Bengals Booth Podcast: Help I Need Somebody

he handled his benching and his hopes going forward. Then Dave Lapham and I will discuss the quarterback switch and with the three game sample size taught us about the future of Ryan Finlay. My locker room conversation this week is with Bengals cornerback Darquez Denard, and in our Know the Faux segment, we'll talk to Rich Samini, who covers

the Jets for ESPN. All of that is straight ahead, but first, here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered as soon as it's recorded, right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since the ability to remember names. Aren't you jealous of people who have an uncanny ability to remember names? I consider that a superpower right up there with invisibility in flying.

So if we've met before and I don't remember your name, I apologize. Unfortunately I do not possess that superpower. Now, let's get to football. The last time the New York Jets came to Paul Brown Stadium back in twenty thirteen, Andy Dalton through a career high five touchdown passes. Nobody expects that this Sunday, but the Bengals hope that he plays well enough to give them a chance to win.

Simply put, Ryan Finlay didn't. In three starts. The rookie completed forty seven percent of his passes and had a passer rating of sixty two point one. Nobody wants to be part of an Owen sixteen team, and it was hard to envision a Bengals victory at this stage of Finley's development. So Andy Dalton is back, and if he throws one touchdown pass on Sunday, he'll become the Bengals

all time leader. He's currently tied with Kenny Anderson. Andy sat down with Dave Lapham and me to discuss his return to the starting lineup following the game on Sunday, Andy, did you wonder in the back of your head if Zach might go back to you in the starting lineup. You know, I didn't think it was going to happen. I think I've I've had so many conversations with Zach and even after the decision was made where I wasn't

gonna be starting anymore. And yeah, I guess maybe in the back of my mind that there's a possibility, but I didn't. I didn't think it was going to happen. So you're a man of faith and a family man. How important of those two components to your life been in dealing with what you've been dealing with here. Yeah, it's been the biggest thing for me. You know, I think, Um, I was saying earlier when when it first happened, I

was just bitter. Didn't like I was wanting to not be the same person that I've been wanting to choose to you know, uh, not help out, just sit in the meeting and get through the rest of the season and then let it go on. But it's like, that's not who I am, that's not who I'm called to be. It's um, now, I'd be choosing to be somebody that I'm not. And so you know that weighed on me heavy and um and and for then, I was just like,

just be yourself. You know, God's gonna honor whatever. If you handle this the right way, God's gonna honor you. And um, you know, I felt like that's how I had to I had to be. I know, I told everybody well right when it first happened in the team meeting, like I'm gonna be the same guy I'm you know, don't don't feel awkward around me. It's gonna be It's gonna be okay. You know, I'll get through it. Um. But uh, you know, and I felt like I was

that way even on game day. I felt like I was giving suggestion and trying to help right out as much as I could, and uh, you know, trying to help this team win. Yep, we're visiting with Andy Dalton. There's an old saying you don't appreciate someone or you don't appreciate something until it's gone, and you haven't been gone.

But after you were taken out of the starting lineup, it seems to me there was an outpouring of appreciation and respect that I'm not sure that you got when you were leading the team to the playoffs five years

on a row. Did you feel that long overdue? Yeah, you know, I have received a lot of support and so, um, you know, it's it's kind of a weird spot to be in, you know when you're uh, you know, felt like, you know, I didn't deserve to to not be playing, but you know, I guess I understood a little bit what Zach was trying to do, but I mean I didn't agree with it and all that kind of stuff.

And then m yeah, a lot of people have supported me through it, and um, yeah, I think that's it's it's been cool to see, you know, there's people that gave to our foundation and in different things like that, and um, I mean will always take that and we'll be able to help so many kids and families with with that kind of stuff. But it's always nice when you have to support of the city around you. Let's get to the football game itself. Your strengths, or one strength.

One of your strengths, in my opinion, is diagnosis. Confident in your diagnosis. Get it out. And Greg Williams is the master disguise. He's got every pressure package in the book. He's got players to utilize to fit his schematic M. Do you feel like you have a good plan, you feel like you're really ready to just tear this thing

up on Sunday. Yeah, that's the goal, you know, I feel like and I've I've I've watched a lot of tape, a lot of film, and I mean, they are a very disguised defense, and um, you know, guys start in one spot, run out to two different areas, and so you got to be ready for it. And yeah, I feel like I've played enough football where now I understand how teams are trying to play and when what they're trying to do. And there'll be some new stuff on Sunday. I'm sure that they will get But yeah, I feel

I feel confident with what we got going. The team really struggled to run the ball the first eight weeks, and over the last several weeks they've tweaked the scheme a bit. Things are going much better, averaging far above one hundred rushing yards a game over the last three games. How much do you think that can help you lead

this team to a victory. Yeah, obviously we knew the run games struggled early on, and while I was playing it, it got tough of times because we had to be one demential and so you know, hopefully we can get this thing going and uh, you know, keep keep the momentum that we have running the ball because I mean, anytime you can run the ball, I mean it sets up your whole offense. There's three phases to every football game.

Special teams coming into our last week's game number one in the NFL, I mean, they've really done a good job defensively, not on top of the running game, offensively for complimentary football within that phase of the game. Defensively, seventeen sixteen points. That's that's winning football, you know, on that side of the ball. So the running games improved, the defence has improved. I mean that's going to give you a lot of a lot of confidence going into

this football game. I think if you look at the best teams out there, their defense is playing really well and they can run the ball, and so, um, you know, if you if you're playing well in those phases of the game, I think it you know, allows you a chance to to win each week. And so you know that's our goal this week. Hopefully we we we play the kind of way we've been playing on defense and the same as special teams, and you get the run

game going real quick. I know, um, your your situation, that the conversations you have with Zach so and I know you know you weren't real happy. There was even talk about just go ahead and trade me. So in your mind right now, you're not just playing for the Cincinnati Bengals evaluation, you're playing for thirty one of the teams. To take a look at what Andy Dalton's all about. After having been sat down, come back? What's you got? I mean, what kind of what kind of intestinal for? What?

What's this guy all about? All the way around? Is that pretty accurate? Yeah, I mean I understand the situation that we're in and and everything, and so you know, I'm I'm trying to put the best stuff out there that I can. You know, if if that's for here, then great, If that's for somewhere else, I mean, that's it's all to be determined to going forward. But you know, my whole goal is to win and win right now and win some of these last games. And you know,

I think that's the most important thing right now. How frustrating was it because players were coming up to me and stay lab four teams and we win these last two games. How frustrating was it to you to be on the sideline thinking if I was in the football game, man, I mean, can you let that kind of enter your thoughts or do you have to kind of keep them out? Now? I think for any competitor, you want to you feel like your skill set should be able to help the team.

And you know, for me, regardless of the situation, I'm going to be confident in myself and know that, Okay, there's some little things that I feel like I can do that that they can help us win. And you only get that through experience. So for Ryan, Ryan was getting great experience in those those three weeks and this stuff that he's gonna take with for the rest of his football career. And he's gonna understand like he went

against some really good defenses. I mean, you go against the Ravens, the Steelers and uh you know some of the blitz stuff that that that apology can do in Oakland. Uh, So, I mean he's gonna just the best. Um, the best thing for you is experience and playing in the game. So you know, when you've played for nine years and you understand and you've seen so much. I felt like there's little things that I can do to definitely help this team and help this team win. We've kept here

for one more minute than promise. This is my last question. Lap. You're not allowed to have anything. I got one more good one. I think you're tied with Kenny Anderson all time touchdown passes. I know you don't play for numbers. You're trying to win championships, but it felt to me like your Cincinnati story couldn't end the way it did. You know, having your starting spot take and being tied in the record book, there's there's a chance here for a happy ending. Yeah, you know. It was one of

those things. It's like, well, am I gonna get in that last game? Let's get one more touchdown fast, just so I have bragging rights over Kenny. Yeah, but you know, who knows what's gonna happen. I think that's one thing that through these last several weeks, I truly have had to trust in God's plan for for my life, for my career, my my family and all the stuff that goes into it, and so um, you know, hopefully we can score a lot of touchdowns and uh and hopefully

that record gets broken. Here we have one more quick quick yeah. No, in you're mentoring and you're a hell of a mentor. I can't think of a better mentor for young quarterback. But you're mentoring Ryan Finley and he went through some some knocks really, I mean hard lessons. Ultimately, you know, if for him to come out now and you do your thing, I know he's probably not happy.

No competitors happy when it's taken away. But in the end, when he cools down in hindsight, it might be the best thing that ever happened to him, because if he goes out there and get torn apart by Greg Williams and the Jets, I mean, at some point in time, man, there's that fine line where you're breaking a young guy's confidence to the point where he'll never recover. I mean, is there something to that When you're mentoring a young guy like that, it's got to be part of it.

But as a as a quarterback and in the way you have to play the game, you have to forget about what's already happened to you. You can't focus on that, and so um, you know, yeah, is there could there be a confidence issue with that? There could be. I don't think Ryan's built that way. I don't think he's

He's gonna ever ever lacked confidence in himself. That's just kind of the person he is and so m But you know, it's one of those things where Zach obviously felt like I could help his out, and I'm glad he didn't. Now time for my weekly podcast visit with Lap as we cover the quarterback switch, the return of Corty Glenn, and previews Sunday's matchup against the Jets. Lap. Ryan Finley is out, Andy Dalton is back. Why did

Zach Taylor go back to the red rifle? Well, as you so aptly found out in your research that Andy Dalton was getting the ball out of his hand in two point two eight seconds, second best in the NFL when he was playing, and Ryan Finley two point eight three, second worst in the NFL when he was playing. So going against the Greg Williams defense, that's going to be showing you everything under the sun in terms of pressure packages.

I think you know the experience that Andy Dalton has with those kind of defenses that he's played against over the years in the division and outside of the Division, I think he just felt like got to win a football game, and he gives us the best option. The week before, he decided to play Corty Glenn left tackle is stabilize that position, and the reason was players that he talked to. Coach. You know, we know it's a tough pill maybe for some people to swallow, but we

got we got to win a football game. So making the decision to go back to Andy Dalton, he gives them their best chance to win a game against teams you know that have a coordinator like like Greg Williams, I Bill Belichi at coach defense with the Patriots, and I mean they're going to change looks on a snap by on a series by series basis. So experience counts

in some of these games down the stretch. Lap three games as a small sample size, But based on what we saw of Ryan Finley, what do you think his ceiling is? I think that's hard to say, hard to call right now because you know, not having the best receiving corps available to him, I think that's tough. I think it's it was tough for Andy not to have the two best receivers that the Bengals have as options out there. So I think how much more difficult. It

must be for you know, a rookie quarterback. And you know, sometimes I couldn't tell if he didn't see the field or if he didn't like what he saw when he was seeing in the field. In terms of guys winning, you know, making the adjustment from the college level of the NFL level. Is the windows closed so much faster, and when you're out there in an NFL regular season game, not a preseason game where there are backups. That's more

like probably what he saw in college. Now see an NFL regular season action, and man, those windows are closing, so you're you're thinking, should I cut it loose? Should I do it? Man? Is that enough? Because you're evaluating your arm strength with the window And he's smart enough maybe to think should I or shouldn't I? And you can't be in a should should I or shouldn't I? Position in the National Football League. That's that's a losing proposition.

And his numbers showed that, you know, forty seven percent and didn't didn't get done when he needed to get done. So I think, I think is great at this point is incomplete um, but it's it's not It's not a passing grade at this point in time, it's incomplete. What about arms strength? Pro Football Focus had the stat were on passes thrown more than ten yards down the field and outside the hash marks, he was three for eighteen. Seemed like some of those passes were floating dangerously close

to being intercepted. Would that be a huge concern in your opinion? I think that's the that's the biggest thing that uh, that you have to be starting about looking at it. Um even the touchdown pass the Tyler Boyd waffled, you know down the football field, it wasn't it wasn't a tight Uh. You never saw a frozen rope. You never saw it on a string or clothesline, which I mean, it was in there. And you know, honestly, I'm looking at Andy Dalton's arm strength and Ryan Fielding's arms strength.

There's no doubt in my mind that Andy Dalton has a has more arm talent in terms of strength arm strength, you know. And so I think there have been guys though over the years, and you know, you can go back in the wayback machine and there are plenty of quarterbacks that have had successful careers in the National Football League that don't have a howitzer hanging off of their

right shoulder. But they do throw, you know, with anticipation and accuracy, and that was the thing on him coming in anticipation, accuracy, pocket presence, slidestep, climb the pocket when it got the heat of the battle. A lot of that stuff was not was not there for him. Again, small sample size three games, but arm strength, you know it. Throwing the football through a wall is not the only

requirement to playing quarterback in the National Football League. But if you have all the other things, that's the that's the tiebreaker, man, that's the difference maker right there. The conspiracy theorists are out. I've seen a lot of people suggest that Mike Brown was pulling the strings when Zach Taylor went back to Andy Dalton byatt No, I don't. Mike Brown, I'm sure was in full support of it.

But Mike Brown realized that Andy Dalton when they were oh and eight, that he was getting beaten up and that that Zach wanted to evaluate Ryan Finley, and he didn't, you know, disallow it. I mean, he said, okay, if that's what you want to do on I'm okay, I'm with you. And when Zach, in my mind, when they met said, you know, I think we need to go back to Andy Dalton because we want to win football games here. I mean it's like you don't want to you don't want to make a statement in Courty Glenn

at left tackle distasteful. I mean that's like, that's like swallowing the bitterest pill there ever is to go back to Courty Glenn with all that went down, I mean a lot of water over that, damn. So if you do that, and when you pulled players, it's like, coach, you know, we understand their issues, but we got to win a game. If he's our best left tackle, let's play him. So I'm sure that I know I was hearing it from players. Hey, we would have won that

game with fourteen in there. We would have won both these games with fourteen in there. So I know I know Zach had to be hearing it if I'm hearing it, so to me, you can't send a mixed message. You can't say. What coaches look for in players is consistency in their performance, in their effort. They don't want it peaks and valleys, ups and downs. Players look for consistency from coaches too, So if you make a move to solidify your left tackle position. Quarterbacks a hell of a

lot more important than that. Make the move back to solidify the quarterback position. And I think Zach realized he had to do that or he was in danger of losing team because Dan nobody wants to be on Owen sixteen. Team that stays with you forever. How about a first year head coach. Do you think he wants that to be the thing that people will remember him for. Everybody remembers the Cleveland Browns won Owen sixteen, but they want one in thirty one. They were one in fifty. Nobody

thinks about the one in thirty one. It's just man Owen sixteen. That's the scarlet letter, you know, in the in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, the Cleveland Browns, and that stays with you. You're always a member of that football team. Geno Atkins on Pro Football Hall of Fame possibility. Don't want that mark of Owen sixteen on your resume. You know, nobody nobody wants that that type of thing. So I'm telling you, with five games left, the pressure is going to start to mount.

These guys want to and feel like they have to get a win. They do not want to join the scarlet letter club. Getting back to what you were saying about what players look for out of coaches, they want to see that consistency. How about the fact that, to me, the number one thing that a player wants from the coach is to put you in the best possible position

to win, right, no doubt, absolutely no doubt. I mean, you know people are that are like, you know, all right, just just lose all the rest of your games and get the first pick of the draft. It's not fantasy football. Yeah, and it's if you're if that's your DNA, you're not going to last in the NFL. You shouldn't even be in the NFL that that can't be your DNA. So it's easy for the fans to say, because you're right,

it's not fantasy football. But you know you're you're getting evaluated on game tape every week, not just by the Bengals, by all thirty one teams, because if your situation ends in Cincinnati, who's going to be looking at you all thirty one other teams? Did this guy tank when they were losing games and they're on eleven? How did he play? Oh Man? He's playing his tailoff. Let's take a look this guy. He put it neutral. He's I see seven loaves out of the out of the forty plays. Don't

want that guy. So you're talking about your career, You're talking about your livelihood, you're talking about feeding your family, all those things. They're not in a mindset. Players and coaches are not in a mindset to say, let's lose them all and get the number one pick in the draft. Ludicrous. You're also playing a sport that puts your short term and long term health in jeopardy, let's face it, and

people expect them to go out there and intentionally lose. Seriously, right right, I mean honestly, the people that are that think that never strapped on the equipment and went out there in a competitive environment. I mean you have to. You have to play at a high level to survive

the physicality of it. I mean literally in some in some instances, it's like you went through multiple car wrecks, you know, and during a three hour time frame, you got that kind of as you get that kind of hit, you're I can remember hits where organs moved, you know, internal organs. It was like, man, that was a shot. You know, it's like, well, let me see if I can get all this stuff right now. I mean that that those things are those are crazy. I mean some

of the injuries did guys sustain. Doctors say, that's that kind of thing happens in a car wreck, you know that that type of violent collision, that type of violent deal, and it can happen out in a football field. So when you're when you're susceptible to injury one hundred percent of every snap to one percent of every player, you're gonna tank and try to lose football games. You ain't gonna last long. Let's get back to Corty Glenn for a second. Is it possible to let bygones be bygones

at this point? You know, the biggest the biggest problem that I see is the most important word in any relationship is trust. And I think I I think Cordy feels like trust was violated in his mind, and the Bengals feel the trust was violated in their mind. And I don't think by just a little bit. I think it's a major breach of trust. So, you know, is it a white lie? You know kind of thing can you recover from a white lie. Yeah, you can recover from a white lie, But man, did you did you

put together this big plot? You know that it was more than a white lie. Can you recover from that? So that that's to be determined. But bottom line is seeing a lot of things in the National Football League that you wonder, how can they live with each other? Answer? The dude can play. If you can play, you can live with a lot of things. And if Cordy Glenn shows you can play, and you saw what it was like, you know, when they didn't have somebody out there to

stabilize it the left tackle position. The biggest thing is what will Jonah Williams be like? That's the key because they were gonna move Courty Glenn into guard. If Jonah Williams is fine and he can play the left tackle position, all of a sudden that trust is a little bit more of an issue. But if you have a guy that can play it's not then it's a different kind

of trust issue. Let's look at the defense. They've given up seventeen and sixteen points over their last two games, the only two this year where they've allowed fewer than twenty. Are they figuring things out under lou An Rumo or was that simply a matter of playing a couple of mediocre offenses in the Raiders and Steelers. I think it is a combination, you know. I think, you know, the

talent level of those offenses wasn't. Let's face it, Lamar Jackson's killing everybody and the Bengals played him twice and still haven't figured him out. I mean, he's he has taken people apart. Look what he did to the Rams, I mean embarrassed him, embarrassed him. He's going to put up numbers that I mean, they're going to be freakish. Like John Harbaugh said to him on the sideline after during the course of one of the games, you're going

to change the quarterback position. I mean, kids are going to be looking at this stuff for twenty years and thinking, what the heck. I mean, you're you're changing, You're changing everybody's definition of an NFL quarterback. I mean, it's remarkable. So I think when you play a guy like that, there's not only that game, but there's collateral damage you're trying to recover, you know, from it now. I think it I think it does set you back. And they did.

They did play him, you know, twice in a pretty short time frame. But I do think you know, the Pittsburgh Steelers were hampered obviously with what they had out there. Um skilled people weren't the same Oakland Raiders, you know, they weren't. They had a really good running back, their quarterback had been playing well, but heck he get benched. I mean, Gruden didn't waste any time he benched car and when they get spanked by the Jets in the third quarter. So I think it is a combination. But

it's going to be interesting. You a young quarterback that's on a little bit of a role as team scored, as team scored thirty four points three weeks in a row, and they're feeling confident. How will they handle the Jets? How will they handle Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns up there. They're starting to get it figured out. They've

got immense skill position talent. Will the Bengals. I think the key is will the Bengals defensive line play the rest of the season like they played the last couple of games, Because, like lou Aneruma said to us earlier in the week, it starts if the defensive lines disruptive and people are having trouble blocking them, everything else falls

into place. So if the defensive line stays motivated and makes as many players as they've made in the last eight quarters down the stretch of the season, I think that defense could play pretty solidly. The Bengals host the Jets on Sunday, and if you look at their entire season stats, the Jets offense stinks. They're next to last in yards thirty if in rushing thirty first in passing.

They're averaging eighteen points a game. But over the last three weeks they've scored thirty four points and each of their last three games. What has gotten into the New York Jets, I think a little bit has to do with who they played, New York Giants, Washington Redskins, and the Raiders. I mean, we saw the Raiders are vulnerable. We just couldn't take advantage. I think of Andy Dalton quarterbacking against the Raiders would have put up some points.

I'm not saying thirty four necessarily, but would have put up some points. And you know, I think the thirty three nothing slacking by the Patriots when you know you have a young quarterback Sam Donald come out and say I was seeing ghosts. You know, he's being honest. And I think after that, they loose to Jacksonville by fourteen. They lose to the Dolphins by eight points, and I think at that at that point in time, was like that's enough, you know. So obviously they're they're feeling better

about the way they're operating. And you know, they've they've got some players we know about Levon Bell and Anderson, this guy averaging over fifteen yards of catch, has a ninety two yard touchdown catch amongst the three touchdown receptions. That they've got some players, real good slot receiver and Crowder. So Bengals defense has been playing better. Let's see if that holds up against this Jets offense that's kind of

finding their form a little bit. As the Bengals defense is finding their form, who's going to hold their form? The Bengals house the Jets this Sunday. The Jets have twenty six sacks, number nineteen in the NFL. So that's not great, but fifteen different players have at least a half of sack led by their safety Jamal Adams, who has six and a half. What does that say about

defensive coordinator Greg Williams. It says that he's going to bring everybody from everywhere, you know, the kitchen, sink, the kitchen, the whole house. Everything's coming. So Adams, though, that's the interesting one. If I'm an offensive line coach, I'm saying, when Adams, when number thirty three is in the box, treat him like a linebacker. I designate him in my rules protecting from inside out depending on where he is that if he's if he's in the between the tackles,

he's a linebacker to me. If he's on the outside, I'm going to count guys more dangerous, you know, closer to the quarterback. But but he I have to find thirty three. I have to find thirty three and communicate him up and down the line of scrimmage like like he's a linebacker in our protection. So six and a half sacks the most of any defensive back in the NFL, and he's in the top thirty in the NFL overall. I mean, he's got more sacks than the Bengal sack leader.

He's got more sacks than a lot of sack leaders on individual teams around the National Football League. So, you know, it's interesting. They just played a safety that was a deep center fielder, you know, and all he was doing was you know, coming downhill and make plays. This guy is going to be right around the line of scrimmage a lot of times in the box more so. And they may be the two Pro Bowl safeties and the Bengals are going to have him in back to back

weeks at a little bit different style of play. I'm talking about Fitzpatrick, Minka Fitzpatrick, and this this young man who is getting it done for the Jets is no, there's no question about it. He's a big time player. And their coordinator Greg Williams talk about aggressive. I mean, the first blitz will be as they get off the bus coming to the locker room. It's gonna be a blitz. Craig to the stadium. Final crucial question, what's your favorite

part about the Thanksgiving feast? Oh man, I'm a I'm a dark meat guy. I do I do like I do like the dark meat. Um. I really enjoy turkey skin, which is the worst thing you can possibly eat. It is the best as long as it's cooked properly. Yeah, it has to be crispy, you know, it can't be soggy. Nothing worse than soggy, greasy turkey, you know, turkey skin, but nice crisp turkey skin, man of chev It's And

I always always get the hairy eyeball when I, you know, partake. Sorry, Land, Yeah, sorry, Land, I had to do it, But I mean that dog will hunt right there. Give me some stuffing covered with a really good gravy stuffing, the stuffing that we have because I'm a corn of war, so it's got sausage and beefing. Uh yeah, are you kidding me, dude? I could make a meal just on the turkey stuffing. I mean yeah, I've got my real loose sweatpants that I

throw on for Thanksgiving and I roll. Baby. I can't keep them up before I eat, but they're tight when I'm done. Something for the Lapham family to look forward to. Hopefully you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast with a family as much as lap did. Now time for this week's locker room conversation as I visit with a Bengals veteran whose return to the lineup has provided a boost to the Bengals defense. We're in the locker room with Darquez Denard.

Over the last couple of games, you've held opponents to seventeen points and sixteen points. And I don't think it's a coincidence that you have been back in there for more than ninety percent of the defensive snaps. How do you think you've helped that's the thing by communicating and you know, adding a little hedge and you know, hipping out with coverages and you know, communicating and doing my job. Give me the feeling on the defense right now? It's

confidence growing based on how you've played the last few weeks. Definitely. I think, uh it has shows. It showed on Sundays as well. I think we're having great week comparatices and making turnovers and forcing turnovers and practicing and showing up in games and you know, and that's allowing us to obviously play well and whole opponents and you know, to under seventeen points and less. We're visiting the dar quest. Denard, Can you take a lot of satisfaction from a great

defense performance even if the team loses? For me personally, no, not really, uh, because I feel like it's always something you can do a little bit more. Uh. You know, it was to play here and there's you know, you always had those those games and that you feel like you could have done more if you did this, if you did that. So for me personally, I feel like you can play the best game in your life. But

you know, if you lose, it really don't matter. Dark Qua is one of the things that's always stood out about you since you've been here is your ability to tackle in the run game. Is that skill or will? I think it's a little bit of both, but majard is will. It just kind of just want to think that's, you know, something that's you know, it was coaching me and at Michigan State and just you know, follow me.

You are a couple of lockers away from Sean Williams and you guys have been teammates your entire time here in Cincinnati. He has gutted it out this year despite a bunch of injuries. Can you describe your respect for him? You know, me and Sean uh pretty much like brothers. Uh so Uh. I know what he deals deals with, has been dealing with this year, and you know he's a one tough guy. He plays with a lot of injuries, don't complaining a lot, just you know, basically put a

band aid over whatever it was hurt. If it's broken, if it's whatever it is, Uh, put a band aid over and you know, tape it out, tape it up, and you know he backed sort That was kind of guy he is. He loved the game of football and obviously shows on Sundays when you go out there and play. Got a question. Your first two years here, the Bengals were really good, including that twenty and fifteen season where

you opened eight no and finished twelve and four. How difficult is it for you to be going through what the team is going through right now? It's difficult. Uh, you know, it's crazy because I you know, I kind of laughing, not really loud, but kind of just play with the younger guys. It's kind of like Tenu and you know Adam and Lee Un and you know Reggie did with me as when I was a young guy. You know they basically I was telling young guy earlier

today those guys like, hey, man, ain't always like this. Uh. I always winning, you know, I was always winning games. You just got a chairs these moments and you got to really embrace him. And when you had the opportunity to, you know, make a run for a championship when you have a good team, you gotta do whatever it takes to to you know, basically do your job and get

it done. And I think that kind of plays back in my head, especially the last couple of years and about what those guys said to me, and it's really hit home now. So it's just crazy. It's definitely difficult. I felt like we had a good team. Obviously, you know, injuries, of course happens, and that's the unfortunate part about this game. And he kind of switch a whole season up, so you know it. You know, it's definitely difficult. It's definitely difficult.

When you talk to the younger guys, do you give them the opposite message. It's not always going to be like this. We can be good again in a short period of time. Definitely just tell them, I mean just tell them like, man, were a few plays away, ball here, ball there, Just how it rolls or you know, a game changes, just like this whole season been because we've been in games. It's not like we've been you know,

been losing my fifty points every game. We've been in a lot of games, like a lot of games, and you know, we kind of just come down to the last wire and you know, the ball just don't roll all the way and just how football is kind of like the game of life. So you have your ups and downs, but you know, uh, you have more ups if you keep working on it, keep grinding and just staying patient and just trusting. A couple of questions about

this week's opponent, the New York Jets. Sam Donald has been on a roll of like his last three games. He's been terrific. What stands out when you look at him on tape. You know he's a bigger quarterback and his mobile uh stays trying to move the pocket and and standing plays. Uh. He got a lot of great whippers around him. Uh, you know you got leave On, you got Robbie. Uh, you know, I got a champions, and you got Demarrius and you know you got a lot of guys just around him HIPing him. So, uh,

they're doing a really good job right now. We just had to come out and you know, compete will I noticed in their game last week, Leaveon Bell was lining up a lot as a wide receiver and going down field. I mean it wasn't the type of passes he used to catch with the Steelers where he'd go three yards and turn around and then look for yards after catch. They're having him run down the field, right. It's kind

of not a surprise to me. You know, me and Lebon was at Michigan State together, so I know the type of player he is. H I was able to watch up coach personal since we you know, we was in the same recruiting class, so you know, I got to watch him every day, so I know what type of player he is and what are you capable? So it's not a surprise to me at the things that you're doing now. But he's definitely a you know, a capable receiver as well as a running back, so he

definitely a tart to win. You know, he's out there. Appreciate your time as always, Happy Thanksgiving, best a lot, everything's giving me as well. Thank you. Last, but not least, it's time for this week's Know the Folk Conversation is we take an in depth look at the Jets with long time beat writer Rich Samini. He joined Lapping Me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show, and I started the interview by asking Rich the following question. If Sam Darnold had not missed several games due to mono,

would the Jets be in playoff contention. That's a great question, Dan, really hard to say. You know, I would say, you know, they played I'd say no, because they played three really difficult opponents during that stretch that he was out, and they played Philly, New England, and I'm missing one game then they lost, So I don't even think they would have beat them. With Sam. It was a new offense. They were going through some growing pains anyway, and without

him they were just hopeless. I mean, they couldn't get the ball in the red zone, let alone score. I've never in all my years of covering the Jets, and I've seen some really bad offenses that was as bad as I've seen early in the year with Luke Falk at quarterback. So the answer is no. But now they're playing better and they're you know, kind of make it

interest interesting a little bit. Let me ask you about the defensive side of the football, my goodness, top ten in a lot of categories, top five and many significant categories, including stopping the run, number one in yards seventy eight point one per game and three yards per carry, and Greg Williams, the Master Disguiser. I watched the Dolphins tape and he was playing Cover one. The Dolphins torched it, so he went back to Tampa two and he said,

all right, I'm gonna make it a job. I'm gonna make Jamal Adams's going to be a rush guy for him. He's got six and a half sacks the last four games, five tackle for loss. I mean, and he's still playing Cover two behind it. I guess if he plays Coup one against the Bengals, it'll be a true look testament how people feel about the Bengals wide outs, because he probably feels like they can't beat him. But I mean, this guy has been doing some unbelievable stuff schematically and

utilizing his players to their fullest. He's unreal. Yeah, yeah, he really has done a great job. And you know, they've had so many injuries, and last week against the Raiders, of the top sixteen guys on defense based on the number of snaps in the game, seven of the guys came into the league as undrafted free agents. So he's been doing it with you know, replacement level talent. And you're exactly right about the way they've dialed back the pressure.

They've been come more. But they cover two team in recent winks and a lot of that is to protect their corners. They're playing basically with two third string corners and Arthur Mallet and rookie Bless Austin, and so instead of putting those guys out on islands, they've been playing more too safety looks. But like you said, they've been using Jamal as a blitzer. That's not a weekly thing, but I think it depends on the opponents more of

a game plan specific thing. But he's been racking up sacks and so they've really found an identity on defense. Rich Amini from ESPN New York is our guest. What was the reaction in New York or in the Jets locker room when they learned that Andy Dalton was coming back to be the Bengals quarterback instead of a struggling Ryan Finley. Yeah, I don't. I think they kind of

expected it. I think, you know, from the reaction I got is, you know, they saw Finley struggles with turnovers, and the Bengals have actually played a pretty good defense the last couple of weeks they've been in these games, and I think the Jets, at least in terms of the coaching staff, they had a pretty good idea that it was going to be back to Dalton just because they've been in some of these games and if they could just minimize the turnovers, they could win some of

these games. And also you're looking at a coach who doesn't want to go out in sixteen and wants to win some games here at the end of the year, and obviously feels that Dalton gives them the best chance. It seemed to me that Adam Gas was not really trying to hide the fact that he thought overpaid for Levon Bell. Did they Yes, they did. I mean, you know, thirteen and a half million per year for a running back is a lot, and Adam Gates has never said

that publicly. By the way, just for the record, you know, I reported and other people reported at the time a free agency that Gays was not keen on the idea of spending that much for a running back. And he has nothing against Bell. I think he really respects Bells as a player. He just felt that philosophically, that was just too much for one guy. And I think we've seen that those feelings come to bear because he has

not having a good year. I mean, it's not all on a labe on their offensive line has been a mess with the most part. So he has not rushed for more than seventy yards in a game this year, and frankly, to me, he looks like a half a step slower than what you guys have seen him a lot more than I have. From the division. He looks a little bit slow to me. And maybe it's the year off, you know, maybe it's the offensive line, but

he just has not been the same. Lady On, we are visiting with Rich some meaning long time reporter covering the New York Jets. I mentioned this streak at the beginning of our conversation Rich, how the Jets have scored exactly thirty four and three straight games. How much is that Giants, Redskins Raiders as the opponents, and how much is that this is an offense that's finding its stride. Yeah, mostly the schedule, I think, Dan, it's I mean, they just hit it at the right time. I mean, it's

amazing how they work out. So the owner, they get embarrassed by Miami. Down in Miami, they dropped to one and seven. It was as ugly a loss as I've ever covered. And so there's a lot of rumors about Gays's job security. Could he get fired in the middle of the season. The owner comes in a private meeting with the players. The owner of that week says, you know, I'm sticking with Adam. He's my guy. And it's like

the old thing in baseball. You know, if you have a team meeting, make sure you do it on the day your ace is pitching. So the Jets knew that they were playing the Giants, then they were playing the Redskins, two really poor defensive teams. So they got their offense rolling a little bit, they built some confidence, and they went against the Raiders, you know who I considered more of the middle of the road team, and they really took it out on the Raiders and Raiders so now

they got their mojo. Sam Darnold's as hot as any quarterback in the league not named Lamar Jackson, right, and so they're really feeling good about themselves offensively. Prior to the three game win streak, the highest score, the most points they scored against Dallas, and to me, that was

one of the biggest outliers of the season. The twenty four twenty two victory over the Dallas Cowboys on October thirteenth, what led to that what was the circumstance that football game in your estimation, that's I'm still trying to figure that way, right, j went in there and four and you know, it was Sam Darnold's first game back from mono, and you were all looking at him like, you know, if he gets hit in the spleen as he get high on the field, you know, they're you know, there's

a lot of people reporting that he's back too soon. And so he goes out and he played out of his mind, and I game he played a really good game and they beat him. But now let me say this, Dallas played without their two starting offensive tackles, and we know those are very good players, and they played Amari Cooper went out in the first series of the game, and I truly think that if Cooper were in there for the whole game, the Jets would have lost. But

he wasn't, and they won the game. And so then you thought, Okay, they're going to start to go on a little bit of a role here. But then they just went into like a tailspin, and Sam Darnold went into a really bad tailspin, and then the season got away from them. So the the I'm seeing ghosts that was it after that Dallas game, you know, the New England game. Yep, So you know that's a that's a big deal. ESPN talk show hosts and Fox talk show hosts go crazy over that, and I know the team

wasn't happy that that audio was used. To me, it was like stating the obvious. That's what a young quarterback experiences against a Bill Belichick type defense. So a really good NFL defensive team was it. Was it a big source of embarrassment for Sam Darnold or was it everybody else? Yeah, Darnold handled it really well. He didn't duck the questions.

He just admitted on numerous occasions. He because I always try to be honest with my coaches when I get to the sideline, and that's what I was feeling at that moment. And he had just a horrific game. He had four interceptions in that game, and he truly was seeing goes. I mean, he didn't know what was coming

at him. And unfortunately, you know, usually that's the NFL films is responsible for that stuff at the game, and usually they added out all the good stuff, and the stuff that we get on TV is the very planned soundbites from the bench and in this case, they let it go through and you know, which was great for TV viewers around the country, but bad for the Jets. And you're right there. You know, the Jets were pissed when that got out and my network aired it, you know,

after it received clearance from NFL Films. And it was embarrassing for Sam because he went into Jacksonville the very next week and at the end of the game he had another bad game, three interceptions, and on the PA in the stadium, they're playing the Ghostbusters team and showing a montage of all his interceptions on the scoreboard, which I really thought was bush league by going on about two minutes left and they're playing the Ghostbusters theme and

so it's something that Sam has and one other stadium played it too, I can't remember offhand, but he, you know, it's something he's had to live with. But he's playing really well for the last three games, so I think he's come out of that. That's funk. Well, I know, Ryan Finley saw a bunch of ghosts and you know it's it's all he's saying is pre snap, I'm seeing one thing post snap another, you know. I mean, yeah,

he's he's being honest. Yeah, the fans when they hear that, the fact that it was Belichick too, you know, sure, and I'm sure he enjoyed a nice little smirk with them when he heard that. But no, no doubt, no doubt. Yeah they got he got validation, you know. Van Noy basically said, oh, man, that's that's validation of what we're doing. You know. I mean, it's my my final question, and thanks for carbon time for us. You're great and appreciate

your patients. Frank Pollock, Uh, he had a tremendous round amount of respect in this locker room by his offensive line and other position groups. He really um made an impression on the Cincinnati Bengals locker room overall. What's it been like for Frank in New Jersey excuse me, in New York with the Jets. Yeah, that's a man. That's a weird you know. I thought he didn't do it. I thought he did a poor job at the beginning of the year. I mean, their offensive line was just

which was really bad. I mean, Sam and the other quarterbacks were getting a hit on a regular basis. And they've started six different offensive line combos, so you know, injuries have played a factor. But even when they had Theirs in there, they were just missing assignments, turning guys loose, they were sliding in the wrong direction. It was just a really poorly coached unit at this part of the year.

And they have calmed it down a little bit, you know, you know, and I think Pollock has done a good job of figuring out what's going on. But you know what, I think a big part of it was, you know, they signed Ryan Khalil out of retirement right before training or actually right as training camp was starting, and of course he was a five time pro bowler with the Panthers, and the thought they were getting a coupe and he

just was not in shape. And he came in and I think he just disrupted all the chemistry and they really struggled with him, and when they replaced him because he went on IR. The last three weeks with Jonathan Harrison, it's been a much smoother operation. So partly because of that, and I think partly because Frank has figured out some things that they've gotten better. But it was pretty bad there for a while thanks to Rich Samite, and that's

going to do it. For this episode of the podcast, if you haven't done so already, don't forget to subscribe. Comments and five star ratings are helpful and appreciated. I'm Dan Horde, Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for listening to the Bengals Boot Podcast