Bengals Booth Podcast: Final Countdown

peewee football team in a good way. Then Dave Lapham joins me to look at three of Sunday's biggest storylines, and finally it's our No the Faux segment as we get the scoop on the Chargers from Joe Ready, who covers the team for the Associated Press in Los Angeles. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Sport, the official

hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. And here's a quick reminder that you can add the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since dark chocolate. I stumbled upon a pack of dark chocolate Reese's Peanut buttercups for the first time, and it confirmed by longstanding belief the dark chocolate is vastly superior to milk chocolate. But that's not all.

According to healthline dot com, dark chocolate is loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health. Made from the seed of the cocoa tree, it is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet, and studies show the dark chocolate can lower the risk of heart disease. So I think I'll go ahead and eat a case of those dark chocolate Reeses Peanut butter cups, you know, for my health. Let's get to football. The Bengals opened the season on Sunday at four oh five against the

LA Chargers. Cincinnati's a three point underdog. This week, I had the opportunity to preview the game at a one on one visit with tight end cj Uzama. CJ. Professional athletes always sound optimistic heading into the season, but one specifically gives you confidence that this could be a good year.

I just think the chemistry that we have, you know, I think in the locker room, hanging out with the defensive guys, and you know, this is a team chemistry that I haven't seen in a really long time, you know, getting back to maybe Pema years, if we're being completely honest. So just just the team chemistry that we have and the will for one another. You know, we're truly playing for the guid next to us, and we're a locker room full of brothers right now. And yeah, we're excited.

We're excited to get out get out there and not hit each other for the first time and really just show you know, what we're about and what this new

year means to us. So the chemistry on this team reminds you peewee football or minds of purie football and just hanging out, messing with one another, like you know, it's it's it's good vibes, you know, it's it's really um, it's it's something that you know, we we come in and we're competing, you know, I'm competing against Bond and um, these these you know, secondary people and all this stuff, and then we come inside and you know, we're we're brothers.

You know, we're hanging out, we're talking shop where um, it's nice. It is. It is. Uh, it's something I haven't seen in a long time. We're chatting with tight end C. J Uzama. When asked about Joe Burrow recently, you said, quote, he's a beast, He's an absolute animal. What has he done to earn your respect before you've

ever played a game? I think just the command that he has, you know, I think, um, we're going over situations, we're going over plays, and he's stopping the meeting sometimes and saying, hey, and this situation, you know, you can do it like this or in this situation, we can check it to this or you know, we're gonna do this. And and I think you know, as a rookie, as a quarterback in journal, you want to see that, you know, you want to see someone who takes control and takes

him in of a huddle and things like that. But I think you know him coming in and you know, showing the assertiveness that he has so early on and in such a way that we're like, oh, nice, like we can't do that, all right, nice Like, all right, that's a that's a good check that we have. Oh we can run this shout this way against this coverage or against this leverage. I think things like that that really sticks out to you and that resonates in your mind, and that kind of gives you He's like, oh nice,

he knows what he's gonna do. He's gonna get us in the best possible play and it's up to us to make the plays. CJ and the most significant scrimmage inside of Paul Brown Stadium, Joe's first two passes and three of the first five we're thrown to you. Did you take that as a good sign for how the tight ends will be used this year? Thousand percent. No,

that's that's always. It's always. Uh. It means a lot to me in particular, and then to the tight end group knowing that you know, we're we're we're in his mind. You know we're we're we're going to be involved in the in the playbook. And um, I think I've mentioned this before. I want the onus on us. I want us to be stressed, whether it's um, you know, a passing play or running play, protection, whatever the cause is.

I want I want that pressure. So uh yeah, having having those passes thrown early in that scream and I was like, all right, here we go. This is this is Um, something I can look forward to. Hopefully. There were no preseason games this year and limited tackling in practice. From your perspective heading into your sixth NFL season, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I think I think the coach has kind of prepared us in a in a in a good way. UM, with you know,

having no preseason games. UM, I think it's gonna be more so for me. I'm I'm I mean, like I like, like you said, this is my sixty year so I've kind of, um, I'm used to speed of the game and things like that. I think more so for the rookies. UM, I think, you know, defensively, they've been doing some tackling drills and things like that, and UM, we've been doing we've been opening up kind of with like a tackling station,

um with most practices. So yeah, I think I think we prepared ourselves, um, and in a really good way. I think kind of the coaches, know you know this with with not having as much live contact, with not having these preseason games, that needs to be a mindset in an m O. So, UM, I'm expecting us to come out and not have you know, mistackles and um, you know, hopefully we get some turnovers and things of

that nigue as well. In addition to no preseason games, there have been severe limitations and what the media can report on a training camp. And I'm sure you're going to try to surprise the Chargers with something. I would not expect you to divulge any secrets, But is that an intriguing aspect to this opener? That's the biggest thing I think. You know, we talk about um, you know, Darren and special teams. We talked, He asked, you know, what's the biggest takeaway from game one? How are you

gonna how are we gonna win Game one? And its adjustments because you're right, we don't know and they don't really know what we're gonna throw at them, what they're gonna throw at us. I think having hard knocks was nice, you know, being able to you know, kind of see see their players, see just their mannerisms, how how they go about their gay and things like that. But yeah, it's gonna be, um, you know, it's gonna be one of those things where who can adjust the best against

certain things that other team's gonna throw at them. So I'm excited about that aspect. A couple more questions for tight end c j Uzoma. Let's look at that Chargers defense. No team in the NFL only rushed for more than the Chargers did last year. That was eighty two percent of the time on passing plays. Because they have great edge rushers and Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. How much

of your success will simply depend on blocking those two guys. Yeah, I mean, I think I think that kind of allows their secondary players and their their young linebacking linebacker courts to kind of play a little more freely. You know, you have two guys like that who are um you know who I have a great deal of respect for for how they play the game. Um, you know that that dictates the flow of their defense. And I think that kind of run, their defense of energy runs through

those two players. So UM yeah, I think, um, we're gonna have to be on them early and often, and um kind of a certain art dominance, UM kind of unsettled them so that they can't, you know, dictate the pace of the game and we're not you know, going into their counter moves or um playing up to their Samon cj I would describe he is a very positive, upbeat guy. How thrilled are you just at the prospect

of playing football this year. I'm excited. I'm ecstatic. I can't tell you how how happy I am that um, you know, off off rip, you know, during like where when OT should have happened. I'm sitting here like there you got any Kennedy. Come on now, we have to have football. We have to I have to get out of this house and and and go back up to Cincinnati and get ready for the season. So I can't tell you I'll throw it. I am to be back

in the locker room, be with my guys. Um he chatted up with TV every day and and and you know, messing with him and Geo and all the guys, you know, all the tight ends in the room. It's to me, it's it's this is my family. So I was away from my family for way too long during these during these times. So I'm excited to get back on the field with him and get after it. Appreciate your time. Best of luck this year, Yes, sir, thank you. It will be interesting to see how often Joe Burrow throws

to his tight ends. Last year at the last you Randy Moss's son Thaddius finished with forty seven for five hundred and seventy yards, setting school records for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end. Now time to look at three of Sunday's biggest storylines with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. The return of aj Green, the debut of Jonah Williams, and obviously the debut of Joe Burrow. I've been trying to think of a debut that compares to this.

I mean, the first thing they'll come to mind is a Bengals fan would be Carson Palmer. But for whatever reason, that didn't seem quite this hyped to me. Maybe there's the fact that he sat out his entire rookie year. Ken Griffey Junior coming home kind of compares. But that's baseball one hundred and sixty two games instead of sixteen. This is something special in this city's history. I think

you have to go back to Greg Cook Local. You see product drafted by Paul Brown, big excitement, you know, Greg Cook, oh local boy making good Chillcothee Ohio University, Cincinnati, drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, and he had star written all over him. Just you know, like Joe Burrow didn't win a Heisman Trophy or a national championship obviously, like Joe Burrow did, but just a physical specimen and then tragic injury obviously ended his career very prematurely, and the

franchise recovered and brought Ken Anderson into the fold. But yeah, I mean, this guy's you talk about buzz it's constant buzz. Well. He is coming off what many have called the greatest season by an individual in college football history. He completed seventy six percent of his passes five thousand, six hundred and seventy one yards, sixty touchdown passes, only six interceptions. If he used the NFL Quarterback Rating system, his numbers last year compute to one forty three point seven. Nuts

and ridiculous. It's nuts, it's nuts. What is it? One fifty seven point ages pun fifty eight points say is a perfect So he was one forty three point seven. That's that's that is nuts against that competition level. I mean, you know, we're not talking about little sisters of the poor year. We're talking about the SEC and then we're talking about getting into the National championship tournament, you know, and playing the best teams in the in the country,

and he shredded everything. So it's uh, that's the thing is he did it week after week after week. It wasn't any one hit wonder And the consistency of his level of play to raise the bar to where he raised it to and to reach it so many weeks in a row against again, more than formidable competition most weeks is truly remarkable. He had just a spectacular year. He's twenty three years old. He has already been named one of the Bengals captains going into the season, chosen

by his teammates as one of their captains. That was the first topic of conversation today when Joe Burrow met with Cincinnati area reporters to look ahead to send Day's game against the Chargers. You know, that was one of my goals coming in. I really didn't expect to be a captain. Um, but you know, I'm I couldn't be

happier to represent our team in our offense. Um. You know, we have a lot of guys that that could have been up there, but UM, I'm happy that that that my team decided that I should be the one to get that honor. Oh, You're known for the grind and preparing for games. By being your NFL debut, is this unlike anything you prepared for before. I mean, obviously it is, but I try not to, you know. I just just come in and work like I always do. UM lots the film, like I need to prepare, like I need

to UM. So I try not to focus on all the pressure stuff. UM. I feel like I'm going to be ready to play. I feel like I'm going to play well. And you know I'm not not ready to play yet. I saw a few more days preparation that that need to come in. But I'm feeling pretty good right now. When you look at the tape of the Chargers, what jumps out at you? Is there anything that they're doing? It's like WHOA just all of a sudden, you know,

hit you hit you like a ton of Brooks. Obviously, they have BOTHA and Ingram, two of the best pass rushers in the league. So we're gonna have to um. I'm gonna have to get the ball out of my hands quickly and know what I'm looking at. If I don't know what I'm I'm looking at every snap, it's gonna be a long day. Um, those guys will get get to me quick. And you know, I know the old line will be ready for it, and I don't

know I'll be ready for it as well. You and Zach Tayler have both said the ultimate goal here is to win a championship. How long have you been a person who's focused on championships? Did that start at LSU in high school? When did that start? That's the goal whenever you're playing anything. I started when I first started competing in sports. M If you're not striving for a championship for perfection, what are you? What are you doing

it for? That's you know. I'm not. I'm not out there to win Go five hundred and you know, squeak into the playoffs. I'm here to win games and win championships. Music to the ears of Bengals fans. Not here to win games, He's here to win championships. Exactly what he did last year at LSU at Athens High School, good enough to have the stadium renamed for him Joe Burrow Stadium. He'll have a statue in front of the stadium at LSU.

After national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy, and now he is trying to turn a franchise around that hasn't been to the playoffs in the last four years, and I think he's I think he's up to the task, I really do. You know. The thing about him, Dan, I think is he was raised right. I mean, his parents did a remarkable job, and his dad obviously a very successful football player, football coach, Jim Burrow. You know, he has created almost the perfect combination of player person.

I mean, this kid understands people. His people skills are off the charts, so that that would stand him instead in any walk of life. And you know, to be elected captain as a as a rookie quarterback is a significant thing. But he's he's experienced beyond his years, There's no two ways about it. But he just has a

great feel for how to respect people, treat people. His people skills are off the charts, and I think his teammates are going to do everything they possibly can to support him, and he is going to do the same for them in every way feasible. Joe Burrow is going to have a lot to say about how much improvement the Bengals make, but so is Jonah Williams. The offensive line has really struggled over the last four years, and they are counting on him to solidify left tackle for

many years to come. No question, Dan. It was a revolving door personnel wise at the left tackle position, as we know last year, and a couple of guys that filled that spot aren't even in the NFL this year. They did what they could. They gave everything they had to coach Jim Turner, but it just wasn't good enough, you know, and they had problems there. And Jonah Williams is a guy they took with the eleventh pick in the draft in twenty nineteen to anchor that position and

give continuity and just solidify that spot. And that's what they're hoping that he does. When you're drafted eleventh in the draft, you're drafted to shut down guys one on one pass rush guys. Well, he's going to be facing two great ones in his first you know, one hundred hours of his professional career, Joey Bosa and Miles Garrett. Joey Bosa, like Joe Burrow was saying earlier today in his media press conference, he knows what Joey Bosa is all about. In terms of a technician. It's going to

be technique against technique, technician against technician. Joey Bosa has tremendous hands. He can get people's hands off of him. Offensive lineman has to have good hands, a good hand placement to try to jam and keep his shoulders back and his shoulders and chest away from the defensive lineman.

Joey Bosa does a good job of rushing with tremendous strength and the body lean and using his hands to break down the offense of lineman's hands and get to the shoulder pads in the chest of the offensive lineman. So it's going to be literally hand to hand combat out there at that you know, left tackle right defensive end position. And I do not believe that Jonah Williams is going to be out there one on one all day long. I think they'll slide the line his way.

Some I think they'll have a tight end over there. Some they're gonna chip with the running back. Some but they're gonna be snaps where Jonah Williams and Joey Bosa, the Jay Boys are going to be going one on one, head to head. And really the biggest thing Dan is defensive players have to earn the opportunity to pass rush. They have to get the offense in third and seven or more. The offense has to make sure the defense

doesn't earn those opportunities. So the best thing to do is to be balanced and have a running game where you're gonna run at Joey Bosa, some anchor him some you know, and make it where he's just not teeing off If he's teeing off on Jonah Williams on every third down. If every third down is third and long, oh could be a long afternoon. If every third if most of the third downs are third and short to medium, we've got a shot. And that's what it's going to

be all about. It's going to be can they can they run the football? A running game helps the offense, it helps the defense, keeps them off the field, a huge, huge ripple effect there. Jonah Williams and his fellow offensive linemen are well aware of the fact that the world doesn't think that highly of the Bengals offensive line, to put it nicely, and Jonah also knows that the old linemen have the opportunity to try to start changing their

reputation this week. It's definitely something that motivates us. But I think, as I've said before, it's not so much about, you know, trying to prove everyone wrong. It's just trying to, you know, give Joe confidence and help this offense execute and with that will gain respect as a unit um And I think that you know, that's that's a mindset that everyone has, is we're excited about this offensecute and me us five to our job and trust that you know,

the six will do theirs. If the offensive line can just be solid, they don't have to be the best offensive line in the NFL. They just can't be among the worst. Absolutely, if they can climb to average. If they can be an average offensive line, watch out because they do have weapons. And if Joe Burrow in twenty eighteen didn't have the year he had in twenty nineteen. And one of the biggest differences they put five out in routes. They had five offensive lineman and Joe Burrow.

If they rush five, they had five to pick it up. If it was the six guy coming, Joe Burrow knew he had to get the ball out of his hand before the guy got there, or make the guy miss and create an extend to play So if the Bengals offensive line can do that, if they at times can put five out in routes and let Joe do his

thing where he so quickly quickly diagnoses defenses. He's a problem solver, an excellent problem solver, and knows where to go with the football right away if he can get the football out of his hand pronto, which he's great at, and they can, you know, not have to have tight ends and running backs and all that help and upfront and the offensive line. It's it's it's going to be a dynamic offense, there's no question. But in order to do that, you're gonna have to be in favorable situations.

Again with you have to have some sort of a running game. You can't be one dimensional and put five out every single pass play in the National Football League, defensive coordinators will be drooling. Aj Green is expected to be in the starting lineup for the Bengals on Sunday. The question is can he stay on the field this year. There's a website lap called Sports Injury Predictor dot com.

I have no idea what their track record is, how legitimate it is, if there are doctors involved or whatever, but the website Sports Injury Predictor dot com says there's a ninety three percent chance that AJ Green will get injured at some point this year, and they project him to miss five games. He missed every game last year. He's missed twenty nine over the last four aj has done everything humanly possible to put his body in position to try to answer the bell for all sixteen this year.

He certainly has dan. I mean, he had a remarkable offseason of conditioning and I've said it a few times. He came back and looked looking like an Olympic caliber athlete. He looked like he was going to be part of the Olympic sprint team. Phenomenal, and his route running is extraordinary. Joe Burrow made mention of it earlier today during the course of the press conference that AJ Green is such an explosive route runner. He's such a precise route runner.

He knows exactly, you know where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there, and I mean, he just makes such a huge difference. There's there's just no two ways about it. He's upper crusted in the National Football League and you have to you can't leave Aj Green one on one. If you do, you're asking for You're cruising for a bruising. There's no doubt about it.

So if if aj Green can stay healthy for sixteen games like he did for a bunch of seasons early in his career, I mean he was he was about you know, you just check him off every single week. AJ Green's going to be in the starting lineup and then he's had a spell here of some bad luck and hopefully the football gods reverse it and let him go back to earlier in his career. If he's able to play sixteen games, he's going to put up significant numbers. He's gonna make Joe Burrow's life a lot easier, Joe

Mixon is gonna like his life better. Tyler Boyd. It has a trickle effect, a ripple effect, and AJ Green is extremely important. You know three and twenty one in the last twenty four games that AJ Green missed. That tells you something. In his career, when he's played, the Bengals are sixty six forty four and one. That means they've won sixty percent of the time when he's played. When he hasn't played a single snap, seven wins, twenty five losses, one tie they've on twenty two percent of

the time when he hasn't played now at all. He hasn't practiced that much after tweaking his hamstring early in training camp this year, so head coach Zach Taylor was asked, how carefully do you have to watch his snaps this Sunday against the Chargers. We're fortunate right now we have you guys. We're deep at receiver, and we feel like there's a lot of guys that can step in there and be a primary receiver. And obviously AJ Green's Aj Green.

There's no replacing him. But our guys have had a strong training camp and and Bob mcnell and Troy Walters have done a great job preparing those guys to where, um, you know guys can step up. And it's really a time where you call a play and you don't necessarily have to look to see who's out there to make sure what player you're calling. It's you're fully confidence that all those guys can execute their jobs. You've waited a

very long time to coach Aj in a game. Have you thought about what that feeling is going to be like on Sunday? And how excited are you to have him as an asset. He's a tremendous weapon and you know, he really attacks, you know, to attack defenses, and he's somebody they got to be concerned about. And not only that, but is he a great weapon, but he takes the pressure off all the other receivers, you know, to go and just make plays as they come to him. And

so he's just a tremendous weapon. Half, it is a deep group at the wide receiver position. However, AJ Green is not the only guy who's had injury issues during training camp. That's also been the case for John Ross and t Higgins. It has I mean they haven't been in the huddle together at all, you know, so you know, it is a little bit of a concern. Obviously, when healthy, that's the strongest position group in the offensive side of

the football. I think the defensive line is arguably and probably unquestioned the strength of the defense in terms of position groups. So yeah, I mean, this this core, if if healthy, if intact, can put up some significant numbers. There's no two ways about it. But with a rookie quarterback, to to make him have to throw, if he has to throw the football, if Joe Burrows throwing the football to these guys because he wants to. It's gonna put up big numbers if he's thrown to him because he

has to. It's gonna be a little bit different spin. And that's uh, that's up to each and every one of the receivers, uh, the offensive line, the running backs, everybody to execute the run game the pass game. They've got plenty of weapons, but they have to be you have to do both. Dan at some point during the season and a football game you have you're gonna have to run the football well against tough odds. I mean, it's like this is this is an incredible situation, but

you've got to go run the football now. And the same thing throwing the football. You're gonna have tough situation where you're you're you're gonna have to throw the football to come back and and you know, get back into a football game. So those are the that's when the rubber meets the road. That's when it separates the men from the boys. Can you run the football when you have to? Can you throw the football when you have to?

When you're doing both when you want to Easy Street JJ told reporters on Thursday that his hamstring is one hundred percent and that he has been practicing full speed this week. Geno Atkins, on the other hand, has not been practicing due to a shoulder injury, and his status for Sunday's opener appears to be up in the air now time for this week's no the Faux Segment. Joe Ready used to cover the Bengals for the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Now he covers the Chargers for the Associated Press. In Los Angeles, Joe joined Dave Lappam and me on the Bengals Game Plan Show and we started our conversation by discussing the Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn. Acquitted himself quite well on Hard Knocks. What kind of a guy is Anthony Lynn? Good guy, very very blunt at times, but he gets it across in a way that is not it all feel bad after after he does it. I think he has many similarities to Marvin in terms of that.

Anthony's one liners with the media, I will say, are better than Marvin. He's a little more joking with the media, which I think is good at times. But I think much as Hard Knocks and two thus nine did a good job of acquitting Marvin to a national audience. I think that, you know, especially with everything that was going on in society and everything, Anthony came out very well on this edition of Hard Knocks. Yeah, I thought he

was the star of the show this time around. Or talking to Joe Ready, Joe, the Chargers were five and eleven last year, after going twelve and four and winning a playoff game the year before. Do you think this year's team is closer to twelve wins or five wins? I think closer to twelve wins, Dan. I think when you look at last year, nine of the eleven losses

were by eight points or fewer. And there there are a few factors that I that I will put on that their third down defense teams were converting at a fifty to fifty five percent clip, and if you can't get off the field on third down, it's going to be a very long day for you. And also eight red zone turnovers that led the league as well, and

they didn't generate a enough. They gave it away more than a few times with fumbles and Philip rivers in late game situations, but they didn't take it away enough either. I think that it might be closer than the two thousand and eighteen team in terms of changes with the offense and a quarterback that'll be a lot better. And I think this defense is a lot better at linebacker in the secondary than last year. Boy eight red zone turnovers. I know Rivers had eighteen in receptions and man, but

you're right the takeaways there. There were ten interceptions and three funebre recovers. Thirteen takeaways in a sixteen game season for a defense that statistically tied for six in the NFL, fifth in the league defending the pass. But they just couldn't take the football away with those pass rushers, two Pro Bowl pass rushers, two Pro Bowl cornerbacks. Well, I guess they just signed one of them, but it just didn't compute. You know, Derwin James was there the whole season.

Not going to have him this year, but they had plenty of players, didn't they. Well, Derwin missed. Derwin missed ten games last right due to the broken foot. Right. I think that was a big loss for him. But I think they really were thin a linebacker the last couple of years, and they've really phoned up in terms of that area. This year. They drafted Kenneth Murray that traded up with New England to get him in the first round. Former Bengal Nick Vigil is here, who has

versatility at all three spots his life. What he what he's done, I think the secondary with that and Chris Harris, he's gone back to covering the slot and playing his natural position, which will be good. Casey Hayward has always been aggressive, and then you know you had that defensive line which is already good, but it has gotten a lot better with Lynvaal Joseph in the middle, which he held everything from a mack truck to a rolling coke

machine by a couple players there during training camp. So he'll he'll plug up the middle on the run and also give them some pressure on the pass rush up the middle, which they really haven't had. We're talking to our buddy Joe Ready, who covers the chargers for the Associated Press in LA. It is going to be strange, Joe to see the charger Chargers trot out there with somebody other than Philip Rivers as the starting quarterback. He'll be the first time in fifteen years. We're all familiar

with Tyrod Taylor who takes over. How much different is this offense going to be well. I think on third and less than a yard bill run quarterback sneaks for the first time since at least two thousand and six, and that you know Philip Philip, for as good of a quarterback he was, was a statue back. There your traditional pocket passer, not a lot on scrambling. I think you're going to see a lot more RPOs. The Tyrodold

throw a lot more on the scramble. I think without having Melvin Gordon here, with Austin Ekeler with what he can do and running back running back in terms of all purpose yards and touches, I think it's a I think it's a lot more dynamic offense. But I think much as you look at with the Bengals too, there's questions with the offensive line, especially this Chargers offensive line. Mike Poundcy is questionable this week. He played in only

five games last year due to a neck injury. Sam Tevy is moving to left tackle, and he traditionally, especially in pass coverage, has rated not well among offensive tackles. And if you're bad at pass protection and right at right tackle, I don't know how you're going to do a left tackle. They the right side has gotten better with Brian Bulaga and Trey Turner, but that left side still concerns me a lot. Yeah, that's an interesting dynamic when you look at Tyrod Taylor, Like you mentioned, RPO

zone reads those kind of things. Anthony Lynn was a backup running back of the Denver Broncos when Trell Davis was there. Mike Shanahan, he knows about the running game. They Tyrod Taylor and Anthony Lynne were both with the Buffalo Bills when the Buffalo Bills led the NFL in rushing in twenty sixteen. To me, it stands to reason Anthony Lynn is going to want to pound Eckler and uh and Tyrod Taylor I think is going to be

a factor on the ground. It wouldn't surprise me if Eckler's numbers he haf fifteen hundred all purpose numbers last year, he's only seven yards short of a thousand receiving and rush for like five fifty. I wouldn't be surprised to the numbers reverse, what do you think? I think? I don't know if he'll get too close to a thousand yards running lab um. They do have, they do have depth. They're running back and I don't see Eckler as a you know, twenty to twenty two carry carry guy game.

Justin Jackson Dave they've really been impressed with, but he's been injury prone. And uh, Josh Kelly, the fourth round pick out of Ucla they really liked too, in terms of a Melvin Gordon type back. Um. I know Dan has seen seen Ucla against you see the past couple of years, but ironic thing is Josh Kelly was injured in both of those games. So really UC fans have

no knowledge, have no knowledge of them. I think the one area that's inferred with Josh Kelly too is he's catching a ball out of the backfield, something that we haven't seen that I didn't see him do in Ucla. So I think, well, they carry the ball more than twenty times a game, yes, but I think it'll be almost a running back by committee set. Okay, yeah, you see didn't have to deal with Joshua Kelly when he was at UCLA, but USC did and he ran for

two hundred and eighty nine yards in one game. A couple more questions for our pala Joe Ready, who covers the Chargers for the Associated Press, the Rams and Chargers Joe move into this five billion dollar palace So five Stadium this year. It's an obnoxious display of wealth. It's spectacular. Here's my question for you, though, what's the interest level in LA in the Chargers these days? I think it's I think it's growing. I think hard knocks definitely helps.

But I also think that Dave having guys that Philip wasn't much of a promoter of the franchise in LA. He was, he still lived in San Diego and everything. But I think with a young roster, with a Joey Bosa who's coming out of his shell a lot more, Derwin James was, you know, face of the franchise, and I think despite injuries, they'll still let him around. Tyrod Taylor, you know, as far as a quarterback, what you want them to promote and everything. Austin Ekeler, there's definitely the

sense of promotion. And I think that you know, this franchise, let's face it has been waiting for twenty to twenty five years to move into a new facility that they couldn't get in San Diego, and they were finally able to team up, you know, with the Rams here, I think there's a. I think there's a lot of excitement. It's certainly the fans in San Diego still follow them, and I think everybody's excited for a new football facility in LA whenever they get the chance to come in.

And I was in their last Friday for the media tour, and it really is a spectacular facility. Almost reminds me a little bit of the Meadowlands inside in terms of the dynamic that way, but with the video board and you know, all the other amenities, I think it really changes the face of stadiums throughout the league. Joe, when you talk about the charges receivers, and I'm putting Neckler in that category, ninety two catches, nine and ninety three yards,

eight touchdown catches, pretty spectacular. Mike Williams led the NFL averaging twenty point four yards reception. He had over a thousand yards receiving. But the one that a lot of players in the Bengals talk about is tremendous respect for Keenan Allen. You know, one hundred and four catches, eleven ninety nine yards last year, three street one thousand plus yard seasons with six touchdown catches in three straight years. Very consistent. They say that this guy, he makes plays

no matter what the circumstances. What the situations. Give us your appraisal of Keenan Allen gave to me He's always been an underrated receiver, and I think among fans and maybe broadcasters, but I think players consider him a top five, top six receiver. On Saturday, sign an eighty point one million dollar contract and make some second in terms of average pay among receivers. So he isn't a top five list, you know, maybe the top five list. You really fun

to be in. Very good route runner, very good possession receiver, very good on rats and everything. We'll get the tough balls, we'll win the matchups. Will you know will Burn will Burn cornerbacks since acs Ill said to the receiver to watch out for in this game, to us Hunter Henry is he has excelled against the AFC North in the past. And you know he's got a lot to prove in a contract here too. And for the first time in

three years, he is finally healthy. Knock on wood. Hi, thanks the cj Uzama and Joe Ready, and that's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast brought to you by Prime Sport, the official hospitality partner of the Cincinnati Bengals. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast