Bengals Booth Podcast: Closer To The Prize

analysis from my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's fun fact segment, you'll get to know a guy who's first start in a Bengals uniform came in last week's playoff win over Baltimore offensive lineman Max Sharping. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and community to a new level.

Elevate your connection with Alti Fiber. 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 the weather Bug app for weather information. I used to rely on the Dark Sky's app. Unfortunately it's shut down on January first, so I needed an alternative, and

somebody suggested WeatherBug. Great call. It's free, it's easy to use, and it's got all sorts of great features, from current weather conditions to the ten day forecast, to rate our maps. You name it, it's got it. So if you are looking for a good weather app for your phone, my forecast says, download weather Bug. Now, let's get to football. In the Bengals first fifty three seasons, they want a total five playoff games. In the last two years, they've

doubled that total to ten. On Sunday in Buffalo, the Bengals were missing three starting offensive linemen and were a six point underdog to the Buffalo Bills, the overwhelming preseason favorite this year in the NFL. According to Caesar's Sportsbook, more than twice as much money was bet on Buffalo to win the Super Bowl than any other team. Those Buffalo betting slips can now be ripped up and tossed in the trash. Here are the radio calls from a

dominant performance that ended the Bill season. This afternoon here in wintry Orchard Park, New York. One of the NFL's best teams will stay alive on the road to the Super Bowl. Will it be Joe Burrow and the Bengals or Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Te Higgins out why to the left? Shotgun staff short dropped by Burrow. The pressure comes from the left. He throws. They caught at the game, Chase straight ahead into the end zone. Touchdown.

On the opening drive for Cincinnati, a twenty eight yard throw lofted down the middle of the field by Joe Burrow, just a touch throw. Chase reached up at the eight, caught it and raced straight ahead into the end zone for the score. Joe waits for the shotgun snap. He catches pump fakes to the right. Well gut crows to get m zone. It is caught by hayden Hurst. Touchdown Bengals. Burrow sucked the Bills in with the pump fake and hayden Hurst was wide open at the goal line. Blown

coverage period. Alan is under center Buffalo trying to get on the scoreboard. Receiver goes in motion. That's Gabe Davis. Alan runs left and the big quarterback takes it into the end zone for Buffalo's first score. Empty backfield shotgun snap burrow over the middle, a leaping cat chase. He has the ball touchdown right on the back line of the end zone. He went airborne, two defenders nearby, and he made the catch for the ten yard Cincinnati touchdown.

And the footwork was extraordinary. Left right, tap tap, get him both down. The official took his time to make the call because he knew he made the catch. Did he get both feet down and bounds? The receiver lost control of the ball. They're saying, I was just about to say, as Chase is a ten yard line he said the game back for one has Chase went to the ground out of bounds. After getting both feet down,

the ball bobbles just a bit. Matt Milano had a hand in there, and as he's landing on his backside, the ball moves just a little bit. So this will be a twenty eight yard field goal attempt for Evan McPherson. Chrisman puts it down, the kick is up, and it is good. The Bengals thought they had seven, They wind up with three. After a lengthy replay review goes in Buffalo favor. Burrow be under center, first in goal, about an inch maybe a half an inch away from the

goal line. Te Higgins motions lines up to the right, right next to the right tackle's Burrow hands it off. Mixon goes airborne, waiting for the signal. The officials walking toward the pile come. No signal yet. Nope, be short. They are not going to give it to Joe Mixon. The Bengals replay challenge is successful. It's a one yard touchdown run for Joe Mixon. Fourth and six at the Cincinnati sixteen, the clock running with seven thirty seven to go.

The Bills go with an empty backfield again. Three receivers left, two out to the right, including digs Hallen back to throw, scrambling right, who's back toward the middle of the field, jestering toward the end zone. Throws toward the end zone. It is batted away, knocked away by Eli Apple a pass intended for Gabe Davis, and the Bengals have the ball with a seventeen point lead and seven twenty three to go. Allen back to throw on second in five

pump fakes. Now he's gonna launch a deep downfield scepta by Cam Taylor Brett and that his officially coffin now bam bam courtesy Cam Britt. Get the takeaway, why don't you snow angels in the end zone for Cam Taylor Britt and his defensive teammates. With one h two to go, the Bengals are heading to Kansas City. And I'll tell you, Dan, this is surprising to me. Not that the Bengals won the football game, but the fashion twenty seven to ten.

One more snap will do it. Burrow behind Carris takes the snap takes any Trent Taylor does a fine backflip behind the line, Joe Mixon begins celebrating, and the Cincinnati Bengals are headed to Kansas City for the AFC champion Chip Game. Neither snow nor cold, nor an injury ravaged offensive line can keep the Cincinnati Bengals from going to the AFC Championship Game. The final score was twenty seven to ten, and the game didn't even feel that close.

