Bengals Booth Podcast: Doctor Doctor

Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The Doc to Doc do give it the news edition as we all wait to see if Joe Burrow will be able to play on Monday Night against the Rams. Coming up, we'll hear from Burrow, Zach Taylor, and t Higgins on the topic, and also here from the guy who will start in Burrow's place

Higgins makes the catch touchdown Bengals. Burrow retreating to avoid the rush and he made a great throw off his back foot to T Higgins for the touchdown.

On Cincinnati's final five drives, Joe threw for two hundred nine yards and two touchdowns. If not for a red zone interception, the Bengals would have scored on four of their last five possessions. How did Joe look, to his head coach.

Really good in that last game. Aside from the interception, me one bad ball placement, you're not going to so he I thought he performed really well.

Unfortunately, on his next to last snap against the Ravens, Joe tweaked his calf injury, making him questionable for Monday night's game against the Rams. When the team held its first practice of the week on Thursday, Burrow was present but did not take part in any drills.

Soreness is an issue right now, and so giving him some time his best and so this week we're forward to nextra day, which is a positive and we'll just we'll see how the practice go.

So does Joe need to practice this week to be able to play on Monday.

You gotta practice one day, maybe not full, but you got to be out there running around throwing the ball. You just got to feel confident in your ability to go out and do the job.

I don't.

I don't know yet.

We'll see, We'll see how we feel the next couple of days.

I don't really have an answer for you there.

Last week, Burrow was only sacked once and rarely pressured. But Aaron Donald is coming to town on Monday. In the second half of Super Bowl fifty six, the Rams had six sacks and eleven pressures. The quarterback will need the ability to move.

You need it in every game. You're not gonna be able to just stand back there. And that's part of my game is moving around and making plays. And you know, I think for the most part last Sunday I was I was doing a really good job of that. Like you said, the offensive line played great, the pocket was firm, but when I had to move.

I felt good about it.

The Bengals have tried to adjust the offense to limit burrows movement, with mixed results. I discussed that this week with Dave Lapham.

All I know is you get in a game and Joe being competitive, jumping over guys.

You know, it's like, oh my gosh.

It's like, you know, you can't you can't say if I'm out there playing, I'm gonna play. I'm not gonna be out there and say, oh I can't do this, I can't do that. You can't play that way in the Nashville foot these guys are too good, they're too fast.

Last week, the offensive line did an incredible job. He didn't have to move that much. Last week. They're facing Aaron Donald on Monday night and he might not get sacked, but you are not going to go through a game without having to move away from Aaron Donald.

And this rookie, Byron Young has a sack and a half. And Aaron Donald is a disruptor. Young Young is on the on the edge. He's an edge guy. There's there's a lot to digest, a lot to think about. You know, do you have them out there at practice and limit yourself physically. That's not a good way to practice. That's not a good way for the receivers to practice with them. It's like, you know, we're not gonna throw this run. We're not gonna do this. We're not gonna we're gonna

It's tough.

It's very tough. If they were played, I don't think so too, and oh two division wins agree.

I don't think so.

But I don't know that they can If if the doctor says he can play without risk of seriously injuring this, I don't know that they can set them.

That's that's the thing with these casts. It's like, all right, every injury is different. Every body is different that gets injured. Every recovery is different because everybody and every injury is different. There's no like cookie Cutter. This is exactly like so and so is. You know, everything is a little bit different. Now you can put him in categories. This is like this guy had this, like that guy had or whatever.

Where they are? And that that that's drastic.

But you know, because I don't think the they're tweaking of the calf, you know, merits that kind of time off. But if he tweaks it again or again, and and I've talked to guys are like, man, I felt like, Okay, my calf feels better than it did before I had the problem. And I go out there and halfway through the game, you know I'm really feeling good and I'm doing my thing.

It just reaches right up and grabs me, and it's like son of a gunman.

I'm set back to to where I was, or even worse than before. And that's the scary part of these calf injuries. Man, they are tricky.

The Bengals are zero and two and Joe desperately wants to play.

It's in my head, for sure, I'm thinking about it.

But how does he balance getting that first win versus giving his calf the time to heal. No matter how long it takes.

That may not be my decision to make. My job is to go out and play. That's that's what I'm preparing to do.

The Bengals are not going to jeopardize his long term health, so if Burrow can't play on Monday, Jake Browning will start in his place. The former University of Washington star made his NFL debut at the end of the Cleveland game in Week one after spending the last four years on NFL practice squads.

I take a lot of pride in I came in this league as an undrafted guy, and you know, there's not very many handouts that are given there. It took me four years and damn your life sentence on practice squad to really take four years of doubling down on hey, at some point we get an opportunity.

Whether that's a year or whatever.

Actually, the best advice I got year one is an undrafted rookie was Kirk Cousins said, Hey, you gotta have a ten year time horizon and keep whenever that time comes, like,

When Burrow hurt his calf on the second day of training camp, Browning spent the next five weeks competing for the backup job with Trevor Simeon. They alternated with a first string offense, meaning that Browning was working with the starting offensive line and throwing to Chase Higgins and Boyd.

I don't think there's many quarterbacks in the NFL. It took more reps in the month of August than I did, and so you know, I'm at this point the season. I've probably played as much.

Football as everybody else has this year. So obviously there's a little the.

Higher stakes for a regular season game. But I feel like I've taken a lot of reps and I'm ready.

Browning led the Bengals on an eight play eighty yard touchdown drive to end their second preseason game, then opened their final preseason game with a ten play sixty one yard drive that he finished with a touchdown pass to andre Yosi Vash. He impressed t Higgins.

Got Riisling. You know, he's he made good reads. He's just he's a baller, you know what I'm saying. So just got that that goes out there and doesn't.

Job to He developed some trust with you guys over that period, or if he was called, I doesn't feel like he did, you know what I'm saying. He's way more confident in offense.

You know, you could tell that he's during that time he was out there, He's been a vocal leader as he should be as he should you know what I'm saying. So you know, definitely Bills built built some confidence.

And you know just the last time the Bengals played a Monday night game without their starting quarterback was in Burrows rookie year, when Ryan Finley led the team to a ten point win over the eleven and two Steelers. He only completed seven passes in that game, but he ran for forty seven yards, including a twenty three yard touchdown. Browning showed he can move in the preseason and if he has to start, Zach Taylor will adjust the game plan to fit his skill set.

You need to have great conversation with all quarterbacks. Anytime a quarterbacks plan, you got to make sure you connect with them and they understand the intent of the plan and why we're doing things and what they feel comfortable with backup quarterback you've ever had, whether it's the full game plan or a scale down plan, you want to make sure they're comfortable. So those conversations always take place. We always ask Jake his opinions the night before games

But it could turn out to be very different. For Browning, it's.

My job to be prepared if Joe goes down. And so really for me, of the week is no different. Even when I was on Pea squad, I knew there was zero chance to be playing, but I was fully prepared, and you know, I would go through the whole game plan like I was gonna be the backup and like I had a chance of playing. And so it's kind of my job to be ready if Joe goes down. And so that's going into my third week of doing that.

There was an additional twist to the quarterback quandary after practice on Thursday, as the Patriots grabbed Will Grier off the Bengals practice squad and added him to their fifty three man roster. The Pats have been cycling through candidates back up Mac Jones over the past several weeks. That temporarily leaves the Bengals without a third string quarterback, although I'm guessing they'll have one by the time you listen

Yeah, it looks like a totally new team from you know, when I was there.

Obviously I spent the last four years there.

There's a lot of turnover in this league, but yeah, see some familiar faces of those guys that have been doing good. Thanks for him for a while, and they got some new guys that've been showing up on him.

One of the familiar faces is the quarterback Matt Stafford. He looks rejuvenated. He looks younger than me. I think he's lost some weight or something like that. Does he look as good as ever when you watch him?

Yeah, I mean anytime he's on the field, you gotta respect him and what he's done in this league. And he's still got a rocket of an arm and very confident in his throat. So that makes it a tremendous challenge for any defender. You know, I'm blessed. I've had the opportunity to go against him for a couple of years now, so it's gonna be a good challenge and I'm excited about the matchup.

We're chatting with Nick Scott. Their offense is off to a great start. I think they're first in the league in first downs per game, second in yards per game. Watching a little of their game last week, there's motion on every snap, and it's mass motion, jet motion. What are some of the challenges that their offense presents.

Yeah, yeah, I think a big part of mcveigh's offense is just trying to catch the defense with their pants down right and getting getting up to the line fast snapping it. They got all types of jets, emotions going all over the place, So it's really to challenge the defense's eyes and get guys reading the wrong keys. But we got a veteran group and guys stay sound in their keys, and that comes down to trust in one another. So I think we should be good.

Rookie Pooka natuah nakua excuse me, leads the NFL and receptions two two at wells in the top ten and receiving yards. Describe those two and what you've seen on tape.

Yeah, I don't know much about this Pooka kid.

You know, obviously you take your hat off to him coming in and being a new guy and having that kind of impact already in that offense.

So credit to him.

We're going to do whatever we can to challenge him and make sure that any ball throwing his way is contested.

And then two two at well. As a guy just being with him, he can always tear the top off of the defense.

So he's a guy that you definitely want to keep in front of you because once it becomes a race, it can be tough.

So you know, like I.

Said, I've been over there for a while, seeing a lot of those guys, and you know, it's exciting, you know as a friend seeing what they're doing. But it's my job to make sure that it's a bad day for him when they come here.

We're talking to Nick Scott. You spent the last four years playing with Aaron Donald on defense. He is a future first ballot Hall of Famer. Do you have a favorite Aaron Donald's story or memory, whether it's on the field or off.

Oh Man, just probably every day in the facility. I used to bully him and take his lunch money, stuff him in lockers and everything like that, you know, because that's like my little brother. Nah, he's a good dude.

We had a good relationship over there.

We had a lot of fun just joking around. So I got a pleathant of memories with him. He's a good dude, and you know, obviously he's a big part of that team's success.

If you were stuffing him in lockers, you are a lot stronger than here.

Yeah, he's gonna love that. I said that. He gets catches winto that.

So every NFL loss hits hard. You guys put so much into it every week physically and emotionally.

How do you process a loss?

I'm big on just you know, moving on after you look at your mistakes and everything like that.

You know, win, lose, or draw.

I think you take the same approach in terms of trying to get better the next week.

Just focus on your individual job and everything like that.

Media and outsiders will get into pointing fingers, but you know, I don't think anybody in this locker room is big on that. We focus on our mistakes and where we can get better and try to improve that next week.

I won't use the expression must win in week three, there's too much of the season left, but obviously at zero and two you could really use a win. Yeah, what is the player's approach where that's concerned this week?

Yeah, it's the next week, so for everybody's a must win.

Like you say, you try not to get in too deep of looking at a big picture in terms of.

The entire season, entire schedule.

You know, the way I was brought up being with coach Franklin at Penn State is every weekend you try to go one to oh and that's the only game that matters. So we're not looking behind, we're not looking ahead. We're looking at the rams and the goals. To come out one of those.

This week. It's Monday Night Football. The jungle is going to be rocking. You've played more than seventy NFL games, You've played in the Super Bowl. Does your pulse pick up a little bit for a prime time game at this point or is it just another game?

I think there's definitely a little added aura like excitement around the game, and there's just nothing like playing at night in a full stadium. Yeah, you could say, and some guys, including myself, it turns you up a little bit. Being in that atmosphere is super exciting, and it just before the game.

I just usually feel an overwhelming sense of.

Just being blessed to have this opportunity to be playing in such a cool environment and it be something that's normal for me.

Appreciate your time, good luck against the Rams.

Appreciate you.

Bengles Booth podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred and twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit ketteringhealth dot org to learn more. Monday's game is one of two Monday Night games next week. Philly faces Tampa Bay at seven point fifteen and the Bengals Rams

Yeah, I mean, look, Dan, we specifically me not thrilled with it because I picked the Bengals to be in the Super Bowl. So I still think it's gonna happ and I'm going to stick to that. But they got to get things turned around here quick, and maybe Monday Night Football is the stage for all that to happen on But the one thing I would point out is we feel like the first game, because of the rain and just bad weather, you almost throw that one out

The offense, as you noted, did start to click last week. They could have scored on four of their last five drives if Joe didn't get picked off in the red zone. Did it look normal to you?

It did? I think you know what we've seen from Joe Burrow, and this has happened these last handful of seasons, is that he doesn't get to play a lot during the off season for a variety of different reasons right every time, certainly the calf this year, but even last season coming in they didn't look great early on either because he had had to take so much time off, and this game is really hard, and I think that

We are visiting with Laura Rutledge from ESPN. I am admittedly biased, but I feel like the Bengals defense doesn't get the attention it deserves. Do you agree?

I do. I will say on NFL Live, we love the Bengals defense, and we love lou An Arumo at their defensive coordinator. I think he is and the numbers back this up. As a defensive coordinator and as a defense as a whole, they are one of the absolute best when it comes to second half adjustments. And you know, I don't know if people realize, but halftimes in the NFL are not that long, and they're able to very

Laura, we are two weeks into the season. There are two undefeated teams left in the AFC, Miami in Baltimore. That's it. What do you make of the other fourteen having at least one loss?

I tell you what, the AFC is just tough sledding. And you know, that's one of the reasons why I do think this game this week is so for the Bengals, because you just can't be having three losses, you know, this early in the season. And there I still believe there's such a talented team, there's so much still left for them, and so I want them to go ahead and start winning here because I think I think they have the ability to potentially make it all the way. It's just a matter of how do you get past

So for people who have not watched the Rams so far. They dominated Seattle on the road. In week one, they outgained the forty nine ers, but lost by seven in week two. Here's the question, who the heck is Pouoka Nakua and why can't anybody cover the guy?

Yeah, I'm glad you asked about Pooka Nakua because I mean, what a story man so far this season. He's already set in records. You know, he's doing all these things that you just don't expect to see out of rookies in general. But for a guy that was just so unheralded,

So pocus new Aaron Donald is not. He's thirty two. He is presumably nearing the end of his Hall of Fame career. When it's done. What will football people say about Aaron Donald.

I think he's the standard for that position. And when you think about just fearce, tenacious defensive linemen, guys that quarterbacks have nightmares about, that would be Aaron Donald. And I think if you're somebody in that position, that's exactly how you want to be thought of and remembered when it's all said and done. And you know, the athleticism with which he plays the position is impressive, and the skill set is there obviously, the size, all the things,

Tell your producer on Monday night to go easy on the video of him getting to Burrow and then pointing to the ring finger at the end of the Super Bowl. We've seen that highlight enough here in Cincinnati. So Monday Night's going to be special. The Bengals will be wearing their white Bengal uniforms, The Ring of Honor ceremony is coming up at halftime. The jungle is going to be rocking. What are some of the keys to the Bengals and Rams on Monday night?

Yeah, we can't wait. By the way, I mean, what a pleasure to be in that environment, to be able to, you know, see some of these Bengals fans in person. But I think it's relatively obvious, but specific to this game. Got to protect Joe Burrow and I'm hoping he plays right, so you got to protect him. You got to limit Poka Nakua on the other side and force Matthew Stafford in a situation to where they really have to make

We are really looking forward to having ESPN in town and we appreciate your time today.

Thank you.

Laura.

Thanks Dan, I appreciate you guys.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust Paycorp to help them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycorp dot com. Now time for this week's Know the Faux segment. Jake Ellenbogan co hosts the Believe In Rams podcast on the Believe Podcast Network and joined lappin Me

Poka Naka is a fifth round rookie who wasn't even drafted with the first pick that the Rams had in the fifth round. He was drafted with the fourth they had four, and he was drafted with the last one. He's somebody that's filling in for Cooper Cup and doing a very good job of it, breaking records that seems like every which way, while also he was nursing in oblique injury. To believe they're not.

That's quite amazing.

It really is.

A lot of people are not part of the Rams organization, recognizable names, No Bobby Wagner, no Leonard Floyd, no Jalen Ramsey, but still have a guy named Matthew Stafford offensively and Aaron Donald defensively. And people were saying it's not a rebuild, it's a remodel, and the way the Rams are playing it looks more like a remodel instead of a rebuild. Are you surprised at all that they got out of the gate as well as they did?

Well, I'm not surprised except for Puka Naku. I don't think anyone who thinks that they saw that coming, And I know the Rams talk about it, but you know, obviously if you thought that was going to come from a receiver, you wouldn't have drafted him with your seventh pick out of court. So I wouldn't say the Rams have surprised me because I've been pretty high on them coming in the season. I've said, pump the brakes on Caleb Williams just a sec I don't think they're going

We are visiting with Jake ellen Bogan. He is the co host of the Belief in Rams podcast. You can follow him on Twitter at JK Bogan bog e N. I watched their game against the forty nine Ers earlier today. The offense to me, looked fantastic. There's motion on every play. Matthew Stafford looks as good as ever. They scored on eight consecutive drives between the opener against Seattle and last week against San Francisco. What stands out to you, Jake, when you watch this offense through two weeks.

Well, I think the first single stand out to you is that offensive line is not last year's offensive climb. They had sixteen different offensive line combinations last year, and you're not gonna win football games when you're down to your third and fourth string, you're definitely not gonna win football games when you're starting a guy at left tackle

To start right out of the gate.

And while Kukakua has been turning heads, we can't discount to to out well. Both of them combined are by the way, that duo is leading the league in the NFL in receiving, which is pretty crazy when you think about it like that. No Cooper cups, no problem, not really, but they've looked really good and the motion like you brought up with two two out well is creating so much space underneath for guys like Chakua, guys like Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee and new starting running back Hyan Williams.

Interesting comparison. There a lot of coaching changes on the coaching staff, I mean the last couple of years, McVeigh has flirted with broadcast opportunities. He told coaches, look if you want, if you've got an opportunity to go somewhere else, feel free and all that sort of thing. Some guys I guess took them up on it. But I mean there as many as nine new coaches. Of those new coaches, which one has impressed you or which coaches have impressed you?

Or has the entire staff impressed you? And jailed early?

Well, that's a tough question.

You know.

There are definitely some huge guys, and I'd be crazy not to bring up a guy who came in as a consultant for the offensive line, Mike Munchak, one of the best in the business, you know, behind Ryan Wendel, who I think has done a really good job former offensive linemans in the New England Patriots. But I would have to say Michael Floor when he's done in all of the fire that he had, you know, thrown his way last year with the Jets, and how that thing kind of blew up in his space and the whole

Have to pass.

So but all in all, they've really, you know, they haven't abandoned the run like they have in the pass. That's been one of Sean mcvain's that Philly Fields is trying to manage the run and pass. And I think since the floors come in with more of the gaps teams that we've seen, the more gaps scheme runs, we've definitely seen a better balance.

A couple more questions for Rams podcaster Jake ellen Bogan. We just heard the news on a Sports Update before you joined us on the show that Cam Akers has been traded to the Minnesota Vikings. He was very good against the Bengals in the Super Bowl. He finished last year with a flourish. He had one hundred yards each of the last three games last year. What went wrong between Cam Akers and the Rams.

Yeah, you know, it's unfortunate. Anytime you draft a guy in the second round to be your running back, you would think you're getting the running back of the future.

A lot of people thought.

Most two is good, if not better. I never really thought, but when Akers took over, it looked like they had something. Well, unfortunately, there's been there's been talent there. There's been Darryl Henderson, who who was huge in that Super Bowl. You know, There's been Sony Michelle, There's been now Hiram Williams. And I think Cam is not somebody that wants to share the worklace. He's just not somebody that works in today's

Yeah.

Well he's put up some numbers, no question about it. They have to feel really good about their draft. Fourteen draft choices twelve made the football team, five on offense, six on defense, and one on special teams, A punter, a couple of offensive rookies Nakua Avila, and then one defensive Byron Young, I mean making contributions other guys involved in rotation. How pleased are they with the youth of their football team?

Oh, they're very pleased.

I think when you look first off, Steve Avila looks like a potential All Pro down the road.

I know, you know.

Brian Baldinger has been raving about his tape and it's hard not to when you watch it. Just this guy is just so beyond his years. He's a natural center, and they wanted to play him guard because he played that one season, uh, moving over to guard when they went to the national title game in TCU. Then you look at fire and Young and this guy has an incredible story from you know, bagging groceries and you know, not getting essentially not even having a season because of COVID.

Bred at the Rams for finding good players in the draft despite not having a first round pick for the last seven years. Before I wrap things up, here's an invitation to join lappin me for the Bengals pep Rally Show on Friday from three to six at Wings and Rings in Oakley. Our special guest in the final hour will be Money Mack place kicker Evin McPherson. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast,