Bengals Booth Podcast: Final Four

My broadcast partner Dave Lapham joins me to discuss several hot button topics, including the Bengals use of Joe Mixon, what it's like for the players when your head coach is under fire, and if the Bengals defensive personnel simply isn't as good as we thought, and I know the

faux segment. This week, we'll talk to Chargers beat reporter Sam forty, a who has all sorts of good nuggets from being around the Chargers on a daily basis, and we'll have a one on one conversation with Andy Dalton about the injury that ended his season and his future

with the Bengals. All of that is straight ahead, but first, 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 on iTunes, Stitcher, or pod Bean. It's the greatest invention since the cast iron skillet. They heat evenly, they're naturally non stick, they're the best pan to give your food a good seer, and they're easy to clean. In case you can't tell, I'm a big

fan of the cast iron skillet. Now let's get to football. The La Chargers are hot. The Bengals are not. The Chargers have won eight of their last nine, and they're only lost during that stretch was by one point to Denver. The Bengals have dropped four in a row in six of their last seven, and the Bengals defense is in danger of joining a list that nobody would have imagined the Bengals being part of at the start of the season.

There have only been five teams in history that have allowed an average of thirty or more points a game and four hundred or more yards a game. The two sixteen forty nine Ers, two thousand and eight Lions, nineteen eighty one Colts, nineteen fifty one Yankees, Yes there was a New York Yankees football franchise had folded at the end of that season, and the nineteen fifty colts. Right now,

the Bengals would make it six teams. They are allowing thirty point nine points and four hundred thirty three yards. Both figures rank last in the NFL. Defense is where I began my conversation with Dave lapham Lap. In two fifteen, the Bengals finished number two in the NFL and scoring defense at seventeen point four points a game. Since then, they have dropped to eighth in twenty sixteen, still good, sixteenth last year, middle of the pack, dead last with

four games to go this year? Do we tend to think that the Bengals defensive personnel is better than it really is? You know, I think that's a tendency that everybody has. You know that they if your fans and close to your team, you think that your players sometimes are better than other people around the league might think. Now, Geno Atkins, I think is universally regarded as a disruptor, a destroyer in the interior of a defense, and it's it's well earned, and I think he is that guy.

I think part of their problem is though, that not only are they underperforming physicals, they're just not getting lined up right. You know. It's it's there. They're not gap sound, even on alignment sometimes and until that's solved, and I can't understand why it can't be solved. I just don't get it. Why every week it's the same problem over and over and over again. And that's in that situation you're even the offense an immediate win. I mean, you

can't win snaps when you're improperly aligned. It's you're given too much of an advantage. I don't care if you have, you know, superheroes at every every defensive position. So they've got they've got to get that part of it right. And the little tidbit this week, you know, for me, is one hundred and sixty seven points allowed in the second quarter, the most points allowed in any quarter by any team. Marvin Lewis was a defensive coordinator, a record

holder with the Baltimore Ravens. In the year two thousand, they allowed one hundred and sixty five in sixteen games. The Bengals of allowed one hundred and sixty seven and one quarter of twelve football games. It is ridiculous. It's mind boggling, it really is. And that's that's their second quarter is just killing them. And by the way looking at this matchup. Charges in the second quarter, they scored one hundred and twenty four. They've i'll scored the pe

one hundred and twenty four to fifty one. They're plus seventy three in the second quarter. That's the best quarter. Here we go in surviving the second quarter. But it is dan it. I think I think that guys should be humbled. But it's about time that they whatever, it's whatever, the reason is that they keep aligning themselves, improperly, hitting him the absent, properly doing things that aren't supposed to be done. It's got to stop. I mean, it's got

to stop. It's it's embarrassing to watch it. It really is. We don't know Marvin Lewis's fate. Mike Brown will obviously have the final say, and if history has taught us anything, the last four games of the season will have an impact. But lap, I want to go back to nineteen seventy nine, your sixth NFL season. Homer Rice was the coach and at this point of the season, the Bengals were two and ten and people were undoubtedly calling for his head. How does it affect the players when the public has

turned against the head coach. Yeah, and biggest memory that season for me is Homer Rice getting on the intercom system and begging guys to show up to the meetings. You're now ten minutes late, please report to the wide receiver room. Like what I mean, that was a huge mistake that that might be one of the only mistakes I think Paul Paul Brown might have made naming Homer Rice the interim head coach and then keeping him, you know, the following we started oh and eighth that year. And

I mentioned this before. I can vividly remember driving into my neighborhood at night with my headlights out so neighbors wouldn't detect I was there, and I remember saying to my five year old son, take the rubbish down to the curb. You know, I'm not going out there and here. You know, It's like I didn't want to go anywhere be seen by anybody. And that's that's really if you have pride in your job, I mean, you're a laughing stock. That's there's nothing worse than that, nothing worse than that

at all. And all you have is each other. And and again there's some guys that are going to fight no matter what. There are guys that are going to quit. There are front runners. You find out who your front runs are right away. You find out who your you know, real pros are right away in situations like this, and you know all you have is each other. Do you rally around your coach or not? They rallied around Marvin last year with the two wins to knock playoff teams out,

and it brought it brought Marvin back. What are they going to do this year? It's going to be interesting to see how it all onlines. The Bengals are an organization that relies on drafting and developing players, and by and large they've drafted well. But the two fifteen draft looks like a disaster. Cedrico Boyhe, Jake Fisher, and p J. Dawson remember him. We're all taken to the first three

rounds that haven't panned out. The only players taken in that draft that have done okay are tight ends Tyler Croft and c. J Uzama. How much did the twenty fifteen draft set back the franchise heard it big time, Dan, There's no question, you know, look at the offensive line

that they started the season with this year. They had to trade for a tackle to play left side, Paim eleven million bucks a year and sign a veteran free agent from the New York Giants, Bobby Hart and the other because they were over two drafting tackles in that particular draft. And that's the thing. A lot of times, if a team needs a corner, you know, they don't just draft one. They'll draft a couple because you know, you lessen the operator or the chance that you're gonna

have a disaster if one doesn't pan out. You don't have a plan B. They went, they draft the two of them, you know, and uh, and neither one of them at this point have done anything. Fisher more so injury a boy, he just deciding, you know, he's not going to do it anymore. He's basically shut it down. The thing about citrical boy, he that bothers me as

a former player. If it doesn't work with your first offensive line coach and then you get a chance with a second one, it doesn't work there, at some point go to the coach and say, you know what, obviously I'm not doing something right. You know what is it that I need to do to make myself a good football player in your eyes? To improve myself and crickets. He's never done it to me that that's an indicator

that wears his heart. Where's his head? Is he really interested in being a pro in this foot in National Football League? So but yeah, it was crippling, and I mean it's rare you go over for three or the track work of this team has It's well documented that has more draft picks in the National Football League, not just with their franchise, but all franchises picking players up and everything. The Bengals drafting players initially coming in the league by that route, there were more of those in

the National Football League than anybody else has. So they've done a remarkable job. But that that draft was a tough one and it did set him back because when you're still trying to figure out who's going to play at tacle position to handle the edge rushers, which is a big deal in this era of the NFL, that's tough dynamic right there. Despite missing two games, Joe Mixon is twelfth in the NFL and rushing with seven hundred and fifty five yards and he's averaging four point nine

yards per attempt, which is excellent. So why isn't he carry the ball at least twenty times a game. Very frustrating. I know it's frustrating for Joe, and I'm sure it's frustrating for his position coach, and I'm sure it's frustrating for the offensive coordinator because he's probably thinking, you know, I want to do it, but then doesn't do it, because, particularly in this last game, aj Green went down early. Your best offensive player on the football field at that

point is Joe Mixon. Feed twenty eight. Put the ball in his belly. Throw it to him in space. He should have a myriad of touches, you know, twenty rushes, at least five more opportunities in the passing game. He got to take care of your best player, however you do it, however you want to scheme it up, however you want to design it. I know the penalties became an issue. You know, there were runs that he had

that were negated by holding penalties. And now it's you know, now it's first and twenty instead of first and ten. Harder run the football. I know all those things occurred. But even with that said, at some point you still have to get the ball in his belly. And the other part of it is we talked about before another one of your very talented offensive players with the injury hits that you've taken at tight end and receiver and

quarterback and everywhere. Now is Giovanni Bernard making your slot receiver. He made a nice catch out of the slot for him. That's what we were crying about as soon as he came back to the team. Two of your best offensive players at the running back position. You know, New Orleans can deploy to him, and Kansas City's deployed to him, and people are doing it. Do it. But Feature twenty eight. I would much rather be accused of force feeding Joe

Mixon than not giving him enough the ball enough. I would rather have fans complaining, man, you know the running game is not there. Quit giving it to Joe Mixon. I'd rather have that at this stage in the state this football teams in than having fans saying, man, you've got to give Joe Mixon the ball more. I mean, I'd err on the side of here you go again, Joe and again and again, because at some point he's gonna bust one for twenty five thirty five forty yards.

He's that talent. He runs hard. Every chance to give him. He'll reward you. He'll he'll never give you half effort. Where you say, man, I shouldn't have given him the football, He's going to say, thanks for giving me the ball. And I'm going with aj Green joining a list. The Bengals are up to fifteen players on injured reserve, including three Pro Bowlers. Here's my question for you this week. What's the worst injury you ever witnessed in person? The

Tim crumb Rye injury. Just to watch his legs snap like that, I mean both both bones, the tibia and fibula snap right above his ankle, right below his knee, so it was just flapping in the wind. I mean, just to see that, And honestly, having practiced against Tim Crumbrye and knowing the power of that man and the dogged determination of that man, and watching him play and do the things that he did as a player, I

literally thought it was instructible. So it shocked me to see something like that happened to a guy that was so frequenthly strong and physical and from football standpoint, so it was stunning in so many ways. And I know it had an impact on the football team. When you're when you're lead dog. I mean the guy that nobody can beat. Tim Crumrye goes down to with an injury like that, it can be a devastating thing. So I think, you know, emotionally, spiritually, physically, every way that it can

impact you. I know it impacted me that way. And I remember Merlin Olson. I was talking to Merlin Olson did that game with Edinburgh, and I remember talking to Merlin Olson about it, and he said, I couldn't watch it the replay. I watched it once and I said on the air, if those of you that have weak stomach, you might want to turn away. He goes, I didn't want to watch it anymore. I said, I know. I felt the same way. I couldn't believe that his leg

did what it did. It's it's amazing, but it just goes to show you the power what you're dealing with in the NFL. You know that all the all the moisture was sucked out of I field. His foot went in like a like a beach umbrella into the sand and planted, and he tried to tork and make a tackle in his power, in the power of the running back and all that force, you know, his leg would just snapped it. It snapped it like was toothpicks. It's

crazy how powerful that game can be. The Bengals faced one of the NFL's hottest teams this week, the La Chargers, winners of eight of their last night, including a thrilling come from behind win in Pittsburgh last Sunday night, and lapped. The thing that stood out to me watching that game was how many times quarterback Philip Rivers knew he was about to get hit and still stood there and delivered a great throw just before getting drilled. Field general extraordinary

heart and soul of the football team. He's so tough, he's tough minded, he's tough physically to do what they did. They're down sixteen and a half. It's the first time in franchise history Pittsburgh lost a sixteen point lead at home. There were one hundred and seventy four wins no losses in the tie, so the one hundred and seventy six time they finally get a loss. But the toughness that it takes mentally, physically, emotionally to do that, as we

know at that place, is unbelievable. And when your quarterback is doing that, that inspires everybody. The offensive lineman know what's happening. Defense is watching and saying, man, look at our quarterback. Man, I gotta play harder. I got to do a little bit more here. Look at our quarterbacks doing. I mean, he fueled that furnace. There's no question about it. I mean, Philip Rivers is the best trash talking quarterback I've ever seen. I mean he will. He doesn't cuss

guys out because you know that's against his religion. Literally, he's a very religious man. But this guy, he will, he'll challenge you. He just gets in your face. I mean it's it's like he's a defensive player playing the quarterback position the way he gets after people. And man, how about Philip Rivers. His wife's pregnant with his ninth child. She's got to be tough too. That's a tough household

right there, Thanks Lap. With eight kids and a ninth on the way, Philip and Tiffany Rivers elected to keep their home and say and diego, meaning that Philip has about a ninety minute commute each way to get to and from practice. To make that tolerable, Rivers spent two hundred thousand bucks on a custom made suv with a forty inch TV, satellite, dish, WiFi, and refrigerator. He calls it his mobile man Cave. For more on Rivers and the Chargers, it's time for this week's No The Faux segment.

Sam Fortyer covers the Chargers for The Athletic and joined Lapping me on the Bengals Game Plan Show, where I started our conversation by asking him if we should look at the Chargers as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. I think that they have established themselves as a legitimate postseason player. I know that's that's not as attractive as maybe super Bowl contender. Obviously, I think he has to go to the Patriots and Chiefs. Those are the two heavyweights in

the ASC right now. But the Chargers last weekend scored twenty three un answered to erase a twenty seven depths and a half time in Pittsburgh, became the first team ever to win Athletes Field when the Steelers had built a fourteen point lead. So I think this team, they have Joey Bosa back, now they're running. You know, they're operating well on offense. They won that game in Pittsburgh

without running back Melvin Gordon. I think they have established themselves as a serious threat coming out of the ASC the city of Los Angeles. What if the Rams make the Super Bowl and the Chargers make the Super Bowl, I know there's a fight for LA going on. The Rams are the sexy, you know, spent a lot of money in the offseason, get a lot of players. The Chargers kind of stood Pat Moore in terms of that, although they did make some major improvements. I mean, Pouncey

obviously was a big deal. But how about if those two teams play in the Super Bowl and they have to travel all the way across the country to play in Atlanta. But well, what will happen in the city of LA if they have two Super Bowl teams? They would I can mostly be pulling for the Rams. This is the Chargers have. They are carving out a niche for themselves, especially because of how good they are. But

this is a RAM town. You know. You go into the grocery stores and the blood light packs are all Rams. Even in even in Orange County, where where the Chargers are based out of, it is a It's a Ram city. But if that were to happen, I'm sure the city of LA. You know, it's a buzzy city. They like what they like winners, so I'm sure that they would get off for that game for sure. Sam forty eight is our guest. He covers the Chargers for the Athletic.

Let's talk about Philip Rivers, who's got a birthday coming up on Saturday. He will turn thirty seven. That's supposed to be the point where guys are just about done, if not already done. But he seems to be playing better than ever is he. Yeah, he's playing the best football of his career. And that is really in large part due to the head coach Anthony Lynn's philosophy. Anthony Lynn a former running back Super Bowl winner. His philosophy is do not turn the ball over. He's a Bill

Parsnel stifle. You know. He wants the balanced offense. He wants the other team he wants he takes away the other team's best players. He wants you to make your mistakes and not lose. Is really his philosophy. And so when he came here after twenty sixteen Philip Rivers led the league with twenty one interceptions, he said, that is not going to happen anymore. So he he really tried

to curb that down. There was some friction, you know, Philip, you know, kind of made himself Philip rivers on throwing those long balls, being the gun flinger, and so, you know, just parping on it again and again, you know, holding the accountable on every throw. You know, Philip was afford of a lot of freedom under Mike McCoy, the previous coach.

So and Philip himself has said he has that internal conflict, you know, when they were trailing the Rams by two touchdowns earlier in the year, when Philip had to tell himself on some drives, don't do it. Don't you do it. Don't throw two interceptions one for a touchdown and make that the blowout. You know, keep yourself in the game,

keep yourself in the game flow. And we've seen that constantly kind of play out on the field this year, where he'll make some thank you throws or he'll you know, consciously have to throw it away or take a sack. And that has been one of the most fascinating storylines

this season. That is interesting, you know, you look at it. Overall, their turnover ratio, they're plus eleven, tied for second in the NFL twenty two takeaways tied for fourth only eleven gives fourth in the league, top five in every category in terms of turnovers. I mean that that's going to win you a lot of football games, there's no question. And they've won a lot of football games in their last twenty four games. They're eighteen and six. They've won

fifteen to their last nineteen games. They finished last year six and one and now nine and three to start this season. Six out of the last seven, I should say they won. How about this football team? Is it playing the best football that that franchise has has seen for quite a while now? I asked the Antonio Gates and some people forget he's still playing, but he is here. He's used mostly in the red zone and on third downs. Philip trust him implicitly more than anyone. They've been together

there for I want to say eighteen years. They seventeen years now. Um Antonio Gates said, this team really feels he hasn't felt this way about a team, you know, since they're fourteen and two team, uh in they're in their twelve and fourteen that won I think it was something like ten straight games to finish off the season

in oh nine under North Turner. Um. You know, he thinks that this this team, this franchise is playing the best football it has its probably close to the decade um and I think it really does go back to that Anthony Lyz philosophy. Nick Hardwick m a long time center with Philip Rivers who was here for about a decade when when Phillip started his career, he said, you know you've seen and this is sort of spearheaded by Philip Rivers, right, And he's an emotional guy that play

emotional football. That's why he would throw so many picks, is you know, he'd try to wild himself back into the game. But he said, Anthony lind has really bought brought a steadiness, an emotionless not emotion list, but a very steady, very calculated approach. And he said this team wasn't playing emotional football like it used to be. They're playing the numbers, they're playing their schemes, and they're kind of staying in that ruthless mentality. We are talking to

Sam Fortyer, who covers the Chargers for The Athletic. If you are looking for more info on the Chargers, you can follow him on Twitter at Sam than the Number four then the letters t R. We are not far from Columbus. So fans here know all about Joey Bosa. How well is he playing after missing the first ten games of the year with a foot injury. Joey Boza looks like he is just about back to the number he had. The Chargers were really struggling to generate a

pass rush. How the Studs are pretty oftens blind last week, and Joey Buzza came through in the third quarter for a big sack that ultimately led to a punt and that ultimately led to a punt return touchdown that's allowed the Chargers to tie the game and ultimately take the lead. He is playing just as well as as you know, as he ever had. And a part of that key is so Nick Bosa. After he withdrew from the Ohio State, he came out here and he lives with Joey. Now.

They have a pretty serious workout set up in their garage. And I know that Joey at halftime, especially in that first team when he came back, Joey texted Nick at halftime, he said, Hey, how do I look? And Nick said, focus on your get off. Here's what you want to do with your hands, your legs, and Joey said that has really helped in those two playing off each other. Joey attributed to to how he played so far interesting. You know you look at it. The coaching staff that

Lynn has assembled. Both his coordinators are former head coaches Ken wizzen Hunt and Gus Bradley. That's that's pretty impressive. And defensively, I mean they're playing the Seattle Gus Bradley Pete Carroll type of scheme, Cover three, and they drafted a guy, Derwin James with the seventeenth pick. Everybody had him as a top ten and he slides through the

seventeenth pick. And with Bosa and Ingram, you know, applying pressure up front and Derwin James, Casey Hayward in the back end, I mean, it has some some look of the Seattle Seahawks what they do. It's not real complicated. They just go out and executed extremely well, don't they. Yeah, And there they've had that. They have that Cover three scheme and it's sort of remarkable because, um, this team has lost Denzel Perriman, uh their uh they're outside linebacker

who was a big run stopper for them. They lost Corey Legit defensive tackle m who was also ever they lost both of them in the last four weeks. They didn't have Brandon Knibe in the last two games because of a personal reason. Um, and that's their you know, first and second down defensive tackles. So this defense has really been decimated by injuries personal reasons. And then you know, going back to the start of the years, you know, you lose your starting free safety and Jay with Watkins.

I mean, this defense has certainly faced in Kaisier White there their rookies starting outside linebacker Huland played three days this year, So they still have the stars that you've mentioned. They've also lost a lot of talent, but um, they've still maintained and you could probably attribute that to discuss Bradley systems, but they've still maintained an elite level of defense.

A couple more questions for Chargers Beat reporter Sam forty A. We have talked about a lot of the charge Your stars, Rivers, Gates, Bosa, et cetera. Keenan Allen. I guess we haven't spent much time talking about him, But give me a couple of guys that typical football fan, uh doesn't watch the Chargers every week. Doesn't know about that's playing really good football. Adrian Phillips is there, and he's there middle linebacker in

their nickel package. I'm not sure, uh, you know with aj greeno out how much we'll see you know, three receiver sets. But I know you know, a lot of football teams are an eleven personnel now, so I assume the nickel package will be on the defense. We'll be on the field a lot of the Chargers this week. He is the Anthony Lynn has called him the key cock. He's he's an undrafted free agent. Um. He directs that defense. He's effective against the run. UM, he gets everybody lined up.

He's a really smart guy. Adrian Phillips thirty one on the defense as a guy you're gonna watch, you're gonna want to watch out for. And then also Michael Davis on the outside a corner. He takes the second receiver usually, you know, if they're not playing zone. Last week they went man against G. G. Smith, Schuster and Antonio Brown of the Steelers. Michael Davis is a guy. He didn't start until about week nine, right after the bye week.

They moved on from Trevor Williams their other starting corner, and Michael Davis is sort of that longer he's you know, six two one h Gus Bradley kind of batted down in comparison to Richard Sherman ball Steel's wise, but his body type is exactly that prototype Gus Bradley corner you want to look for. So those two guys are going to be I would say, fixed factors on the defense

this weekend. My question is that, like you mentioned the the comeback, and we know how hard it is playing the Steelers every year in Pittsburgh to come from behind when trailing by two scores or actually three scores at one point in the in the football game. I think they rallied from sixteen down, didn't they? And it had

never happened. They were one hundred and seventy one hundred and seventy four wins, no loss, is one tie to do that in the momentum that's built off of that, do you think that's something that carries over or do you think this is a classic trap game. Income the Bengals struggling lost six out of their last seven, the team might just roll their helmets out there, big emotional win Sunday Night football the whole nation. While look at the Chargers, how do you think this team reacts? You've

been around them on a daily basis. Do you think that momentum carries do you think they do have a little bit of an emotional you know, lull and maybe trap game problems. It's tough to say. I don't want to buy into to coach speak too much, but I mean, fucking a rufloccuming the left tackle. And he's an incredibly intelligent person, and he was saying the other day, he said, I you know, I don't know if I've ever been

around a football team this resilient. And he was on those Seattle Seahawks teams, you know, those the Legion of Boom. And I mean he has played with some end He played with Teyton Manning and Denver. I mean, he has been around some serious football teams. And he said, this team is one of the more resilient squads I've ever been a part of. And it's tough to say, I mean,

this could possibly be a trapped game. But even even when I mean, for example, two weeks ago, the Chargers started in the first quarter, they got dominated by Arizona they were down ten nothing. Josh Rosen was looking like an all pro. The offense, you know, had two three and outs something like that, and they came back and they scored forty five on answers to win forty five ten. And I think Josh Rosen one hundred and some yards in the first quarter and he had maybe forty nine

yards the rest of the way. It was. You know, you hate to say they can just flip the switch, but even if they even if they spot you two scores, they're still raring back, you know. Our thanks to Sam forty A last, but not least, aj Green was placed on season ending injury reserve on Wednesday joined the club. It's a list that includes Andy Dalton, Tyler Eifford, Preston Brown,

Carl Lawson and nine others. Dalton had surgery to repair ligament damage in his thumb last week and sat down this week to talk with Dave Lapham, the two guys this team could not afford to lose. It loses about this year with injuries. It's the craziest thing I've ever seen. Yeah, it's been been really crazy. You know, it's unfortunate that we've had so many guys go down, and uh, it's

tough to have your your season cut short. And uh, you know, especially for me, I've had it had had it happened one other time in my career, and I mean you never want to see it happened. So, um, there's been a lot of key pieces that have gone down, and so it's it's just been tough your injury. Everybody says you're gonna be fine back for OTAs you know, rehab, they just had to surgically repair or torn ligament is

at the situation. Yeah, so they just went in there and they got everything fixed and um, you know, expect full recovery and uh, we'll just take it slow because there's no reason to push it at this point. And so um yeah, that's that's the biggest thing, is just to kind of take it one day at the time right now. Just uh, the healing process takes time. And that's where I'm at heart was aching for you all because you I think you knew something was really wrong

when you went to the sideline. Just the expression I saw you one time, just you know, throw your head down and frustrate and I think, man, he knows, you know something's up, And that kind of thing is is your worst nightmare, isn't it. Yeah, it's one of those things like in fifteen when it had happened, I didn't

know exactly what had gone on. I felt like there's still a chance, um that I'd still be able to play and all that kind of stuff, and then, um, you know, after getting the X rays and stuff solid it was broken. This time, I knew right away, just because I'd kind of been through that feeling before and uh, you know, knowing what had gone on, and so uh yeah, it was I think right away I knew this something

something was wrong. You got the brace on. I had what they called gate keepers where you've been your thumb back to your forearm kind of And is that what happened to you? Because I mean I played with a club I couldn't hold anymore, but I played with the club. But I mean obviously quarterback, you can't you can't do anything with an injury like that. But did you have

that kind of thing that gatekeepers feeling? Yeah, it's just one of those things, the um you know, with the ligament being being to win the way it was it, uh, you know, can't grip a football. It's one of those things like you said, if you played a different position, you may be all right, but when you have to throw the ball, you're not gonna be able to make that work. We just had Bob Noll on the show a little bit earlier, and you know, he said, you know,

people have to understand this is an elite quarterback. Andy Dalton is an elite quarterback, and he's talking about all the phases of the of the position. The people really don't understand, you know. And he says, you do that at such a a such a high level. How do you think your season was going this year? How did you think it win? Yeah, there's a lot of good things that happened this year. Um, I think the way that you know, you look at the games we won,

how we won them. Um, you know, being the fourth quarter, comingbacks, making the play at the end of the game you need to I mean that that was. When you look back on the season, there's there's something you can definitely take away. And there's some games we wish we would have had back, we wish we'd have been in. You know, you look at a couple of games like the Kansas City and the Saints game, it's like we wish we could have done more and wish I could have done more.

But um, and there's definitely a lot of positives take away from the season. What's your role going to be with Jeff? What do you what are you gonna do? And support of Jeff driscoll. Yeah, and I'm still sitting in all the meetings and um and being around and just trying to help out any any any way I can. I think just with talking through the game plan with with different players. This is hey, this is how I view this play, this is what I would do on

uncertain reads. Obviously the coaches are doing a great job with him, um, and so I'm just trying to give little bits of information that maybe the coaches may not be given him. What do you think if you looked at the tape of his first start, what do you think overall? Yeah, I thought he played well. I thought, um, you know, he was really accurate with the ball, He put the ball in good spots and uh, you know,

he moved the offense well. And um, I think I thought he did a great job this football team, the Chargers. Gus Bradley was a head coach and uh he was with the Seattle Seahawks it looks like they're running Seattle's defense. I mean, you know, they're playing that cover three and they have Derwin James, who's ideal for that for that defense. What do you see out of the charges when you look at them on tape. Yeah, it's they're not a

complicated team. They're just uh sounding. What they do is again like you're saying, it's that whole Seattle style of defense, which you know several teams are now have adopted that that defensive scheme and just because of the success that Seattle had with it, and um, I think with coordinators moving on to be head coaches and position coaches kind of taking over as coordinators, it just kind of it's kind of how it works. But um, you know, it's it's just this is how where they're gonna line up.

You know where they're gonna be, and they're just sounded what they do, and so um, when you get the chances to attack them, you've you've got to make the most of it. Atlanta, Jacksonville, I mean, those are some of the defense that you had great success obviously in the Atlanta game earlier this year. Attack and that uh, that defense Jacksonville. You know, I was running it. So yeah,

it is. It is around the league a little bit, and I think it's it's gonna be a real big asset to Jeff to have you who already prepared for that defense earlier in the season, you know, to kind of sit there and say, this is what I was thinking when they were doing this, They'll probably do this if we do that. Those kind of things were invaluable. Yeah,

you know, I think you can. But just the way that this defense plays, you kind of know in certain spots where they're gonna be and um so maybe on certain regime it would get off some get somebody quicker and gets to your next progression or you maybe the hey, this is probably where the ball is going to go because of the way they play. Plus Cleveland Pittsburgh, you've played both of those teams. I mean, you can provide the same type of source resource and information formed down

the stretch in those last two road games. Yeah, you know, I'm gonna, like I said, I'm just trying to try to help out as much as I can. Uh, you know in any way that that he needs me. So you envision yourself here with the Cincinnati Bengals for the long haul I mean, you want to be a twenty year quarter you don't play as long as pretty play two four five. That's a long time. I don't know about that, but you know, I would love to be

here my whole career. I know, we um, we love it here and we're established here, and um, you know, this is the only thing I know. I kind of like what Aj was saying. He's, uh, he's in this for the long haul, and UM, you know, I hope to be too. And he has two years left on his contract at an average of about seventeen million dollars a year. That's obviously a out of money, but Andy ranks nineteenth among NFL quarterbacks in salary. That's going to

do it for this episode of the podcast. If you haven't done so already, don't forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or pod Bean, and if you have a minute, please give it a rating or leave a comment. Your feedback has always appreciated, and five star ratings help more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth podcast.