The Bengals had thirty first downs, They're most ever in a playoff game. They ran for one hundred and seventy two yards, averaging five point one per carry, and Joe burrow through for two forty with a passer rating of one oh one point nine. And they did it with Hakimadenage making his third start at right tackle, Max Sharping making his second start at right guard, and Jackson Carmen

making his first start at left tackle. Joe Mixon finished with one hundred five yards on twenty carries, his first one hundred yard rushing performance in a playoff game. And Joe had this five letter description for his offensive line. Some damn dogs, d A w DS dolls. Dave Lapham talked to all five of those dogs after the game. I just want to talk to the offensive line, because the offensive line got it done today. We got Ted Carress. How are you doing, by the way, man doing good day,

big Win. I hope, I hope they refund all the tickets to Atlanta. I hear that? So all right? I got I got Ted Carross, I got Cordell Wilson, I get Max Sharping, Jackson Carmen over here who came at damage right? These five guys right here, one in the football game period. It was one in the trenches. Rushed

for over one hundred and fifty yards. Joe Mixon twenty carries, one hundred and five yards, two penalties on the whole day, six for ten on third down, there were only two plays out of sixty nine that went for negative yards sixteen plays of ten yards awards ass kicking up run. What do you think? Well, I think I'm so proud of these guys. I mean, we got three guys coming in. You know, I've been the biggest game of our lives, performing well with a dominating victory. So couldn't be happier.

So what about it? Everybody's saying, oh, man, the offensive line, the offensive line, what's going to happen? I mean, oh Jesus, what happened to you? M man? We just trusted in our work. We've been working for this since we came in. We know our goals. We got great guys, we're deep, we we trust each other. We went out there and we did what we had to do. Cordell Volson, you know, you supposedly you're a rookie, but you've already played a full season. You're not a rookie anymore, and now you've

got two wins in the playoffs. What's you feel like to be on this kind of a football team your rookie season. Yeah, It's great. You know, I couldn't couldn't ask be in a better situation, on a better team. Um, just the vets in this in this uh organization that have that have helped me from day one and forever. Thankful for those guys, and and uh, you know, we're we're just getting started though. We got we got two more games games ahead of us, and we're just gonna

keep getting better. Second AFC Championship game in a row, and you're playing a team that's going to their fifth in a row, their fifth home AFC Championship game, the Keenness City Chiefs. Max sharping here all right, So you've already played in three playoff games, you won two of the assists old had, you know, I mean, you get another playoff victory, though, what does it mean to you? Anytime you can win a game in NFL? It's gonna

be hard one, you know. So proud of these guys for how hard we worked all week, came out executed. And I just want to say, also, happy birthday mister Jackson Carmen. Yeah, what can you? Can you think of a better birthday present? I cannot? So what was it like out there today? I mean the crowd, noise handling, the silent napcount all that stuff. What what was it like? Jackson the Blast? It was fun. Cordell the off favorite

Viole ever played with in my life. And you know what I'm saying, were out there together in the trenches, and I could really conn have did it without him. Man, everything is gonna have the quarter professional. You know what I'm saying. I hear you, I hear you on the road. I mean, you got the running game going. That was so big. I mean, Joe one over one hundred yards twenty carries one hundred and five yards. You had well

over one hundred and fifty. As a as a football team, When you're running the ball like that, pass protection becomes like it's like night and day, isn't it trying to if you're if you don't, you don't running game going, they can tee off. When you got the running game going, you got them, don't you. You know it was it was just great to get the running game going early, you know, because then it then it kept you know,

us unpredictable. Um you know, it allowed us to run the ball and some get back on track situations and and Joe ran the ball extremely hard today and and uh, you know, our coaches did a great job of getting us into the right looks. So Joe Burrow starts the game nine for nine, I mean, unbelievable in this weather, on the road, crowd noise, all that stuff. You guys were giving a great protection. Did you guys realize that he was on that kind of a role to start

the game. We could just feel the energy on you know what I'm saying. We from Cincinnati were practicing every single weather. It gets cold as a cold and it gets hot as a hot. You know what I'm saying. We always tell ourselves you played best in the most of explaining conditions. You went out there and do what we do every day at practice. Execute. So when you when you have a field like that, do you do anything? Do you stay over your feet a little bit more?

Do you're not getting on your toes as much? I mean, do you have to change the way your approached to keep your footing? Was it really not that bad out there? What was the like out there on the field? You just got to do a great job of keeping your feet under you, keeping a good bass and and running your feet. Um, you know it. It affects both us and the defense. So you know it's no excuse. You just got to do a great job of keeping your

feet going and playing with a great bass. I was gonna say, you just got a channel your inner song. White just snowboard on the ice. There you go. You know it looked it looked to me like Joe Mixon was possessed. Man. The dude was playing at such a high level energy. It was like the kid in the neighborhood that loves to play in the snow. You know what I mean, Joe is just getting after it. Did you guys feel that? Man, When Joe is having a

great day, we're having a great day. Bo's been playing at the highest level because he started playing football, so it's back nothing different from Zult, That's who he is. He showed it to night. Congratulations, man, you played a hell of a football game. All you guys up front. I'll tell you as a as a former linement, when I was watching Joe run, I'm like, man, I just want I'll take one snap and not be able to get out of bed for a week, but I just want to take one. I mean, it was fun to

watch you guys do your thing out to today. I appreciate you day, Thanks Dave. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers. Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit Kettering health dot org to learn more. Joe Burrow is now five and one in playoff games, including three and oz in

true road games. I'm not counting the Super Bowl even though it was at the Rams Stadium because the crowd was closer to a fifty fifty split under steady snow showers that fell for the entire game. Burrow went nine for nine with a pair of touchdowns on the bengals first two drives to give Cincinnati a fourteen nothing lead, and the Bills never got closer than seven points. Here's Joe Mixon on his quarterback unbelievable. I mean, to come through in the snow and delivered dots the way he

was doing it, I mean, that's that's crazy. I'm gonna be out it. That's crazy. And I thought he did a hell of a job just facilitating the way he'd do. Um, I've never seen nothing like it, to be real. I mean, y'all could call it bias whatever y'all want to, but I've never seen nothing like it. I'm just so happy for him, and I'm happy for my teammates to be able to reaping the benefits the way with that we are.

I mean, we will come to work, work our asses off, and everybody just stay ready for the big moment and everybody come through. And you know, the lineman, I mean, we had three linemen down and for them guys to come through in a major way battle and compete and to play all four quarters the way they did. You know, nobody gave us a shot and we went out there to go take it. And I'm just like I said, I'm so happy for them guys and everybody deserving it.

Or eight different receivers caught passes for the Bengals, led by Jamar Chase, who finished with five grabs for sixty one yards and a touchdown. I caught up with him after the game. Jamar, this is unbelievable. I don't think anybody thought you not only would come here but dominate this game. What can you say about how well, the team played in every possible phase. You know, both sides of the ball and special teams did a great job today.

We did an outstanding job running the ball and give us opportunities it passed the ball or any down we wanted to. Defense given us opportunities to get the ball back and you know, make plays an offense. You know what I'm saying. Defense been doing anything in this whole year. How about that and opening drive? What kind of a tone setter was that here? To go down the field and score that touchdown? Yeah, I honestly think the defense messed up. You know what I'm saying. I think they

little covering whatever they was trying to do. Nickel blessed safety came down over and you know, nobody's in the middle of field, and I sat I've seen that and I just sat there in the zone. Joke bucking on me. That was it. You had an offensive line missing three starters and ran for more than one hundred and seventy yards more than four hundred total yards of offense. What can you say about the guys? A good job those guys did. Yeah, the old line incredible. Man, they're doing

a good job. So doing a good job, pointing the right direction for those guys and lead them, you know what I'm saying, and then you go maybe like two young guys on the line. You know what I'm saying. They stepped up today, so a hell of a job at him. You guys have said we're the big dogs if the AFC. Is this another step where you proved it. I mean, we know who we are, already had the whole lead, knows where we're killed. Beloved, It's not a surprise for nobody. I mean, they keep talking us down.

We're just gonna keep showing them. That's all Kansas City, fourth time in less than thirteen months, here you go again. Yeah, it should be a good game. It should be funny. Welcome to that touchdown. Man, they kind of took it when they took away from me. Yeah, shook hark from that. I caught it clean. It's just that when you're falling, gotta make sure you all the way contest, I mean all the way grab But you know what I'm saying, It's slipped on my hand a little bit. When I fail.

It's snowy all day happens, you know what I'm saying. I know there's a lot of hype about this Atlantic game. We'll just throw someone. We're gonna be an overlooked man. I wouldn't say we overlooked, you know what I'm saying. It's just the disrespect they gave us. You know what I'm saying. We don't really care how he treating nothing, how he gonna do us. We had the hardest schedule all year, and ain't nothing's gonna be easy for us, you know what I'm saying. We know what. We kipple

a lout. That's why we came out here, not making a fuss with nobody, just putting on the show for a while to see what was it like for you as the Louisiana kid to play on that snow Hey man, that was fun as hell. That was funny to say, I ain't gonna lie. I'll do it again. That's better than the rain. I do it again. That's Jamar Chase. The Bengals defense was phenomenal, holding the Bills to a season low ten points. During the regular year, Buffalo average

twenty eight point four, second best in the NFL. The Bengals hit Josh Allen eight times, including a sack by Von Bell, and deflected eight pass is The game's only turnover was the coffin Nail's interception with about a minute to go by a second round draft pick out of Nebraska who has started every game of the ten game winning streak. Following an injury to Chittabey a woogie. We're in the locker room with Cam Taylor Brett Cigar resting

in his right hand. Not let up yet, but you helped put it away with that interception late in the game. Describe your emotions and advancing to the AFC Championship game as a rookie. I feel a great man. You know that I could have contribute in a major way to the team. Uh help get to win. Uh. You know, just that last play, man, I was trying to tell the team I was gonna get one. Now he has to throw one, and I like him to not throw one.

So you know, I was just trying to tell the team next time, I'm trying to go ahead, end it. He took the chance and throw it, and you know I just with me and myself would go get the wall. It's a pretty good time to get your first NFLI how does the snow man with the guy h and he was winning and for the team, the organization cam. What was it like out there under those conditions today? Obviously the team played well, what did you think of it? I'm played in the Brownston. It was fine other than

you know, the ice getting stuck under the clicks. But other than that, man, I feel like you know, every team we played good man, we were prepared for whatever it was to come, and you know we went to mall. That's a great offense. You held him to ten points. What was the biggest key to this great defensive performance? I was locking up, man, I was on the back end. You know, I'm locking up, working around with the D line everything. You know, everybody working together on defense. Man.

You had some cover sacks and he has also you know, uh he cut through the ball because the line was getting back there so fast. So everybody, you know, we're together on the defense. Man, you know, to stop those guys in there and supposed to office. I know it's the opposite side of the ball. But what did you think of the job the offensive line yet missing three starters today? Man, that was great. I don't think anybody kind of expected it. Not on his team, but you know,

just everybody on the house. I don't think everybody expected those We got to step up and play the way that it did. Man, then no, it's always Nick man up and anybody could do it. So you're seeing for yourself. They did it out right. Be honest with me. I'm sure everybody in here expected to win this game. Could you expect to dominate the Buffalo Bills like that? Yeah? We did. Yeah, I want to say we had a ship man we dispected most definitely. So we just wear

our ball to the you know, to the fullest. Whoever's every fund. I've got to get it off to Kansas City, fourth meeting against the Chiefs in slightly more than a year, trying to beat him for a fourth straight time. We gotta do it. Like I said it last week, they gotta play. Congratulations. That's Cam Taylor Brady. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust paycres to help them recruit, pay, engage,

and retain employees. Learn more at paycor dot com. In Zach Taylor's first two seasons as an NFL head coach, the Bengals were six twenty five and one. In the last two seasons including playoffs. They're twenty seven and twelve. Here's Zach with Dave Lapham. Our guys were feeling it, you know, And I thought our coaches staff did a great job formulating a plan in all three phases. Our players believed in it. This was their moment, this is

their stage. You know. They got twenty four other teams in the league that are at home watching TV, watching these guys, and so you gotta put on a show for him, And I thought our guys did that today. Man, I tell you what was practice like, coach to come up and have the performance that you guys had. What was your Wednesday, Thursday, Friday? Like, did you come off the fielding? Man? We got something cooking here. Felt the

same as felt the last ten weeks. We practiced, you know, and there's there's no surprise why we've won ten games in a row. These guys, they prepare like they're going to play, and so there's no doubt when you walk up the field on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that we did everything we need to do there in that practice to get ourselves ready for Sunday. And so now it's on us to have our best seven days again this week and be ready to go to Kansas City.

Joe Burrow completed his first nine passes on his first fourteen completions here had already utilized eight different receivers. You talk about spreading the football is spreading the wealth. Unbelievable. He managed the game splittibly. You know. It's he knew when to use his fee to extend plays and find people in the scramble game. He just did a really good job put him sing in the right situations. There was a lot of cans, there's a lot of alerts he had to take in this game, and he did

a good job managing all that. What about your defense to hold that offensive football team to ten points, that's one of the best offenses on football. But we know we have the best defense in all football. And so the way that those guys just played together and communicate and in our d line really got it kick started, you know, with all the pressure they put on him and made him move around, and the coverage match it on the back end. It was awesome to see playing

football at such a high level. The weather, you know, a little bit dicey. No turnovers. You got a fourth down stop though, that's a turnover in my book. So you were plus one in that category. But to play that clean of football game in that environment, that's difficult. Now, it's hard. But again, our guys believe in what they were doing, and they played off of each other, and if we did have a play that wasn't so great, they just bowed up and made it on the next stop.

And so even on their scoring drives, they made him work for it, you know. And so I just thought our whole team just just came out and played really good, comprimary football in all three phases, and the sure did. I talked to the offensive lineman as a crew, and

they're happy, obviously, and I'm happy for him. I mean, the way the way Joe Mixon was running ball, I'm like, man, it's like kid in the neighborhood that players better than everybody else in snow and so it was just like killing it out there one hundred and five yards on twenty he rushed for over one hundred and fifty. How

big was that to settle down that old line? Oh, it's you know, anytime we can lean on the run game like that, it opens up the passes, it makes the protections easier and just just makes our life comfortable. And I thought that the backs ran hard. Started with Mixon. You know, he had a tremendous performance, was hitting it hard, hitting it downhill, got some big plays for us, some maje finished people draped around him for extra yards. I don't even know what his total was, but he got

some really hard earned run yards there. And that's credit to those two guys and Justin Hill doing a great job mainstream those guys this week. How about Joe Burrow not only out passing Josh Allen, but out rushing them. You know, everybody talks about Josh and rightfully saw him and the guys are freak extend create design quarterback runs. Joe Burrow, I mean he manipulated the defensive line with his feet, the secondary with his eyes. He manipulated everybody

out there. He did. He did a great job today and again from the first snap of the game, he was on it and it really did a great job finance checkdowns. You know that's they played off sometimes and didn't want to give us some explosives. He did a great job finding the underneth throws that extended plays. He had a great checkdown to Hayden Hurst on the third down,

third and long, Hayden got for first down there. I think it was at the end of the half, and so just just trimming his job by Burrow, you know, coach was I was watching you guys performed that party or offense. It took me back to nineteen seventies and I remember sitting in a classroom with Bill Walsh, and Bill Walsh goes, you know what, man, we're gonna take those four yard five yard checkdowns because two or three of those that's first down, and we string those together

pretty soon we're scoring points. I'll take those. I don't know about you. Gotta you okay with That's that was his whole emo. Just take it, be patient, manipulated. It's big. He's not greedy. You know, He'll take what you're giving him. And even if that means we've got to go sixteen plays all the way down the field. You know a lot of teams try to try to give you that, thinking that you'll get grady and you'll push it down the field from incompletion or turnover. And Joe just doesn't

do that. Okay, coach, It's onto Kansas City. They've this is the fifth straight AFC Championship game they're hosting. This is your second straight AFC Championship game. Should be in Atlanta, but yeah, you know it's going to be in Kansas City. I guess might as well just go there and beat him again. This is the way it's meant to be, you know, and so our guys will be ready for the opportunity. Appreciate you, thank you. So it's onto Kansas City,

where the Bengals will play in the late game. Next Sunday will kick off at six thirty, and the Chiefs open as a one and a half point favorite. In the NFC, it's the Eagles hosting the forty nine Ers at three. Philly is favored by two and a half.

Now time for the radio guys recap lap. On a Friday radio show, we played an interview with Eric Wettele on k Adams Up an Adams Show, where he said the Bengals have zero chants and Eric Windle wasn't the only person that felt their way with this injury ravaged offensive line. You've played the position for twelve years professionally, what can you say about that performance? I mean interviewed him in the In the postgame locker room. I could see it in their eyes and the you know, the

unspoken word. It was like, hell with you, everybody, you know. I mean, that's that's not a chip, that's a two by four. That's a challenge to your manhood. And these guys are full grown men and they take great pride in their profession. And these guys are all good football players. They wouldn't be here if they weren't good football players. But the key was the way they were on the ball, I mean, and that's what they're all. Oh man, yeah, we got out. We took control of the line of scrimmage.

I mean it was these games are one and loss to the line of scrimmage. And they took total control of the line of scrimmage. And over one hundred and seventy yards rush and Joe has one hundred and five of them. And Joe Mixon was possessed man. I mean, they fed off his energy. They were like, Joe is just running so hard and that does I remember when Pete Johnson would run guys over and be like, oh man, here we go. We got to get that big beast out in space again. Let him do it again. And uh,

it was fun. To watch. It really was fun to watch those guys. I said to him, man, they've got a couple of times I felt like, let me just do one play with you guys. I won't get out of bed for two weeks, let me just do it one time. It was like so exciting to watch what was going on down there. Deante Smith is the sixth offensive lineman and Dave Lapham as the seventh pets that you're right right, just one snap, one snap I'd probably probably would have been a outcome, But just to say, man,

that was so much fun out there. So when I was interviewed or did radio appearances this week, I said, the question of the game is can the offensive line be good enough? They're not going to be as good as they were? Can they be good enough? They were as good as they were. One sack, three quarterback hits, as you pointed out, tremendous run blocking, one hundred and seventy rushing yards in the game. I can't believe how well they played against the NFL's number two ranked scoring defense.

Don't turnovers, one sack, two penalties for nine yards, a couple of false start penalties. That's unbelievably clean in a tough environment on the road with snow coming down the whole game, and they're cleaning off the lines the whole day. So you're footing. You have to you have to really constant and stand over your feet. You can't get on your toes, you know too much. You try to try to be too cool with your footwork. I mean, what they did and how they did it, how they answered

the bell, it's gonna be. You know, everybody talks about Sam's you know, uh, the iconic dash, and it is. But this game with these guys who were totally doubted all week long. For them to perform the way they performed, man in playoff history, it's got to be. Got to rank up there for a position group stepping up to

an extremely high level, much higher than expectations. And talk to coach Pollock in the locker room afterwards, and he wanted to be a lot more colorful with his language than he was, but his message was, you know, he's just so proud of the guys and you know, had a lot of doubters and don't don't be jumping on board now. It's too late. All your daughters out there, too late, no room for you. I mean, these guys answered the bell to say the least. This team is

really playing the disrespect card right now. In that locker room, whether it was Buffalo being favored today, whether it was Buffalo being the preseason favorite when the Bengals were the reigning the AFC champ I heard guys saying, you better have reflendable tickets on those flights to Atlanta for Bengals or for Bills and Chiefs fans that bought tickets to a you know now canceled neutral site AFC championship game. These guys are thriving on that Joe mix and keeps

saying we're the big dogs, don't forget about it. And they've really found that edge from that disrespect card. And you know, Joe verbalize that and then backed it up. He backed it up. He was playing so hard, man, he was finishing everything, and he knew, you know, you put a little pressure on himself. He knew it, and he answered it. Man. He just he backed it up back to a big time. I think there should be a game in Atlanta. It should be Kansas City and

Cincinnati should be in Atlanta. What the hell they say the stadium is available let's gown and play. I mean, why not? I mean, you know, what the heck, why can't Cincinnati be in that mix? Come on, NFL? But you know what, it's sweeter to go to Kansas City and knock him off for the fourth time in a row. How about them though, Bengals going to the SC championship game for the second straight time. They're they're at home

for the fifth straight time. That is ridiculous. That's a Andy Reid got nothing but kudos and respect for that dude. So here they go again. This will be the fourth meeting in one year, in twenty seven days, so less

than thirteen months. The Bengals have won the first three and now the Chiefs are going to have a compromised Patrick mahomes My guests a week in advances that he'll play, but the doctors we've talked to have said he's likely to be worse off in a week than he was the day that he twisted his ankle or suffered a high ankle sprain, whatever it ultimately is, you know, diagnosed as the mobility he has the ability to run and

make plays, That stuff I think is gone. Yeah, I mean, you watch him pogo stick off the field to the sideline, and that's when adrenaline was pumping fast and furious, you know, and he wanted no part of coming out of that game. I mean he was throwing his helmet, throwing throwing his coat, throwing everything. Ubra competitor. But you know you gotta wonder watching the mechanics. He could not push off that right foot, so he's doing everything off his front foot, off his

front foot. The thing is he's got such a powerful thrown him, he doesn't need any feet. You know, he can make ridiculous throws. He'll make a lot of throws where he's airborne with no feet, no platform, rip it. You know, it's like he's a different breed of cat. But you know, the thing you have to wonder about is will he be compromised in terms of trying to manipulate and get away if he gets in trouble. He's

just sitting duck, you know, potentially a sitting duck. And do you want to roll the dice on him getting more seriously hurt? Potentially so, But I think they'll probably split snaps. I would see Mahomes and Chad Henny. Probably Henny's going to take more snaps than he normally would going into an AFC Championship game during practice, for sure, So I just certainly didn't expect to see this final

few minutes of the game. The Bills fans walking toward us because we were at the top of the lower bowl. They're on their way to the exits. The Bengals fans are making their way down to the first few rows to ring the stadium about ten rows deep and do the Hohoday chant in Buffalo after a dominant win. Unbelievable in your face, I mean, you know, just an in

your face thing. But I did hear people. As Dave Armberster and I were working our way to the locker room for postgame, I heard a lot of Buffalo Bills fans saying, you know, those those Bengals fans, man, I hope they win. They're pretty cool. They were pretty cool about this whole thing. And I think that that goes back to Damar Hamlin and everything that they kind of went through together. So, I mean, I don't think the Bengals fans were rubbing the Buffalo fans noses in it

or anything like that. I think they would being gracious in the victory, which is smart because you're on the road and you're out numbered. Your car has Ohio plates. Yeah exactly, But you know it's the support is just unbelievable. I mean watching players high fiving with Bengal fans in the lower role row of stands in that one end zone. I'm like, this is unreal. I mean, these people are everywhere. There's there's orange and black all over the stadium. It's crazy.

How luck here we I mean, how good do we have it? I mean it's it's unbelievable, like work, like major dre crubs work. This is work, are you Kidney? This is work? Right? This is fun. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside the Bengals app. Finally, it's time for this week's fun Facts interview, where you get

to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts at Bengals Offensive Lineman Max Sharping, Your life seems like a movie. You're from Green Bay. You grew up a few miles away from lambeau Field. You went to Vince Lombardi Middle School. When did the NFL dream begin to take shape for you? I think it was always a dream growing up. I went to Packers games

as young as I can remember. There's a photo of me and my dad walking towards Lambeau from when I was I don't know, probably three two, maybe even I don't know. I don't know what a hold I was. So it was always a dream. I don't think it really started taking shape till I started playing in high school and you know, got some accolades and got recruited to go to college. And even then I didn't you know, I went to Northern Illinois, so it was a smaller school.

So you hope you can prove yourself, but you never know, and thankful I was able to do that. Green Bay is obviously a small community. Do you see the Packers players and coaches around town? Did you go to school with their kids? What kind of contact do you have with the Packers when you grow up there. One of

the coaches had a son in my in my class. Actually, Joe Philbin had had a son, Tim Philbin, that I went to high school with for a couple of years before he went down to Miami Khalil Mackenzie, the son of the GM for the Raiders for a while, Reggie Mackenzie. He was a year younger than me. I still keep in contact with him. He's on the Ravens practice squad. So we were shooting each other messages just last week

and we're you know, pretty good buddy. So it's you run into him time to time, but most of the time it was not too noticeable. I would say, we're visiting with Max Sharping. You're a big man. You're six six three twenty five. Did you tower over the other kids growing up? I would say yes for the most part. I was definitely one of the taller kids in my age range, but I didn't put on weight until later

on in high school. So it wasn't one of these cases where the parents of the players on the other team were demanding to see your birth certificate when you played youth sports. That actually would That did happen quite often. My parents always new, especially baseball tournaments. For some reason, the baseball parents were always the ones that that threw a fit. Did they bring up birth certificate to have

it hand just in case? I'm pretty sure they did a couple of times we're doing fun facts with Mac Sharping. So I grew up near Buffalo. In nineteen ninety five, the Bills had an outside linebacker, Bryce pop who was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He had seventeen and a half sacks that year. He was your high school football coach. What kind of impact did that have on you. Yeah, he was my coach for three years in high school, which is you know, amazing opportunity for guys.

You know, if you have a coach that has that type of experience and that type of legacy. And you know, we played with a couple of his sons on the team as well, so that was really cool. And you know he always preached to us, you know, that hard work would show up. You know, he was kind of a small town guy growing up, went to Northern Iowa, had to work his way up to become defensive player of the year. So I mean he kind of instilled that hard work into the program. So as you know,

did you went to Northern Illinois, You're from Wisconsin. You had a great high school career. Based on what I've read, the University of Wisconsin didn't offer. Was that a big disappointment at the time, I was disappointed. Both my parents went to school there and my sister ended up going to school there as well for a little while. So and I grew up going to Badger Games ever since I can remember also, So it was a little bit

of a disappointment. But at the end of the day, I got my opportunity, and I'm saying very thankful for Northern Illinois. You had a great career at ANIU. You started for four straight seasons in every game. What were the highlights of your entire college experience. It's hard to just pick one. Winning two MAC championships with my teams was cool. Just being around the guys. Really, it's just all I remember. You know, I met great teammates there.

You know, we got to play in some really cool places. You know, my first away start in college was at Ohio State. We got to play at Wyoming, at BYU in the Mountain Ranges, got to play at Boston College. You know, a couple We played some pretty cool places in Iowa when they did the Iowa Wave my senior year, at Florida State my senior year. So it was nice job by Northern Illinois to schedule some great games. You did very well in the classroom as well. You earned

a master's degree. You were one of twelve finalists for the Campbell Trophy, which is known as the Academic Heisman. How proud are you of your academic achievements in addition to your athletic ones. I always took it, you know, very personal. The grades. You know, you never know how far this is gonna go extend throughout your life, and you know, it was instilled in me by my parents to you know, get good grades constantly. So I'm very proud that I was honored with that. It was a

really cool experience that whole weekend as well. We're doing fun facts with Mac sharping. So after your great college career, you were second round draft picked by the Houston Texans, number fifty five over all. Describe your draft experience. Yeah, I kind of didn't know where I was going to be drafted. You know, my age, it's kind of game me a range, and it was pretty big range depending on how guys who were you know, ahead of me,

how they would get picked. And there was kind of a run of offensive linemen there early and it helped me out and I ended up, you know, in Houston. I was just at home in Green Bay in my basement on that Friday with just a couple of my closest friends from from NIU and U from around Green Bay. They were probably about seven eight of us, and then I had a couple of cousins who flew in and it was a fun night, to say the least, after I got the call. So your first preseason game in

the NFL was at Lambeau. That must have been unbelievable. Yeah, talk about a perfect story. I would say that was incredible. I probably had two hundred family and friends at that game, you know, an incredible experience. We got to practice against them when we were doing joint practices, and you know, we started out o line dinners at my parents' house on that Thursday before the game. So that was pretty cool.

So in your first two years with the Texans, one of your teammates was a fellow Wisconsin native, J. J. Watt, who recently retired. He's going to be a first ballot Hall of Famer. What will you tell your kids and grandkids someday about playing with JJ Watt? I'll say that

he was amazing what he did. He changed the game. Really, I think being as big as he was as quick as he was, and you know, just very grateful that he was welcoming and always had time for guys and just really even when he was on top of the world in Houston, he was always the first one in there when we were working out as rookies with us, so that it was pretty cool to see, you know, a leader, first bout, hall of famer type of guys

putting that work in. So after three salad seasons with the Texans, they went to make a roster maneuver prior to this season that involved putting you on waivers before they could then try to bring you back. But before they could do that, the Bengals swooped in. They claimed you and brought you to Cincinnati. It's about a week before the season. I'm sure you had established roots in Houston. How challenging was that for you? That was very challenging.

I me and my wife had a son nine months ago, so back when I was moving he was only I was at four or five months old, So that was very tough. I had to pack up and move in four hours. And all the credit goes to my wife, Cass. She is amazing, always has been very supportive. Her dad is a football coach, so she grew up around it

growing up, and she knows the toughness of it. And now thankfully her and my son Brooks are here, but very thankful for her and everything that she was able to do to help me make the move in transition as some as possible. You've posted some pictures of Brooks on your Instagram feed First Team all adorable. I must say,

what is your favorite part about being a dad? I think the favorite part is just getting to spend time around him anytime I can get you know, he's every every time he achieves something new, you're you're so proud and you're so sad. It's the same point because you realize he's growing up. But I love it. I mean, anytime he's he's I think he's gonna start walking here pretty soon, which a little early, but i mean he's like going from the couch to the futon and without

without trying to hold on to anything. I'm like, we're watching him feel careful. But anytime he does anything like that, you know, even if he's just babbling at you, anytime you'll walk in the door and he lights up when he sees me. It's just the greatest feeling. Half the camera ready on your phone. Yeah, exactly, we're visiting the Max Sharping. Your first start for the Bengals came the

wildcard playoff game against the Ravens. Can you describe what it was like for you to charge out of that tunnel at bake Or Stadium as a starter for the first time in the game of that magnitude, I mean chills anytime you get to run out into a crowd

like that. I mean, it was phenomenal. And you know, night game, playoff game, divisional opponent, it's a lot of stuff going on, and it was it was really cool, you know, thankful for you know, the coaches and all all my teammates that you know, we're sportive getting me ready for that moment because you know, like can it happen at any time? And thankfully we came up with a w a few wildcard topics. Now for Max Sharping, who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport?

And why? I would say Donald Driver Being a Green Bay fan growing up. He was great for the community, just a great guy overall. He always was around the Community's one of those guys you'd see around the community. And just a great overall guy and had a great career, no question about it. I mentioned your Instagram feed and some of the cute pictures of your son. You posted a picture from Halloween this year. Your wife is Jesse the cow Girl, your son is Woody little cowboy costume.

You are the world's largest buzz light year. How big was the costume and how do you get one that big? I don't know where my wife found it. I think it was a three XL from somewhere and it was still a little small, so it was a little tough getting in and out of. But she she got it done. We got the picture, and you know, Brooks was smiling, which was always good. Brooks is gonna love to that picture as he gets older. What do you like to spend your money on? The most I spend my money

on is food, I would say. And then Cass and I like to travel a little bit, you know, just short vacations. We like to go on like a river trip in the summer with her family. We always like going down to the beach, even if it's just a drive away in Houston, it's always fun. So we like doing family occasions and that's most of the time where we spend our money. All right, final fun fact, and

this one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, entertainer, statesman, religious figure, whoever that person might be, who would it be. I never got to meet my paternal grandfather. Well technically I guess I did, but I was a month or two old when he passed away, and he had dementia unfortunately even before that. So if I could go back and meet anyone, I would I would love to meet my grandfather. Well, this has been fun. I appreciate your time. Best of luck

this week. Thank you very much. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast presented by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Buy Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals They're free to play with. Tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs by pay Corps, the official hr software provider of the Bengals. And buy Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber Internet elevate your connection with

Alta Fiber. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth podcast