Bengals Booth Podcast: Don't Stop Me

in Cincinnati. One on one player interview is with Tyler Boyd, who is savoring the first December playoff chase of his NFL career. Dave Lapham joins me to discuss the Bengals injury situation and what it's going to take to sweep the regular season series from Baltimore. And finally, in our Know the Faux segment, we'll get the scoop on the Ravens from former Baltimore linebacker turned media member Brad Jackson.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the App Store and Google Play, and here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since a gas fireplace. When we moved into our home in Cincinnati, the family room included a gas fireplace,

and when the weather turns cold, it's fantastic. With a flick of a button, it heats the room up in a matter of minutes and looks great with orange yellow flames that dance around realistic looking logs. And that's with minimal clean up, no smoke, and no need for firewood. So here's to having a gas fireplace, especially when it

comes with a house. Now let's get to this week's guests, beginning with a three time National Sportswriter of the Year who covered the Bengals for the Cincinnati The Inquirer in the nineteen eighties. One of the highlights of my week is sitting down on Monday morning with a big cup of coffee and Peter King's weekly labor of love, the

Football Morning and America Column. And Peter, you were here in Cincinnati a couple of weeks ago for a firsthand look at the Bengals for their overtime loss against the forty nine ers. What were a couple of your biggest takeaways from seeing this team in person, Dan As, you know, as somebody who's around this team a lot and who lives in Cincinnati, there's a there is a natural skepticism

about the Bengals anytime they get good. There was a skepticism, you know, when Kurs and Palmers started to play well early this century. There was a skepticism around Andy Dalton. But you know, they both played well, and they both really lifted this franchise to heights that they hadn't seen since the Boomer days. Really, and you know, I think I think there might be one different thing now with Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and that is that there's

something about Burrow. You know, in my column a couple of weeks ago, I called the machine gun Burrow. I'd like to see Burrow of the fourth quarter against the forty nine ers for four quarters consistently, and he hasn't done that yet, but I think he will in time. But I think the Bengals have themselves a guy who's going to turn out to be a consistent top five, top ten quarterback in the NFL for years, as long as they can keep them healthy. And that was my

one overwriting take. But the other real difference to me is that, you know, and I was talking to Mike Brown about this a couple of days before the game, and that is they have such a good rotational defensive front. You know when you can go in. I thought one of the underrated trades that any team made this year was the Bengals trading a guy they really had no interest in keeping, Billy Price for b J Hill with

the Giants. That to me was a terrific trade because I watch a lot of football, and I say, b J. Hill is a really good usable player, and you put him in there for twenty to twenty five snaps a game, you're gonna get some havoc being wrought. And you know, obviously the big name is Trey Hendrickson and he's been fantastic, but I think it is the depth on that defensive line that has given teams fits and I think is going to lead one of the things that's going to

lead the Bengals into the playoffs. Well it's a really good point because we chatted before the season, Peter and you expected the Bengals to be a really exciting team that scored a ton of points but had to win games like thirty eight to thirty five, And as it turns out, the defense is top twelve in the league in points allowed. Has that been a big surprise to you?

Very big surprise, because look, when I looked at the Bengals before this year, I saw three excellent receivers, a guy who was unafraid to throw it all around the lot, and then a defense that was very iffy. I saw the eighties slash early nineties San Diego Chargers, and they have become a much different team than that, I think because of their defense, And I think their defense is really what's going to separate them going down these last

three games. We're visiting with Peter King from NBC Sports. You also visited with Zach Taylor when you were in town a couple of weeks ago, the day before that game. How have you seen him grow and evolve in his three years as an NFL head coach. I think one of the things that and I talked to Zach about this that I don't want to make this too dramatic or too different, really, but Zach Taylor's a better coach when he's got a quarterback. That's all there is to it.

And you look right now at to me, some of the really good coaches in the NFL. I mean, let's just look at the last two years. How is Bill Belichick last year when he didn't have a quarterback and no offense to Cam Newton? But I think his best days are over. And you know they went seven and nine without a quarterback last year. I think it's very, very hard in today's game when you no matter how

good a coach you are. I think Matt Rule. I mean, look, I'm probably going to be a laughing stock for saying this. I think Matt Rule is a top ten coach in the NFL period. I think he's tremendous. And what has happened to him over his first year and three quarters, you know, he has really really stumbled when you know when they've had to rely on their quarterback to win games,

whether it's Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnelder, Cam Newton. So that's a long way of saying, essentially about Zach Taylor, I think every coach is going to be better when they have a quarterback that gives him a chance and look after the game I saw Dan. One of the things I thought that was really interesting is that is the heat that Zach Taylor took for his play calls, you know, in putting the ball in Joe Mixon's hands right at

the end instead of putting it in Joe burrows hands. Okay, and I thought at the time, and I think everybody thought at the time, you know, not really great play calling. I applaud Zach Taylor for standing up after the game basically saying it's going to be hard to sleep thinking about those calls, and so he understands that he's still learning as a head coach and as a coach period. I like him. I think he's good, and I think his players play really hard for him. I'm bullish on

his future. When you covered the Bengals for The Inquirer many years ago, Boomer Asiasin was the quarterback. See any parallels between Joe Burrow and Boomer fearlessness? But and again, I don't know Joe, you know, I really don't. Have talked to him a few times, but I don't know him at all really. But the thing I like about him, I'm reminded of the game he played his senior year at his last year at LSU against Alabama when he

just came out firing. And I remember after the season, I asked Joe Brady about that, who at the time was his offensive coordinator, and he goes, Joe is not the kind of quarterback who needs a few completions to get him confident. You know, he just comes out firing. So I think I think the same thing as they. Boomer really had tremendous confidence. You know, he played in an error with Joe Montana and Dan Marino, and Boomer was not apologetic. He thought he was absolutely in their league.

And you know, if you gave him truth, Ceremy so I'm better than those guys, And I think in a lot of ways, that's what you need to have at that position. What I sense from Burrow is that he believes no quarterback is better than he is. He's not going to say it, but he believes that deep down. And I think that's the way he plays the game.

Fourth down to make that incredible throat to Jamar Chase trolling the back of the end zone where you know he's three blades of grass from being out the back of the end zone and somehow, some way, you know, scrambling around running for his life, Burrow finds him and he throws him a dart and it's a touchdown. I mean, I think you would count on about three or four fingers the players in the NFL who can make that play with the understanding that the entire game was on

the line on that single play. One game separates first place from the last place in the AFC North with three games to go, how do you assess the race as we head into this three game stretch. I think what is really interesting about the race is that, you know, I look at the playoff race everywhere, and I just look at the schedules and look, I think, in order to win this division, the Bengals have to go two and one, and those two better be Baltimore in Cleveland.

And look, winning at Cleveland in a game that the Browns probably are going to need to have any hope to make the playoffs. That's just my guests sitting here right now. And so that leaves the one other game. Oh, by the way, the team with the best record in football Kansas City. So that is a really rough schedule, and you know, look, you just don't have to be

a genius. The Bengals have to go minimum two and one, and again, as I say, the two had better be the division games, because this could welcome down the division could welcome down to a tiebreaker. Peter, you've seen pretty nostalgic. On your trip back to Cincinnati. A couple of weeks ago, you visited your first house in Mount Washington. How did Cincinnati shape you as a young football reporter. I'm the

luckiest man on the face of the earth. That was my first job in covering football because for many reasons. Number one, you know, I lived on the bottom floor in a dormitory at Wilmington College, with which was the player's dorm catty corner across the hall was my Brown, a lot younger in those days, thirty seven years ago. And then next door to him was Paul Brown. Now Paul Brown didn't stay in the dorm, I don't think

very many nights, but he was there. I saw him in his room a lot Sam White down the hall. He said, anytime you need anything, anytime you have any questions, meetings are done about nine thirty or so, just come knock at my door. It's just it's just a different time covering the NFL. But half the practice is that summer in training camp I watched with Paul Brown and

it just was it was amazing. It was an amazing education, and I think to have a team that, I mean, nobody now looks at them like that as a wide open franchise or anything like that. Everybody looks at the Bengals as being this secret of KGB team. I mean at the time, you know, when I covered him, it was the greatest time to be covering the NFL, and the education I got doing it was really terrific. So

really a lot to that year. And then you know, when I left there and went to New York to cover the Giants, I think I was really prepared because I'm a competitive person. I was prepared to go and compete in that market covering a team that a year later would win the Super Bowls. So yeah, I had pretty pretty great formative years, you know, and just the opportunities that I had. Peter or Mary, Christmas to you

and your family. Congratulations on your third grandchild, Peter born a week ago today, and thanks so much for your time. We always appreciate it. I really appreciate it. Dan, all the best to you, Mary, Christmas, to you and to everybody in your audience. One of the most amazing things statistically about the Bengals through fourteen games is how Joe Burrow has distributed the ball to the Cincinnati three way

of Jamaar Chase, Tyler Boyd and t Higgins. Chase has sixty one catches, Boyd has sixty, and Higgins has fifty nine. As Dave Lapham pointed out this week, if you take one catch away from Chase and give it to Higgins, all three would have sixty receptions. Chase is headed to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, Higgins recently at three straight one hundred yard games, and Boyd was the offensive star last week in Denver. I spoke to Boyd in

this week's one on one player conversation. Tyler, I am so happy for you and Joe Mixon and Sam Hubbard and Trey Hopkins, guys who have played their hearts out when the Bengals weren't in contention and now you're playing huge games in December. Does a playoff hunt make your body feel better? Absolutely, you know, And it makes your mental feel better, you know, because you're out there during

the four reason you know later. Usually at this time, you know, we we we knew we wasn't playoff contenders, and we were just just trying to get by, you know. But now that we're actually playing for Solomon, it's more meaningful, and guys buy an end and we don't want to let each other down. Then it makes us want to want to play ever harder. We're chatting the Tyler Boyd. You had a gigantic game last week in Denver. Five catches and ninety six yards, including the fifty six yard

touchdown that won the game. Three of the five catches came in crucial situations where the Bengals had to have it. It reminded me a little bit of that game in Atlanta several years ago where you had two fourth down catches and a big third down catch on the game winning drive at the end. Is that the best feeling in the world when the game is on the line and your quarterback is looking for you always, you know.

But again, I've always been that guy, uh that came through in the clutch, you know, in third downs and fourth downs, you know, because um I just I just I just do a good job of winning my rots, you know. And in the quarterbacks trust me and they know what we have when when when when we break the hud on the defensive line up in a certain way, but at any given moment of the field, every time a third, third down or sprucial time. I mean, that's when the stars shot the most, the brightest, you know.

And I was gonna be the guy when my numbers called. I want to make each and every player, you know, regardless of what the situation is. But when the big situation is always the best feeling, because that's when show you what type player you are. You are miked up for sound last week. He probably forget about it during the game. But then at the end of the game, when it's a great game, are you excited to go

back and listen to the sound. Absolutely, because I remember being told I was gonna be miked up, but I didn't get the refresher going out there, so I didn't get the warring guys. But I don't think there's nothing going on crazy. But yeah, it's always fun, especially the guy that's being miked up that's having a big game, you know, and see how his his emotion is and how MPEd up he is, you know. So I think I think I had good stuff on there. We're chatting

with Tyler Boy. This is your second year with Joe Burrow at quarterback. Do your wide receiver buddies around the league asking about Joe and if Sell, what do you say? I think Joe gets so much respect to running league. You know, every guy, every team has so much respect for him and know what he's capable of. You know, his numbers speak for it all. He's a sound player, he's smart, he gets it, gets in the best situations possible every time. You know, and uh, I mean guys

don't really ask too much because because they know. You know, it's like he's almost as of Aaron Rodger Tom Brady level with respect, you know, but not quite there yet, but just filling him go out there and just knowing he can just take over a game at any given moment. You know, it's scary for for any team. So I think the whole league respects him. It doesn't seem that long ago to me. Where you are the youngster in a wide receiver room with guys like AJ Green and

Brandon LaFell. Now you're the VET with more than eighty games of NFL experience under your belt. Does that change anything for you? Not really, just only in terms of my leadership because I hadn't seen it all, you know, I can I can help guy guys down the right path because I haven't been through it all. You know. I've been through having a great season. I've been through the season where I felt like I wasn't a part of it. I didn't feel like I was wanted things

like that. But I mean I had to deal with Fight University my whole life, you know, So just being able to be that guy, the vet core guy who've been there and done it and seen it in every perspective from the practice squad who're not playing games to being active to being a guy, a core guy in the office, you know, so I could give so much intel to the younger guys and guys who's still waiting on the opportunity to just stay of course and just work.

You know. So, I think I did a good job of just keeping guys up and motivating them and wanting to be here. You dominated the first meeting forty one to seventeen. Joe Burrow had four hundred and sixteen passing yards at the end of the third quarter. Does that mean anything? This Sunday. Um, just depending on how they

want to come out of play us. You know, I knew Joe was gonna have a huge game because uh they're del their defensive structure based off a lot of blitzing and and went on one because they trust their corner. They have real talent talents at corners, so they can do that, you know. But um we we we believe in our guys too. We feel like we got the best weapons and if teams went the man ass up, I think that's when we have our best games. I saw our receivers to catch the ball and make a play,

you know. But um we we always go out there expecting uh Joe to have a huge game, you know, no matter what. Even last week, I felt like he had one of the best games, you know, despite him not having a yardage, you know, just all the little things of him creating plays with his legs, you know, just keeping us manageable and downs and just getting us first downs when guys was an oprah they and they played us played well on the back end, you know, so he always uh figures a way to to to

keep the ball rolling, to to move a chance. Last thing for Tyler Boyd on Christmas morning, there are a bunch of kids that are gonna get out, They're gonna rip open their package and they're gonna see a Tyler Boyd jersey New Bengals jersey that they had on their wish list. Do you ever think about stuff like that? Absolutely?

He knows so so much. It's so aspiring to me, Uh, to know kids is looking up to me and care about me that much, you know, to want to ask their parents for a Tyler boy jersey because I was once a kid, you know, asking for a certain players jerseys, in particular Ladanian Thomainson that was that was my my guy. You know, I loved him. I had probably all different colors of his jerseys, you know. So I know the feeling of how excited kids be wanting to get their

their favorite players jersey. But it's just an awesome feeling now that um, kids want to want my jersey, you know, because I haven't. I haven't been through that, and it's just just just an awesome feeling. Merry Christmas, best of luck on Sunday and the rest of the year. Appreciate you. Thanks for having me The Bengals Booth Podcast. Who's presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game.

Ultimate Bengals will be awarding a weekly winner during the course of the season with tickets, autographed merchandise, and money. Can't my experience is all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the App Store and Google Play. Now time for my weekly chat with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham Lapp.

In your ten years as an NFL player, there were years where the Bengals were in contention, highlighted by the nineteen eighty one Super Bowl run, and there were years where you had no chance at this time of the year. Can you describe the impact of being in the hunt in such a physically demanding sport. Yeah, it's actually it's thrilling, you know, being in the hunt. It um, it makes it all worthwhile, you know, all the all the physical and mental anguish that can go along with playing the

game of football. That's why it's it's so tough to to keep grinding when you're out of it. I mean, that's that's a tough dynamic. It's it's very easy to get yourself ready to play when you go to bed at night, to the football games you're not a store when you wake up the next morning, you're not quite a store. You're just you're excited about the game plan coming up. You can't wait to get the game plan coming up. You do extra, you know, and to prepare

yourself to plan that football game. It's just that the ripple effect in a positive way is very very good, and the ripple effect in a negative way when you're out of it is you're always fighting to try to do everything you possibly can. You know, you know that you're getting paid to play. You know you're being evaluated. You don't want to be labeled a front runner. You don't want to be labeled a guy that, oh yeah he plays well, he plays hard when they're in the hunt,

but man, he's a dog when they're not. That to me was as big a motivation as anything. I didn't want to have tape out there where people could even think about saying, oh, man, look at look at this guy dogging it, you know, because they've only won three games or whatever the case might be. That was a big motivator to me. Didn't want to be labeled a dog. So this is year two of the Joe Burrow era. This team won four games and tied one a year ago. Do you look at the Bengals essentially being a year

ahead of schedule? Honestly? Yeah. I Mean when everybody says, you know, before the season, what do you think, you know, what do you think best case scenario? And my best case scenario I had them winning seven or eight games, you know, that was and they're there, They've already they've already hit my high water mark. So I'd have to honestly say that, you know, I would say that they're

they're ahead of schedule. I mean, they get off to that five and two start was really pretty pretty dynamic, and I thought, man, they may be way out a schedule, and you know, there's peaks and valleys, ebbs and flows to every season. But I do think that some of the young players are playing a beyond and above and beyond their experience level, you know, And that's a tribute to them, guys coaching them, support staffs, whatever they may be.

And that's at every level, you know. And people think, I, Yeah, that's that's just that's trite. It's really not. I mean, to get through a season, you need the training staff, you need the strength and conditioning staff, you need everybody and UM, so everybody shares in the successes and everybody

shares in the failures. There's no doubt they won a road game last week against the team that had a winning record with Fred Johnson at right tackle and for the most of the game Jackson Carmen at right guard. What did those guys show you? They showed me that UM, that they were paying attention to their coach, Frank Pollock, and that they were getting themselves ready to play. UM. And I remember very vividly as a rookie, Tiger Johnson, my offensive line coach, said said every week I was

playing in games that you know he was. He was getting me experienced. I wasn't starting as a rookie, but I was an experience. Whenever he could, he would put me in a game. And sometimes he'd put me in a game where the game was still on the line. There were meaningful snaps instead of mop up dude to either up by you know, two scores or more, or down by two scores or more. And and he said, you know this, this process is part of getting you ready.

You're one snap away from being a starting you know linement in the National Football leaven and we got to count on you. Your teammates counting on you, the Coade, everybody's counting on you. So I know what that's like when you're not necessarily getting you know, tons of snaps on game day other than special teams and a few snaps here and there. I know what that can be like.

And in order to keep yourself ready, you really have to push yourself to keep yourself ready both mentally and then because you don't get real a lot of snaps, particularly now the way they practiced, you get no snaps. I mean we at least had. It was never live, you know, in terms of tackling and all that, but it was pretty They called it thump drill where it was live in the line of scrim between offensive and defensive lineman. Just don't take running backs to the ground.

So I would get pretty you know, close to game speed reps going against guys like Mike Read, you know, and guys like that. They were like, oh man, this is this is a big level of football. So getting yourself is ready mentally and physically, h and preparing yourself for all the goals with it on a everyday basis can be challenging. And they showed that they were they had done something when they went in there. As as Paul Brown used to say, it wasn't too big for you.

You know, when you got your when you get your opportunity, you showed that you belonged. You showed that you could play in this league. And that's the first step for any any young football player, for sure. The Bengals have largely been healthy this year, certainly in comparison to most teams around the NFL. But the one spot where the

injuries are piling up is linebacker. Jordan Evans went down a game, Davis Gaither went down, Logan Wilson is still out now, Joe Bacci unfortunately towards ACL You've got your main Pratt and Marcus Bailey left, and then a bunch of guys who were either on the practice squad or have been picked up off waivers from other teams. Have the Bengals reached the point where it's a problem or are they still one injury away from it being a problem.

They're They're very convinced and feel good about the guys they've got. They feel like the guys that they've got are here for a reason. But let's think back for the Baltimore game is a great example, forty one seventeen victory. The three guys that you talked about being injured, Evans, Davis, Gaither, Logan Wilson were huge in that football Remember they went with that four fourth scheme sum and they had a fourth linebacker in there, and Pratt was that guy, and

he was involved. They were liberally using four linebackers throughout the course of that football game. The lonesome soldier left

is Pratt. So man, the linebackers were instrumental in what Louiana Rumo devised with his assistance to to stop Lamar Jackson and leverage you know, the quarterback with a down lineman and a linebacker, two linebackers, whatever the case may be, Mark Andrews leveraging him with a linebacker and a safety or those linebackers were big in the in the overall result of that football game, winning by twenty four points, and they could all run, you know. I mean, that's

that's the thing. So will Louanna rum will have to tweak what he did, how he did it, who he's doing it with. Obviously, he's gonna have to tweak who he's doing it with. But I'm saying, will it be another position group. Will more safeties be involved in the package than linebackers? Um, you know, you get long range e safeties that that can that can be a factor. I mean Michael Thomas has got some some length and some range to him. Trey Flowers at corner, they've played

him on tight end some. You know, he may be a guy that's uh in a package covering Mark Andrews, not solo, maybe some solo. It's going to be interesting to see what Louiana Ruma does, what he and his coaching staff cook up, because it's not going to be the exact same recipe because they don't have the exact same ingredients. So they're making a little alteration to the recipe as they get ready for this one. Let's look

at the other side of the ball. In that first game, Joe Burrow threw for four hundred and sixteen yards and that was at the end of the third quarter. He didn't even have to complete a pass in the fourth. What, if anything can they take from that game and use in game two. Well, the one thing that happened in that football game that was stunning were the explosives. I mean,

the Bengals went minus one. They had the only turnover the Ravens did not have a turnover played in Baltimore, had forty one hung on him and lost by twenty four points. I mean, that just doesn't even compute. That's not the Ravens that you know, you know, and you've seen execute over the over the years. So the big component in that was the explosives. At eighty two yard touchdown, a fifty plus yard touchdown catch by C. J. P Ryan goes forty six, Mixing goes twenty one. That's that's

in the fourth quarter. That's when they start pulling away. So I mean they had like nine explosives of thirty yards and war in that football game. Crazy, and I don't think you can expect to duplicate that. I just don't see that happening twice. I mean, well over five hundred yards offense and forty one points against against that football team. It was a case of Murphy's Law for them. If it could go wrong, it did and it's snowballed

on them. And I think they're going to be a much different defensive unit, in a much different mindset, and a much different football team. I mean, honestly, I remember I was stunned Dan when in the fourth quarter of their fans started leaving place, emptied out, and they looked like they weren't interested in finishing the football game. I mean, they did not play raven football, you know, in that fourth quarter. I was like, Wow, my jaw was dropping

over what I was seeing out there. So I think that they're gonna watch that tape, and like I said, when you're prideful, it's like you don't want to have that kind of tape out there going around the league. So I think they're gonna be coming back with a vengeance. I think they're gonna play extremely hard in this football game, and the Bengals are too. And I'm not saying that you know that the Bengals can't match that intensity. They're gonna have to though. They're gonna have to because in

my mind, I'm not saying they're gonna be desperate. They're gonna be playing with desperation, but in acute sense of urgency. Let's put it that way, no question about it. I've always liked and respected John Harbaugh, going back to when he was the assistant head coach at the University of Cincinnati under Rick Minter. But it's gone up a notch my respect level for him this year because of the injuries.

Lamar Jackson's missed the last game and a half. You look at the guys on injured reserve, it's like an all star team. Ronnie Stanley, Marcus Peters, JK. Dobbins, the list goes on and on. How are they doing it? Tell you you really have to tip your cap to that entire organization because they've got a lot of players depth at positions where they have the type person that can play and execute the scheme that they've got out there.

You know, you look at the quarterback position, I mean you know, it's it's not like they've gone from They've gone from a freakish athlete. I mean, there's no question about it. But this kid, Huntley, Tyler Huntley is a good He was all packed twelve and he's he's not He's a poor man's Lamar Jackson. I guess to an extent, But it's not like usually when you have a quarterback click like Lamar Jackson, if he goes down, you're installing

almost another offense. They don't have to. They can stay with the exact same so they have pieces to the puzzle mull whole pieces one goes they can replace with another piece of the puzzle. Well, they don't have to overhaul everything. And it's like, oh, now we can't do this. We have to eliminate this package. We have to eliminate

that package. That's the thing that I think is very, very praiseworthy is they know who they are, they know what they do, and the organization personnel department everybody gets players for the coaches that fit all of that, and then the coaches coach them and develop them, and man,

there's nothing more satisfying to a coach. And I've heard many coaches over the years, you know, when I was playing and now doing the broadcast stuff, one of their biggest feel good deals is you develop a player, he gets a chance and it's like I was right, he can do it. There's nothing better than that for coaches to say I knew he could, I thought he could anyway, Now I know he can, and that's a real good feeling. Now we can depend on him. And that's what the

Raven have going on. They've they've got guys not just next band up, but next band up and continue to play at a high level for as long a period of time as it's going to take. Um. You know, I think I think a real good example is instead of eliminating a package now, they decreased it when Ricard went down. They decreased it because Nick Boyle was down

as well. But as soon as Nick Boyle came back healthy, they have Nick Boyle lining up and doing the things that Ricard was doing, a fullback, wing back, all that sort of thing. Another big body guy. So it's like, we have we have pieces we can move around. We don't have to junk our entire system. You know, we can still attack people the way we've done it and the way we've done it successfully with the pieces that we have left. So that's what John Harbon his staff

have done. Let's talk about Zach Taylor and the Bengal staff. They're tied for first to three games to go. What stands out about the job Zach and his staff have done this year? You know, I think the steadiness of the whole thing. And you say it again, all this stuff sounds trite, but haven't been through it. It's easier said than done. Everybody talks about doing it, but when

you lose a brutally tough football game. You can't hit the basement or lower, you know, you just you can't allow yourself to collapse like that emotionally, and they've done a really good job of not letting that happen. When you beat the Baltimore Ravens forty one seventeen, you can't think we're the greatest thing since you know we're cream. You know, it is unbelievable. The truth is, and I believe in this axiom, You're never as good as you think you are. You're never as bad as you think

you are. You are definitely somewhere in between. And if you can realize on a week by week basis, if you can stay at that not have huge peaks and valleys, ups and downs, highs and lows, If you can be you know, very consistent with your approach, with your level of play, then coaches realize what to expect from players. Players realize what to expect from coaches, And I think the consistency of performance, you know, is the byproduct. And I do think that for the most part they have

been they have been pretty consistent. Now, you know, it's some games in the National Football League you're gonna the bear is gonna get you, and you're gonna get the bear. You're gonna get outplayed, and sometimes you're gonna outplay others. In the National Football League, my experience in the league was these guys are all so good. Everybody's capable of making plays. Usually more games are lost than are one. You have to make plays, but you have to avoid

the catastrophe. And when you don't avoid the catastrophe, it shows it's ugly. You know you've got trouble. If you avoid catastrophe and just hang in there make plays. At some point, it's going to come down to the very end of the football game, and the guy that makes the last play wins. And that's how most games are. High percentage of games and the National Football League have decided by a touchdown or less for that very reason.

And so it's you just you just don't want to put put yourself in a in a situation that's impossible to recover from with some kind of deep inflicted wound. One more coaching question and his Football Morning in America column on Monday, Peter King mentioned the possibility of Marvin Lewis becoming the next head coach in Jacksonville. What do

you think it makes pretty good sense. Really. You know, one thing that Marvin Lewis can do and has done and will continue to do is be a stabilizing influence. He calms everything down, you know, he really does. And we talk about that, even Keel approach, that that's that's Marvin Lewis to a t. And he understands football. He understands what he wants, how he wants the game to be played with him as a head coach. And it works in the National Football League. Five straight playoff appearances

here in Cincinnati. I mean, that's that's a pretty good testament. Now, obviously it didn't work in the playoff games. Didn't win a playoff game, lost seven of them, but got there five straight times, franchise record. You know his mindset he is. He's like a defensive mindset, There's no question about it, and that his whole thing is plays sound offensively, don't put your don't put the ball in jeopardy, don't put your defense in jeopardy. Defense, play good, solid football, wait

for the others to make a mistake. You know, he's Vic Fangio Marvin Lewis. They have the same type of mentality. Always. We've got to win the turnover battle. I mean, all he looked at the first thing he looked at when the NFL statue came out was a turnover ratio to the beginning of every single week. So um, you know, he did a good job. And the Bengals drafting Carson Palmer and him being the coach that developed Carson Palmer in his early stages, he'd have the same opportunity. You know,

down there, Marvin Lewis is highly regarded. He'd be able to put together a pretty good coaching staff, I think still, so um, it makes it makes a lot of sense. And I think he'd like the weather down there in Florida. But he is still with the Arizona State. He's got property in Arizona. His wife loves Arizona. It'll be interest, it would be interesting to see. But I'll tell you what, they could make a lot worse decisions down there than hiring Marvin Lewis. I can tell you that by a wide,

wide margin. I hope he gets it. I'd love to see him get one more opportunity, ye, And I think I think you'd take it to I think I think he'd like to. I think he'd like one more shot. He's plenty young enough, plenty young enough. Yeah, Lapp and I will have a special Christmas Eve edition of the Bengals pep Rally Show coming up on Friday after from three to six on ESPN fifteen thirty or you can find it on the iHeartMedia app by searching for ESPN

fifteen thirty. Last, but not least, it's time for this week's No the Faux Segment and our Ravens expert is University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer Brad Jackson. Brad played football at UC for Rick Minter and basketball for Bob Huggins before winning a Super Bowl as a Ravens linebacker under defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. Brad joined Lapping Me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show. So let's talk

about the Ravens. I gotta tell you, Brad, they've earned my respect even more than ever this year because the injury situation is ridiculous. Lamar Jackson's missed the last game and a half, Ronnie Stanley has been out. They lost their top three running backs in training camp. They've got two Pro Bowl cornerbacks who are both on injured reserve. How is this team still tied for first place, considering the asualties that they've had to deal with on that roster.

I think you have to look at that the parody in the in the NFL, especially in the AMC. You guys out there in Cincinnati, you know, you kind of have a big win here way back in October, blow out the Ravens, which kind of shocked everybody. I mean people, we had to take people's shoelaces and belts for a

week out here after that loss. You know, the last time I spoke with you guys, and you know the way Joe Burrow played obviously in Jamar Chase, having you know, two hundred yard plus a day, and so it was one of those things that it kind of set the guys back a little bit to say, you're not as good as you thought you were. You were just going to coast through. This isn't the same Bengals, you know, so to speak in there, and we know that you

kind of see it. But when they had won five in a row, you know, and this is still relatively a young team, they're kind of like, oh, we're coasting along, you know. And so I think between the Browns having their issues. You know, you guys down there Cincinnati, the Bengal was now being able to kind of get that one or two extra wins. Obviously, league, you know people out here are you know, talking about coach Hardball's decisions.

You know, two of the last three weeks in Pittsburgh on the road and obviously at home to go for two point conversions, versus used the best kicker in the National Football League to tie up the game and go into overtime. You know, one of those two could have

went either way. Now you have a two game lead, and quite honestly, guys, considering if you look at what happened the first six games and to where we are now, once the Ravens came out of the buy and went to Miami and then on that Thursday night game, you know, they laid an egg and lost twenty two to ten the Dolphins, and give them credit, kind of put a playbook out there, and you guys both noticed from covering covering the game. Once once that's out there, it's a

coffeecat league, and so you're seeing variations of that. And unfortunately, offensively they haven't been able to overcome and make the adjustments needed at key moments in times. And then quite frankly, you know, we look at Lamark and he's dealing with some injuries and ankle and so on so forth. The last couple of games, but his first his games had five interceptions and sixteen sacks, and they talked about at

the buys kind of getting those numbers down. But then they come out of the buys and Lamar and the last six games has had eight interceptions and twenty two sacks, so he's almost quite came close to doubling those numbers up. And right now he has thirty eight sacks on the year and thirteen interceptions, so they're turning the football over. Taking untimely sacks have become a problem. And then you know,

coach Harball has done a fantastic job. I who give them credit for and being able of making sure that the next guy up and we hear it it's coaches cliche and next man up nonsense. Well it truly is here. You know, I had a chance to talk to WENK. Martindale.

As we all know, he's from Dayton and as a defensive coordinator here in Baltimore and obviously was at the Universe Cincinnati also and I talked to him Sunday night, and you know, he's got guys out there that they're they're literally taking them off the practice squad on Sunday morning. So you had a corner that found their garden, you know, the Packers best wide receiver, DeVante, and he literally was on the practice squad until Sunday morning. They had to

call and say, hey, come down to the stadium. You're starting. So I mean that that's the situation that's been you know, especially for Chris Hewitt, you know, former Bearcat, and the defensive backs coach and the second and the passing game coordinator, you know him and wee Martin Dell. They're going ball like me right now because you know, having to have a stress of you know, who's going to play at

corner Nicols safety. I mean, they're literally, you know, for lack of a better analogy, they're literally pulling guys out in the stands, you know, and trying to get them to go out there and play football at a high level of time at the most important time. And unfortunately right now, that's why the Ravens have set here in the month of December and they've lost three in the row and you can't make the playoffs losing three games in the month of December. That's just not going to happen.

And somehow don't find a way on the road in the nasty Maddy this Sunday. It could be, you know, like that for the playoffs this year, for the Ravens. You know what you're talking about makes this total sense to me. Now is so many struggles on the back end, and you just confirmed a lot of it, read a lot of it, but to hear it from you, it's even more shocking. This team's number one in the National Football League stopping the run defensively eighty six point two

yards a game. Number one Usually that means, you know, you have the right to rush the past, or it means a lot of turnovers, it means a lot of interceptions. They've got six interceptions tied for third fewest in the National Football League, eleven takeaways tied for second fewest in

the National Football League in fourteen games. That is so un raven, Like you know, and I'm thinking, you know, the passing numbers, they're in trouble, you know, stopping the pass office it's just personnel, right, I mean, well, what can you do do you think that Wink will blink

a little bit? Do you think Wink will use all those different sophisticated pressure packages or do you think he will follow what other teams have done here against the Bengals and play soft zone, play coverage, play soft zone, and make the Bengals earn every play, because in the first game, explosives killed the Ravens. The Bengals had like nine plays or thirty yards or more, an eighty two yard touchdown pass, you know, a forty six yard touchdown run,

a fifty five yard touchdown pass they didn't tackle. Well, do you think Wink will blink or do you think Wink's gonna do what Wink does? Do what Wink does. And Matt being said, he's also not a fool, so he's also going to look at Okay, they hung forty one on us year in Baltimore, and as you said, the explosive plays, it was like going on an Opra Wifrey show because everybody was getting an explosive twenty plays

yard catcher running a team like that game. So I look forward to Wink and being a part of the system and understanding how he does things. I think he'll he'll pick his spots a little more soodic, you know, methodically as far as when he's going to apply the pressure. But you also have to understand that that game plan it didn't work. But they'll go back, and you guys know this, they'll take out what did work because up until what the third or fourth quarter, still was a

good football game. And then they gave up I think it was what fourteen in the fourth quarter or whatever it was, And you talked about those are supposed to plays, and I think to me one of the biggest explosive plays. Obviously, Jamar Chase had a huge day. He went eight for what two old one or something like that. But the guy that really hurt and the most was the tight end CJ c j Uzema, your kid out there. He was three for ninety one. And in the games that

we talked about this last time. I know you guys may or may not remember, we talked about controlling Mark Andrew's ravings tight end and the games that the Bengals had had success prior to that. When he went back to twenty eighteen, when Mark got here, the games that he had basically four or less catches, they end up

winning the game. And has a lot of successful If you look back at the last games, you know that Mark Ganis had against you guys, he was three for forty eight and in that week, so that kind of eliminated and taking away Lamar Jackson safety blanket and that being Mark Andrews, and then of course eliminating Hollywood Browns also helped out in the defense where you eliminate his

