw him at various spots in the hotel, whether it be in a meeting room all by himself or the cafeteria all by himself, whatever, just putting an extra time, I mean, grinding, you know, making sure that he was going to take full advantage of this opportunity. I thought he played really well in the first preseason game. I thought he was stellar.

Assuming that Jake Browning's injury isn't too serious and we don't think it is, your number three quarterback can be one of two things. A developmental guy somebody had drafted maybe try to you know, develop into being a backup someday. Or it can be a veteran guy that you trust if something were to happen, you know, you've got a guy waiting in the wings. It feels to me like Logan Woodside fits that second description pretty well.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Yeah, I mean, I think I think that it's it's like he's been around long enough where you kind of know what you have, you know, from a developmental standpoint.

But you like it for the reasons that you're talking about.

If you know, if all hell breaks loose and you know you're a you're put in a situation that you never thought you'd be in a million years. You can have a guy that has been under fire, has been exposed to it at the at the NFL level, and as mature and you know can handle everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly. That's invaluable deposition, no question about it.

Evan McPherson drilled the fifty four yard field goal to account for the Bengals only points. And Ryan Rico got a lot of punting opportunities in this game. With Grab Robbins out and we don't know about his status for the start of the regular season. I would think a lot of opportunities for Ryan Rico is only a good thing.

Yeah, definitely. And you know there were some mixed results there. I mean, he got lucky, he got good bounce, I should say on one of them that ended up being a fifty plus yard punt that really wasn't that And then his hangtime probably wasn't what he wanted. He can kick him to the moon, so he was probably, I don't know, maybe pressing a little bit. You know, this opportunity, man, it's here. I got to take full advantage and you

Charlie Jones should be back from his kneebrews soon. In the meantime, we might have found out something about Jermaine Burton as a return threat. He looked good both as a punt returner and as a kick returner today and he did not do that in college.

I thought that he made really good decisions, and that's you know, the biggest percentage of the battle is being decisive and making a quick decision. And I thought he did that. And he got upfield, he got north and south as quickly as he possibly could. And man, he's explosive, he's sudden, he's got a strong body. I mean, all the all the attributes that you like about him as a as a receiver, he checks all those boxes as a as a return guy as well. I mean he's

The results on the field weren't great on this extended road trip to Chicago. Obviously, they had a couple of very costly injuries in Thursday's joint practice, but there were some good team bonding opportunities. The guys had some nice dinners out. They had the Rookie Talent show at the team hotel. So some of the things that you don't get a chance to see necessarily were good on this trip.

Yeah, and you know what it is valuable to Dan. It's like when you're at a joint practice like they had and the weather's so terrible and all that you sit around and.

You talk about it, what was good, what do we need to do better? You know, and then you can joke about it too. Man, you look so terrible in that ray.

I mean, you can have some fun with guys and it can be a learning experience, a fun experience, a bonding experience. I mean, you can always make a chicken salad at a chicken as best you can.

That's a good note to wrap up on, and see you for the joint practice on Tuesday.

Look forward to that, sir.

We'll see the starters back on the field in that joint practice against the Colts on Tuesday afternoon. The final preseason game is Thursday night at home against Indy. Kickoff is at eight o'clock. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corp, 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

Of the Bengals.

Now it's time for this week's fun Facts conversation, where you get to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts with a Bengals rookie who has the most difficult last name to spell since Shushman Zada, Mumma Jong Meta.

How did I do good? I said it?

Okay, Yeah, you said it?

Okay, that's all right.

I want to start with your parents, who sound like pretty remarkable people. Your mom was a Fulbright scholar, which is extremely prestigious. Both of your parents have PhDs, which is obviously an extremely high level of academic achievement. What do you admire and respect about your folks?

My dad has three masters?

Just the record fell out the record. No, what do I admire and respect them? About my parents? I mean they are great people. Also just the it's nasty and the perseverance to.

Leave their country at a young age.

I mean a little bit about them. So they were from Cameroon, but just because of the political socioeconomic situation in Cameroon, as someone who's English speaking, so it's there's English speaking and French speaking people. Just the schools aren't as welcoming for Uncle Phone people in Comeroon. So they went to Nigeria. So they left, They left their family, They went to Nigeria, a different country for university, and

A and m moves us, my dad, all.

Of us across the world, goes into remission, she's doing her PhD, finishes her PhD, beats cancer the second time. My dad's supporting us with his university job that pays nothing. And then like they are trailblazers to the max. And so like you know, I play art sport, we play hard sport. There's a lot that goes into it. There's a lot of you know everything, great diversity, but like, was it really you know, what's that adversity I faced in this sport compared to what they really had to do.

Have you ever been back to Cameroon?

Yeah?

So, like I said, I was born there, went there again in twenty twelve and haven't been back since. There's a civil war right now, unfortunately, so I have not been back since.

Because it's safe to assume that grades came first in the Jong Meta household.

Grades came first. Grades came first. If you want to go see your friends, what are grades looking like? At one point, my dad was uh telling me that, hey, if you you know, you get a C minus and ap COWC, you're we're gonna quit football. You know, we're gonna turn your cleats. And so, I mean, it was always grades first, and it was hard then, but you know now you look back and it's just like they were just trying to teach me the important and priorities and what's really important.

And uh, I mean obviously it worked out. You know, if I had gotten that sea and I had to quit football, let's suck. No, that would really suck. But you know, it motivated me and got to B minus. So grades always came first, for sure.

We're visiting with Bouma Jong Matta. Unlike most of your Bengals teammates, you did not grow up with a football in your hands. How and when did you get involved with this sport?

Yeah, freshman year of high school got involved. You know, we had a uh, basically we had this I went to a really big high school, right four thousand kids, and so as part of the transition from eighth grade to ninth grade, they had they would always do like these symposiums pretty much just like kids know, like hey, this was with the squad to offer, and so they sent some kids from the high school to my junior high to do an art symposium, like completely random. And

Seriously, no jokes, something as simple as that.

You know, if he hadn't taken art as a just an easy credit his senior year, like maybe I wouldn't be playing football.

You know, I didn't wearcket.

Or yeah, if you didn't whar the letter you know, if he was just a guy like no letterman jacket.

You know who knows if I'm playing football?

So now, but I saw him from Afar and I was like, man, I want you know, that's the type of dude, I want to be like so, and that that moment, that day, that small day, led me on this nine year plus journey.

And it's crazy.

Once you started playing, what about this sport captivated you?

Yeah, I mean.

The first thing was I wasn't very good at it, and that that was like frustrating because it was like I should be like I get my butt kicked, I feel like I'm getting the hang of this, but I'm so I'm still sucking. And I think that's really what it was. So like I was drawn for like maybe some more superficial reasons, but what kept me going was just the ability to get better like that, just the chase of like, Okay, all right, I'm working on this.

I'm working on this.

Okay, boom, it's shown up. All right, cool, now I'm working on this. I'm working on this. There was a camaraderie, the team aspect of it, Like there's very like, I don't know, team sports are awesome.

You know.

I did discus in high school, and there's a team element to that, but like you're the one in the ring, you know, and the team element comes out when maybe your points come together for the team. But like it's a solo sport. I've done solo sports, but I love team sports. I love team sports. There's nothing like them. The camaraderie, the brotherhood, the development of the men, you know, to the man I became and becoming as I played the sport, and the longer I played, the more I

The lessons are there.

You just have to look a little closer to see him, and closer I looked them, I was like, man, this there's nothing like the sport.

So it's a blessing to be here. I'm very excited.

You went to high school in the Chicago area. You excelled on the field and in the classroom, and at the end of your high school career, the Ivy League schools came calling, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, et cetera. Considering your parents' academic achievements. Did they push you toward the IVY League?

No?

One thing I love about my parents, they never really pushed me for football. There's they actually pushed me against the like we don't know if we don't know, if.

This is the answer. And then you know what. You know, once college was free, They're like, all right, we're good for it. No, I mean.

They were like, yeah, go wherever makes you happy. And you know, I ended up being Wisconsin, which was a great decision.

I loved. I loved Wisconsin.

And a great school. You spent five years there. What was your favorite part of your college experience?

Oh, my goodness, this is a whole other interview.

Wisconsin is an amazing place because it's like it's it's kind of the epitome of what I think. Like I don't know, I think what college should be. It's like work hard, play hard. That's how I am. They kids over there are so smart. I mean I remember.

So there's that. There's that. There's the it's two hours away from my house.

So like so many of my so so many high school KI went there, but like not too many where it felt like.

I was in high school.

But like enough where you walk around you're seeing, oh, you're running to people like you haven't seen it in a while. So I have friends who like we go out together. You know, they were in Greek life and maybe I'm going out once a week and they're telling me stories of throughout Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

I'm like, oh my goodness.

And then final this time came around and U and they started talking about school. I'm like, okay, like what are you studying?

We're going down the line. One of them is a biomedical engineer.

One of them's uh, one of them is neurobiology. One of them this, that, this, and this was, uh this was my girl group friend my girl friend group. So like they were all in the sororities and they were like active in Greek life and partying and doing this, and it was like like that was what Wisconsin was like, super smart kids who were down a good time to have a good time, but who were also about their business and it was a great combination.

Loved it there.

Some kids can pull it off. That wasn't a lot of them.

So, following a great career with the Badgers, you weren't selected in this year's draft, but it sounds like the Bengals made it clear for months that they would be interested in signing you as a college free agent.

Was that the case, Yeah, I I caught me by surprise the Bengals, you know, so you know, my agent's like, yeah, some teams just like the stand of the radar. You know, I spoke with them. I spoke with them at the Hula Bowl. I think I spoke with them at the East West Ron game. I spoke with Ronnie Ragula like maybe two weeks before the draft.

That was it.

But they didn't seem any more interested or less interested than any other team. So it's kind of surprised when I got the call, but I was. It was like a pleasant surprise. I love Cincinnati into a ton of Reds games. I'm a baseball fan now because of them.

I love the.

Vibes of the city. The locker room culture here is unreal. The linebacker room is great Logan Jermaine, Akeem Joe. I mean the great guys have learned from Like there's a lot, uh you know, great pieces on the offense and defense like this is. There's so much going for this team that I love that. I'm just blessed to be here every day.

So I was kind of guarded when they called me, but I was like, let's go, let's ride.

So we're chatting the moment, Jong Meta. In your preseason debut, you led the team with ten tackles and two pass deflections. Did you feel like you showed you belong.

Yeah, that's an interesting question. I feel like I feel like you know.

I think, first of all, it is a blessing to play well on Saturday, Like that's awesome.

Anytime you play well, it's like a great feeling.

But also there's a realization that you know, it's about the body of work. You know, no one remembers the one hit Wonders. You know, a bunch of songs that I've listened to from artists where man, it's only that's the only song, Like it was cool back back then, But what about now, you know? And what I mean by that is it was great to play well, But at the end of the day, what can I do

The course of time.

And my whole mindsett since I got here in April or May or it's felt like I've been here for a year. But try I belong every day by my preparation, how I take care of my body, you know, how I am in the meeting rooms, what the vets you're doing, I'm doing. I'm taking care of my You know I already said I but I'm taking care of my body before after practice, like all those things. In my mind is showing that I belong in great to go out there and play really well.

But at the end of the day, it's what have I been doing in practice?

What I have I been doing in OTAs, in training camp, all that stuff. I think it's the body of work that contributes to that.

You're an Eagle Scout, meaning you earned at least twenty one merit badge. Is what does rank of Eagle Scout represent to you?

Yeah?

Scout is trustworthy, loyal, honest, helpful, friendly, kind, courageous, obedient, cheerful, brave, thrifty, and reverent.

Yeah.

So we used to recite that all the time. But no, I mean being an Eagle Scout was is cool. My dad said it would help me get in college.

Football helped me get into college.

But the skills I learned boy scouts, I think actually have transferred into the type of person I am today and the leader I am just because in boy scouts are dealing with all types of people and trying to combine together for one common goal, sort of like football, except the things that keep people together in football are slightly different than the things that keep people together in a boy Scout unit. But I loved my experience there

Kids, I'm like, how mean babysit for you? I'm an eagle scout like I have that going for me. So no, yeah, that's something I did in my past life.

You majored in business with a focus in finance, banking and investment. Do you know what you would like to do after football?

Yeah, hopefully in you know, fifteen twenty.

No, I'm gonna go the next chance I get, you know, hopefully next offseason or whenever the time comes. I'm gonna finish my masters. I have one more semester left my master's in the finance, and then probably pursue that route, do some some on that end.

Final fun fact for Muma Jong Matta, This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anyone in history, living or deceased, who would that person be?

Oh uh, probably Jesus.

And then if I could like be like your phone a friend, like get Buddha, get Buddha on the line. Yeah, I mean definitely been growing in my faith probably yeah, since honestly since college.

So I'd love to meet Jesus. Uh and then maybe a nonspiritual answer.

No, I'm gonna submit that. That's my final answer, Jesus and then.

Buddh And it's a very good answer. I appreciate your time. Hope you have another great game this week and best of luck in the future.

Appreciate you, Thank you.

Booma has done very well in the first two preseason games as he looks to earn a spot on the fifty three man roster or the Bengals sixteen man practice squad.

That's going to.

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