two guys. I mean, when you look at the numbers, guys, you look at Mark Andrews leading teams with one hundred and twenty two target, Hollywood Brown, Markith brownleoleas a team with one hundred and twenty one target. There isn't anybody

else on this team that has fifty targets. So if you're Heaves a coordinator, you sit there and say, wow, if we can keep Superman in the phone booth, not let him get out, not let him get those explicitive plays when he starts to break down the pocket, and then if we can take away the tide end the Marquis Brown you're looking at, you're giving yourself an opportunity to get those sacks, which is why, as we just alluded to, and the six games he's got twenty two

cents because the other people are getting open. The other people haven't been able to make plays because they're so heavy focused on stopping Andrews or throwing the ball to Andrews and throwing the ball to Marquis Brown. That's been part of the frustration for a lot of fans and a lot of people here is that development of spreading

the ball around for this offense hasn't occurred. And then, of course when you find your situation yourself in the situations of not running the ball, that's putting a lot of pressure on offensive coordinated great Roman. Do you think Lamar Jackson will be back on Sunday, I personally do think so. Dan. I think that a lot of people

were questioned whether you play against the Packers. They kind of looked at and said, okay, we got, you know, three guys that we just kicked up off the street, you know, playing in the secondary then maybe one of the top two passers of this era, along with Tom Brady obviously, and then I think they kind of said, okay, it's the NFC game. If we lose the game, we still have an opportunity. We still have to win the game.

Because you the Ravens finish up with you guys out there in Cincinnati, and then they got the Los Angeles Rams, and then they got the Pittsburgh Steelers. We all know it could come down to that final week for them for the whole FC North, which obviously NFL would be excited about and probably fans would be stressed out about. But you know, I personally think that Lamar they sat him last week and just haven't talking to people, and

that this is the week that they know. If they do not win this game first to Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at one o'clock out in the Queen City, that is going to put a severe damper an opportunity for to make the playoffs this year, which which will be very very disappointing. Obviously, heads will probably roll out here because that's unacceptable. So when you look at that, I think he will play. Even though Huntley has played well, you know, obviously he had he had a really good

game against the Packers. He's got really, really well. He's more of a ball spreader. He doesn't take as many deep shots. But Huntley a guy that has played very well, you know, completing seventy one percent of his passes and also has the ability to run the ball, so he's he's a little better passer than Lamar. Both of them kind of athletic, not as fast as Lamar, but very

very athletic and very very quick. And they're both from the same area in Browery County in Fort Lauderdale, So you know, between Tyler Huntley and Lamar Jackson, you're gonna get pretty much the same thing, other than Lamar likes to take a little more shot down field and if that ankle is then one hundred percent that would be beneficial to the defense. But I fully expect after two weeks Lamar to be out there because this is the most important game of the season, and not just because

it's the next game. This really is your last opportunity may win this division title. You know, if if Lamar comes back, you have that eleven on eleven running game again with that quarterback. In my two questions and my question on a couple of players, Ricard and boil um to me, when when the big three hundred pound fullback was out and they had to minimize that package, it was a different running game. And then Boyle was out and then boil comes back to and they put him

in that in that role. Those two guys are going to be able to play because they were limited to day in practice. If they're able to play, it becomes a whole different dynamic with that running game. What's the thought there, Penrocard and obviously Nick Boiler tight end. I think both of those guys will be out there playing. I think today was kind of just to day, which we've seen throughout the season with coach har Ball being

an extra long year. Obviously, gentlemen, as you guys know this with the extra game, the extra we can practice that. This has been kind of like you got to kind of manage guys injuries. Nick Boyle missed most of the season, so it's not unusual for him to kind of made take the rest day. But I fully expect those guys

this is an all hands on that game. I mean, you know, they can try to underplay it and try not to overstate it in the press conferences and zoom calls and all that nonsense, but they're feeling here in Baltimore amongst the fans, amongst the people, amongst those inside the building, you can kind of get that that same feeling and talking with coaches and talking with people, and you know, just just the whole mentality and the attitude is that this is a must win game, and it

truly is because it's the next game. But we all know you only need to be wanted, oh every week, that's the goal. But this game right here is extremely huge, and especially where the Bengals came here into Baltimore and basically took the Ravens behind the woodshed. So, um, this is an important game obviously because it's an AFC game

and a division game. But if you don't win this game, I think this for both teams, it kind of really hinders their opportunities, not saying it is done and over with, but for the Ravens, you have the Rams coming in here and then you may have to you know, finish up with Pittsburgh, you know, and we all know what that's like. You know. You guys have your battles in Pittsburgh, obviously,

the Ravens and their battles. You don't want to come down and have to Ben Ronsis Burger having one shining moment in what they're calling, you know, his walk off yere sou. You know, it's it's a frame. It tough with those guys, I expect to play. I expect it to be all hands on dates. Thank if they find enough money for me. You may see old fifty out there running around doing something. Sunday's game kicks off at

one o'clock and the Bengals are favored by three. As for the rest of the AFC, North Cleveland is a seven and a half point underdog at Green Bay on Christmas Day. Pittsburgh is an eight and a half point underdog at Kansas City on Sunday. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast brought to you by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the App Store

and Google Play. And 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 thank you for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast