Bengals Booth Podcast: Home Sweet Home

the Steelers for the third time in a row. My one on one player interview is with a guy who knows all about this rivalry, tight end cju Zama, who has played in ten games against the Steelers, including the only playoff game of his NFL career, And finally, NFL Network reporter add King Kabwalla has great insight on this matchup since she is frequently assigned to the AFC North. She talks to my Bengals dot Com colleague Marissa Contapelli.

The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game downloaded now from the app store and Google Play. And here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest

thing since gravy. During my conversation you're about to hear with Dave Lapham, he asks me about my Thanksgiving meal preferences, and among other things, I mentioned that I like my stuffing smothered with gravy. That kept me thinking about how much I like gravy in general. In fact, one of the staples of my diet a is a Syracuse University student many years ago, was gravy on French fries, similar to poutine, the Canadian delicacy, but without the cheese kords.

So years to gravy in all of its glory. Now let's get to football. After eleven straight losses to the dreaded, hated, but grudgingly respected Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals have won the last two meetings, twenty seven to seventeen last December with Ryan Finlay at quarterback and twenty four to ten back in September with Joe Burrow throwing three touchdown passes, two to Jamar Chase and one to Pittsburgh native Tyler Boyd.

Boyd made a comment after that game that is undoubtedly being mentioned in Pittsburgh this week, and that's where I begin my conversation with Dave Lapham Lap. The Bengals beat the Steelers by two touchdowns at Hinz Field back in Week three, and the day after the game, Tyler Boyd made headlines by saying the Steelers gave up at the end. Here's my question for you. You played pro football for a dozen years. Is bulletin board material a real thing

you're a professional athlete. It can be as you're getting ready. I think it kind of helps you maybe focus, laser focus a little bit more. But once the game starts, if they're taking it to you, it doesn't matter what you're running the bulletin board during the week. If you're taking it to them, it kind of, you know, gives you a little more juice, a little a little added

fire as such. So I think the most important thing is who gets off to the to the better start, because the last time these two teams played, neither team had scored a point in the first quarter and they're still struggling. I mean, the Bengals have always scored thirty four points in the first quarter of Pittsburgh has always scored thirty one. So they're you know, they're averaging three points a game in the first quarter. They're getting off

the slow starts. So I think the team that jumps out on top of the other one early in this one does get that early edge and you forget about you know, the bulletin board material a little bit, but it can, Honestly, it can juice practices a little bit. You know, not that when you're playing a rival, all of it is maybe just you know, little a little smidgeon of this or that in terms of getting yourself

in the right mindset for the football game. This game is so important to both teams, this team, this is such a big rivalry. I think I think bulletin board material, I'm not sure how necessary it is, you know, I think they're all both teams are going to be playing at an extremely high level physically. The Steelers had a bunch of key injuries in that first meeting, most notably T. J. Watt, and they didn't look very good. But after a one in three start, they've gone four one and one since.

The only loss was last week when they rallied from seventeen down in the fourth quarter, took the lead against the Chargers, and then gave up a long touchdown pass with about two minutes to go. Where do the Steelers present the biggest problems on Sunday? And t J. Watt didn't play in that game on Sunday, and he didn't play against the Bengals, they're owing four When t J. Watt doesn't play own four. That's how important he to

the mix. So I think I think that in my mind he presents about as big a problem as anybody does because of his ability to just put constant pressure on the quarterback. And you know, it makes it makes the opposite defensive end pressuring makes him more effective, makes Hayward more effective inside. I mean it just it takes everybody to another level. I think we saw last week that a significant adequate PASSWAH or better than an adequate passwash out of four and dropping seven into coverage can

be a problem. And the Steelers have they're starting to blit. They're blitzing less percentagewise, they're blitzing less and less, And when t J. Watt plays, I think that makes sense when he doesn't, they're probably not blitzing all that much less. But when he's playing and they're getting a significant pass rush pressure out of the four of them, they're thinking rush board drops seven looks pretty good against most most

offense is in the league. And I can see why, uh and I wouldn't be surprised if T. J. Watt starts the game and shows that he still has that explosiveness and and I think I think initially they're going to say, Okay, you know, let's let's rush for drop seven. See what happens here a little bit. Now, just because he starts the game with the injuries that he's got, he's got multiple injuries that he's dealing with, doesn't necessarily

mean he finishes that. It doesn't necessarily mean he stays as effective as he does maybe at the beginning of the game. But tour it all and a bunch of other stuff in today's pharmacies are very effective. I think that is the biggest key in this football game. When they do rush for drop seven, play a couple of safeties deep play a little bit, you know, deep in coverage. You got to run him out of it. And can

they run the football? Can they anchor those guys by running the football and you know, take advantage of the soft box and all that sort of thing and make them change strategy. I think that's going to be a big, big factor, you know, in the football game. And then on the flip side of it, if the Bengals can control the running game like they did, I mean they basically made Nagi Harris a little checkdown receiver out of the backfield. That was their running game, and the Bengals

tackled well. I mean, if you can, if you can leverage it properly and tackle it's it's just like a toss pitch, you know. I mean it's it's it's nothing more dangerous than that. So, but it is interesting the philosophy. And I've mentioned this before. I mean Bill Walsh, he always said, yeah, you know, guys, we throw the ball for four yards, they think that they're kicking our butt. When we run it for four yards, they think that we're kicking their butt. I don't care how we get

four yards. Second and six. My playsheets wide open to me. I want to be at second and six. I don't care how it happens. I'll take those four yard passes. Three of them. We moved the chains, you know. I mean that was his that was Bill Walsh's whole mindset. And that's kind of the approach that the Steelers took with Nagi Harris a little bit in that first game. And I wouldn't be surprised they do it again, all right,

Sticking with trying to run on the Steelers defense. Two weeks ago, the winless Lions ran for two hundred and forty two yards on thirty carries. I read that they had twenty four carries with six offensive linemen on the field, whether they lined up on the line or is a fullback. Is that something the Bengals are likely to try this week? I've read the same thing, Dan, and uh, I wouldn't

be surprised. I mean, they've they've done it. I mean they've they've mixed their you know, their big package in there. Um you know, I know a big part of their game plan going into the Steelers game last time was you know, that stretch and then and then the inside zone to compliment it and go along with it. And I could see them using Isaiah Prince like we've seen in the past, but maybe a heavy heavier dose of it.

Like the Detroit Lions, did you know, they may they may have cracked the coat a little bit with with that concept. But I do think, honestly, if it's a big offensive lineman or if it's Drew Sample and Cjzama, I mean, I think, I think, you know, twelve and thirteen packages are gonna have to be favorable for the cincinnaive Bengags. They're gonna have to get some mileage out

of those those multiple tight end packages. And I think Drew Sample is as good at you know, blocking tight end at the line of spermade you know, with his hand down at the end of the line of spermmage, or lined up as a wingback or a fullback or wherever they want to line them up and motion them and do some things with them. I think he's going to be a big factor in the running game this week, just like he was last week when they had a

successful running game. And then the wide receivers are going to have to block like they blocked last week in the running game against the Pittsburgh's deals. Everybody's gonna have to put their big boy pads on, not just the offensive and defensive linemen. If the Bengals win, that would be three straight over Pittsburgh. As Paul Dayner Junior from The Athletic has pointed out, it would be the first time since nineteen ninety If this happens, can we officially

say the tide has turned in this right? Well? I mean, I get three in a row, I guess you could say is starting to be a little bit of a trend. You know, But you do play each other twice twice a year, so it's it's it's only a year, year and a half's work of worth work, worth of work, I should say. Um, but to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers three times in a row would be significant looking at the way they've dominated, I mean, seventeen straight non losing seasons.

Mike Tomlins never had a losing season. I mean, the history and the tradition and success of that franchise is you know, a second and none in the last couple of decades. I mean, it's it's been. It's been unbelievable. And usually teams have their their they cycle ups and downs in a shorter time frame than that. That's that's

a good that's a good, lengthy time frame. You can you can say I mean, the Bengals had the best of the of the Steelers in the eighties by far, you know, but but we're talking nineties, two thousands, thousands talking a while here. You know, it's like that's that's a pretty good stretch. So it'd be good to get that, get that w to get three in a row against them, that would that would definitely it would signal that that they're on the right track. You know. They they've they've

got away. They've got a formula that they feel good about that's working for sure. And Um, like Zach always says, you know, the first thing you have to do is take care of your division. And the division is so diverse with what they do offensively, you know. I mean Baltimore with their their running game in their quarterback run game packages is unbelievable. Cleveland's got the best running game in the NFL that's more of a tradition to traditional

running game. It is still ranks number one in the NFL and yards and yards per Russi attempt. So um, Pittsburgh, you know, has always been a team. That's the biggest thing that shocks me about Pittsburgh, Dan as you look

at you look at their numbers running the football. The Pittsburgh Steelers are are not very very good in stopping the run either, and they're the last given a four point eight yards a run, you know, I mean they're they're minus one point one yards per carry average and yards generated running the football and stopping the opponent negative one point one is tied for second worst in the NFL. That is so non Pittsburgh like. Teams about rushed them by thirty five point nine yards a game, thirty six

yards of football game. That's so non Pittsburgh like. So I think Pittsburgh is the biggest, the biggest kind of puzzle to me right now. It's like they're they're teetering, you know, where are they going? They are they're on the decline? Are they avoiding the decline? And just they just seem to be sputtering at the at the Mendoza line, you know, whereas you kind of have a handle on what Baltimore and Cleveland are trying to do from an

identity standpoint and all that sort of thing. It's very interesting how the how the division's kind of evolved a little bit. Tom Brady seemingly has discovered the fountain of youth he leads the NFL and touchdown passes. He seems to be as good as ever in his mid forties. Ben Roethlisberger, on the other hand, in his late thirties looks like quarterbacks used to look when they got into the late thirties. He's not terrible. He still has great moments, but he's not the player he once was. What is

he now are? What are Ben Roethlisberger's strength at this stage of his career. A savvy kg you know, just very experienced veteran quarterback. You know, he just he just has ah. He has such a knowledge that he can draw upon and and you're right, he's nowhere near the athlete that he was. Nowhere near his athletic He was never a guy that could, you know, like run like well boy Blazons. But Ben Ben could. Ben had power. Ben Ben could run the football and hurt you a

little bit, There's no question about it. And the thing, the thing that I found so amazing about him is how big and strong it was in the pocket. You'd have defensive vents, not just linebackers, defensive events. Put a big lick on him, you know, I brown his shoulds and slide down his body like a barber pole and he just you know, he just stepped up and invade him get out of pocket. And the other thing about him, when he was in his prime, he would throw from

the right hashmark to the left sideline and get it there. Now, usually when quarterbacks try to do that defensive back slick their chops and like ball's going to be in the air a while, it's turn over time. He just he ripped it in there. And you know, he had that that arm talent that could get it to all quardons of the field, you know, And he doesn't quite have that anymore, you know, and he's turned into a you know, more of a mid range you know, short range passing

attack kind of guy. But but he still has that guy all that savvy that, you know, all all that experience and all those snaps under his belt. And the one thing that he does do well, he gets the ball out of his hand. I mean, you know, two point three, two point four seconds. That frustrates the heck out of a defensive lineman. You know, you beat your guy with the first move and still you're within you know,

usually you're gonna get a sack. You're not even there before he gets the ball out of his hand, and that that drives guy's crazy. I mean that can that can be a something that wears on you. That could happen to Trey hendricks And if the ball has gone before he can get to Big Ben. This he's trying to come up with a sack for the seventh consecutive game. He's already tied the team record at six. It's the longest active sack streak in the NFL. Is Trey Hendrickson

what you expected? Or even better? You know? I think I think he's even a little bit better than what I expected. You know, you're not quite sure what you're going to get because he was with other talented defensive lineman down there in New Orleans, and it's always like is it him? Is he? Is he? You know, benefiting from the performance of others and he's with another good group of defensive lineman. You know, it's like Hubbard. He and Hubbard have what's what's uh the perfect arrangement because

they're competitive, they don't want to be outdone. But it's friendly, you know, it's not like, oh, you know what you have? Nine and a half said, oh man, you know, I'm jealous of that, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna freelance. I'm gonna try to do my thing. They stay within the scheme, and it was it was unbelievable. Talk to Hendrickson in the locker room out of the game when Sam got his sack, Hendrickson was like, I gotta get mine now. And the next play he does and he

strips the thing and Sam hubbly recovers it. They're they're like Ying and Yang. They are feeding off each other. But I'm impressed with how well he's set the edge in the run too. He's not a one trick pony. I mean he's playing He's playing every down very very you know, hard tough, being where he's supposed to be when he's supposed to be there. Um, it's it's turned into a nice dynamic between the two of them, and

you know, the entire defensive line. I mean, everybody's doing what they're supposed to do, when they're supposed to do it, how they're supposed to do it, all those good things. So I'm I'm probably about as happy as every Bengals fan and everybody in the organization that Hendrickson is is the real deal. I mean that was that was money that was well spent. Back in the first meeting, Jackson Carmen made his first career start at right guard. Now

Hakimadenagy is in that spot. He'll make his third start in a row on Sunday. How's he look? He looks pretty good. Um, but but but he's gonna be you gonna You're gonna imagine hay was gonna line up right over him, just like he did over Jackson Carmen. I mean, Jackson Carmen had to had to get ready for Cameron Hayward and uh, and Identogy's going to be no different than that. He's gonna be tested. He's gonna be tested by Cameron Hayward early often in the football game. But

I do think Identagy is uh, he's legit. I mean he his pass protection I thought was really good last week. I think his run blocking, his sound. I think he's still, you know, evolving in that regard a little bit. But when he's not. He's not the big behemoth that a lot of these interior you know, guards are at three hundred and thirty pounds plus. He's not that kind of guy. But he has got explosiveness in hip snap and when he when he rolls his hips, he brings a little bit.

You know, he's got he's got something to him. So you know, his footwork is him in position, his hip snap, you know, gets you know, gets the movement that he's gonna get, and then he finishes well with his hands. I think he's got a very bright future. I thought that from game one the game too, he improved and I expect that graft to go up now depending on you know, a great player like Cameron Heyward can can humble you, there's no question about it. But he seems

very poisoned mature to Dan. I think if something does go wrong, he's not going to lose his mind, you know, I think he'll he'll go back to the All right, well, you know I lost that one, but you know, I got to get back to my basics. I got to make sure my foot works right, all my fundamentals right, my hand placement's right. Just get back to what you need to do to block the guy, uh and not, you know, just start panicking and lose all all concept

of technique and everything else, and then you're dead. You're dead meat. I don't see that happening with the key of de energy at all. All right, Thanksgivings coming up. You're from the Boston area. Boston is famous for Thanksgiving high school football games. Was that the case when you were young? Absolutely? Smell Rose it was. It was Melrose High School, but they were smell Rose when we when

we played them. We played them every single Thanksgiving. And uh I remember they had they had a great athlete by the name of rich Como, Richie Como, and that son of a gun man he was. He was the first real speed store. I mean this guy ran, you know, like a sub ten flat hundred and the track team and stuff, and um he was if he hit it and he hit the scene was like see you later. You're looking at come a across the back of his jersey.

That's all you're gonna see. And uh I remember we We ended up beating them one year in an upset and and that was that was a big deal to go and beat Melrose in Melrose. But yeah, the Wakefield Melrose Thanksgiving Day Turkey game was was always that was that was the biggest football game I'd ever played in my life as a you know, as a high school football player. That was everybody always look forward to that

that big Thanksgiving Day rival retail. No question. Now you'll be watching football, you'll be eating too much like we all do, and then it's going to be the perfect Thanksgiving weekend When the Bengals win on Sunday by doing what it's remarkable Dan. I was looking back at the first match out of twenty four ten. The Bengals have forty penalties on the year, first in the National Football League unless much less than four hundred yards and penalty yards,

I think like three forty something. I think it is first in the league as well. They had ten penalties for almost eighty yards in that game. They had a court. They had twenty five percent of their penalties and over twenty five percent of their penalty yards in that game. So what you have to do is like we always always talk about that, you know, controlled rage kind of thing. You know, you want to play aggressively and physically, but

you don't want to be out of control. You know, you don't want to have penalties, you don't want to have mistakes. You don't want to But they won the turnover battle they had. They had two takeaways, two interceptions, gave them two short fields on Ben Roethlisberger. They scored two touchdowns on those short fields. That's the formula is is getting that kind of thing done. Um so they had four Pittsburgh had four kicks. That four possessions that

ended without a kick. The Bengals only had one. That was huge in that football game. I think the Bengals won the field position battle, but I mean they Pittsburgh ran seventy seven snaps. Bengals ran like forty three and scored twenty four points. The efficiency was there because of the turnovers, the takeaways. So m but the time of possession. If people looked at, you know, the number of snaps, time of possession, how did the Bengals end up winning by two scores? And you have to you have to

dive a little deeper, you know. Um but I think I think, uh, they have to take care of things at the line of scrimmage. I think it starts there, as always in these rivalry games and just about every game in the National Football League, you have to be able to hold your own, you know, at the line of scrimmage. There's there's no question about that. I've already written down about eighteen things here that you know they're going to be a factor in the football game. Yeah,

but had ten penalties for eighty nine yards. Pittsburgh had ten for seventy three Pittsburgh six in the NFL, and penalty yards against them Bengals in number one at three hundred and forty three yards, so that both teams uncharacteristically had had a very rough day from a penalty standpoint. But I've got chemodenergy. Jump Cameron Hayward. You know, I thought that was going to be a big deal in

the football game. Don't let Cameron Hayward get started. And I thought that, I thought that that was handled pretty well by Jackson Carmen, and I think chemodenergy, I'd recommend the same thing, jump him. But yeah, coach and play aggressively, but not carelessly or recklessly. And that's that's what has to happen. I think in these big football games and rivalry games, you never know. And like we talked about earlier, getting off to that fast start is I think going

to be a pivotal thing. But the Bengals showed how important it is to finish games last week too. A quick start and a good finish and Dan good Turkey Day. Post Turkey Day weekend celebration could happen. Then enjoy your feast. Happy Thanksgiving? You do the same, sir. Do you like white or dark meat? Turkey both? But I prefer white? Do you only every piece of dark meat there is? Man? What's your favorite side dish? I like stuffing, but it must have gravy on it to moisten it up. Lynn

makes his green bean casserole. That's like, really really good stuff. I'm a stuffing guy. Over over mashed potatoes too. I definitely am. What kind of pie? What's your pumpkin? That's a lap bengo Bengal bongo. What it's worth? I don't really like sweet potatoes, except for the Thanksgiving casserole version that's loaded up with so much butter and nuts that it's hard to tell there was ever a vegetable involved. Up next, my one on one visit with tight end

c j Uzama. The first nine times he played in a Bengal Steelers game, the Bengals lost. That streak ended in week three, and I talked to CJ about the rivalry. This week, CJ, it is Steelers week. You are a rookie back in twenty fifteen for the infamous playoff game. Sorry to bring it up. What do you remember most

about that night? Nothing? No, Um, Yeah, I just remember just distraught, I think in the locker room and amongst amongst the guys in the locker room, and and just you know, UM, we felt like we we let it, we let it slip away, and we did. UM. So that's that's the That's the biggest takeaway that I had was just you know, when an opportunity like this comes, we as player as we can't. We can't let something like that slip up and have there be any disconnect UM.

And that was kind of the biggest thing that I think I saw UM throughout, throughout the night and after the game. The nast ess in this rivalry I think peaked right around then. Some of those games I almost felt like they were out of control. Has it gotten better? You know? I think with the rules, I think football in general has changed a lot. Um, I don't know

necessarily if it's gotten better. I think, you know, UM, you know, there's still that passion, that rivalry, that that UM controlled hatred, you know, towards towards someone in your division. But UM, I don't, I don't. I wouldn't say it's gotten better and lighter. You know, I think the rules have changed to kind of prevent some of those, like some of the things that have happened, you know, to happen again. But now I think, I think that that passion is still there. I'm going to quote you on

controlled hatred during the course of the game. We're chatting with c. J Uzama. You won the first meeting against the Steelers this year by a couple of touchdowns in Pittsburgh. That means two wins in a row for Cincinnati in the rivalry. What do you view as a key or a couple of keys to making it three in a row? Yeah,

I think, you know, just just playing our game. Um. I think you know, when it comes to a rivalry game like this, you know that you know a play is going to be made by the other side, and it's how you respond to that. And obviously we want, we want to play a perfect game and we want to come out hot and and you know that's that's our plan. Um. But you know, things change throughout the throughout the course of the game, and it's just it's

staying the course. It's staying you know, with with within the parameters of our game plan and and and how we play enough on Pittsburgh, the team in general and you in particular seem to be having a ball this year. Are you having as much fun as it looks? I'm having more fun than it looks for sure. Um, it really is. It's it, man, It is so fun. Just I mean, even in the walkthrough that you know, we just had to walk through and we're having fun out there.

And you know, it's not saying that we're not focused and because we're executing, you know, even in walk through in practice where we're um, we're executing, you know, at a high level. But it's just, man, football is supposed to be fun, and I think some of that gets taken, you know, taken away with um, certain guys wanting contracts and certain guys wanting you know, their numbers and this and that. But when you watch this team and when I mean, you can't one hundred percent fully grasp it.

But man, we're happy when everyone scores. Everyone's like, man, all right, let's let's get in the en zone. Let's do something like what are we doing? Like I'm excited to see what Jamar is gonna do and the enzone or Joe or you know, I don't know what they do. I run over and I'm just like, I don't know this dance. I don't know this move. I can't help in any way. But I'm like, man, this is cool. Like it's cool to see that and celebrate your teammates.

And you know, if we know, if as long as we're putting points on the board, we're we're gonna win. And where we have that confidence in our defense, and so yeah, it's it's it's just different, man, it really is. And you can tell, not only myself, but just everyone's having a really really fun time. Are you having fun because you're in the playoff hunt or are you in the playoff hunt because you're having fun. We're in the

playoff hunt because we're having fun. I think, you know, the culture and of this locker room, the culture of this organization and um things that we've been instilling and the younger guys, you know, the older guys have been you know kind of you know, bringing them along, and the and the free agents that we had signed, and you know, it's just it's a complete buying and we're

we're just we're loving on each other. This is a family I spend I mean Thanksgivings coming up, but I'm spending more time with these guys and I'll be spending with my family. And so these are my brothers and we're really treating each other as such. And so I think that's that's kind of why we're having this success that we're having. You have dubbed your quarterback Joey franchise, and you often refer to Joe Burrow as the smartest

player on the field at all times. Of his many great attributes, is that the thing that stands out the most one hundred percent, you know, I think you know, if you can I mean there's that infamous line of him in Jacksonville you can't zero me and things like that, because he's gonna he's gonna get us on the best possible play and make you pay for it. So, um, yeah, I think that's you know, he's I think a close second would be his tough toughness because he's he's an

incredibly tough kid. And I say kid, he's not actually that young, but um, he's extremely tough and he's a competitor. But his mind and the way he can analyze the defense and you know, get us in the best possible play. Um, that's that's very unique. You're having an excellent year. Do you have any lingering issues left from the torn achilles? Now? I'm very blessed with you know, kind of how I was able to approach it, and mentality was of mannaright,

I tore my achilles. I can't expedite anything. I can't do anything right now. And then once the doctor said I was cleared, I was like, Okay, I'm one hundred percent. There's no excuse of anything. I'm not gonna, you know, let anything weigh in my mind. It's just go out there and have fun. And it took a little bit just to get back into the swing of things with with not you know, being in pads and things like that. But other than that, I feel I feel great. A

couple more questions for c j Uzama. The Bengals are having a great year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having a great year. Have you stayed in frequent contact with your buddy Giovanni Bernard? I have. Actually I texted on Elis's birthday, um so, so I ended up texting him and wishing him a happy birthday, and um checking around him and Chloe and you know the baby that they're gonna have, and um, that's my brother for life, for share.

So um, yeah, we stay in touch and I always, you know, make sure he's doing well and vice versa. All right, final thing, the Bengal Steelers is not the only rivalry this weekend. The Iron Bowl is coming up on Saturday, your beloved Auburn Tigers trying to upset the Alabama Crimson Tide. Is there a friendly wager or any trash talk with Jonah Williams, the only Alabama player right now in the roster. Um, he's got it easy on

me right now. I think, I think, I think what's gonna happen is Friday and Saturday roll along and he's just gonna stare at me. You know, John is a man of few words, so he's not gonna he's not gonna he's not gonna say too much. He's just gonna look at me. Um. So I'm really hoping that we pull this one out because he will just stare at me and smile, and I'll be like johna, please just

stop with me, please feel love. So um, but that's a rivalry, so maybe I'll be I'll trash talk him a little bit if I need to, um and hope we hope we pull that one out. If Auburn pulls off the upset, you will not limit it to just staring on your part. Oh no, no, no no, no, I'm gonna there's gonna be a look. His locker is gonna be decked out orange and blue, and oh yeah, I'm gonna. I'm gonna. I'm gonna get after him pretty good. So

um yeah, let's let's get that win. Where you go, continued success, Thanks for the time, best of luck against the dreaded, hated, despised, but grudgingly respected Pittsburghs Daily Thank you. I appreciate it. As an Auburn junior, in twenty thirteen, c J played and perhaps the most memorable Iron Bowl of them all, as Auburn beat Alabama on a one hundred nine yard return of a missfield goal on the final play of the game, the so called kick six.

The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. Ultimate Bengals will be awarding a weekly winner during the course of the season with tickets, autograph merchandise, and money can't buy experiences all up for grabs. Find Ultimate Bengals in the app stores. Now finally it's time for our no the faux segment. Add King Kabwala from the NFL Network is frequently assigned to matchups in the AFC North, and she spoke this

week to my Bengals dot Com colleague Marissa Contapelli. The Bengals return to Paul Brown Stadium this Sunday, where they'll be for the next three games, and as we get set for Round two against the Steelers, we welcome in NFL Networks, add King Kabwala, who covers the AFC North extensively for the network, add this is the only division where each team is currently above five hundred. What does that say just about the caliber of competition that's currently

the AS North. Well, it sort of creates a sense of anxiety for me, Marisa, because I feel like everybody's beating each other up. But again, this hasn't happened since I mean, this hasn't happened in ten years. And when it happened ten years ago, three of the AFC North teams went to the playoffs, and I feel like we're in position for the exact same thing. To happen. How

do you see this division playing out? I know there's still a long way to go, but with the Bengals at six and four, is that put them in a good spot to possibly make a run for it late in the season. You know what's so interesting about this mrsays that nobody has really put together a run in any sort of way that you feel like, Okay, this is a team that has established exactly who it is and they're about to go off in some particular way.

So I still feel really, really really good about the Ravens simply because they have one of the three most dynamic players in the NFL and Lamar Jackson, and I'm very, very eager to see what everybody else can put together. Right now, when you take a look at the Bengals offense, they put up thirty points on the scoreboard, fourth time in the last five games they've done that. What catches your eye when it comes to the offense? Mersa, I am this is almost embarrassing how much I pound the

table for Joe Mixon. I am such an old school football person where I believe every single thing starts with the run game, and so to me, when you look at that Raiders game. What's the best way to keep Max Crosby and Yannick and Gakway off of Joe Barrow by running the ball? And so I loved the way that the Bengal said, we don't care that you know we're running the ball. We are going to keep running

the ball. And those one and three and five yard games in the first and second year, in the first and second chord quarter in the first and second quarter are going to turn into eleven and eighteen yards in the third quarter. And I just you know, one of my greatest frustrations with the Steelers is that they're not

running the ball. You know, they had twelve possessions within five yards of the goal line on Sunday night, and eight of those twelve possessions they threw the ball, like just say, I'm going to beat you up, Like that's it. I don't care that you know I'm going to run the ball. I'm still going to run it all over you.

One of my greatest frustrations with the Browns is that two weeks ago, when they fell behind to the Patriots and they were still within a running climate, they got all nervous and scared and worried and started throwing the ball. That's not where the Browns are at their best. That's not where their Steelers are at their best, and it's not where the Bengals are at their best. Everything should start with the run game, especially when you have one

of the most exceptional running backs in the NFL. You know, I was following along on Twitter with you over the weekend and I loved the I told you so tweet when it came to running the ball and feeding Joe Mixon. Awful, Messa, Is that terrible that? I just was like, I told you so? Or is that okay? It's absolutely okay? It does? It all starts with the run game? Well, it does

in general. And it feels like when you're right and you're sitting here and you're saying, look, this is somebody that's had an immense amount of success against this particular team and this has bode well for your team in general, Go ahead and do it, and then when it actually happened,

shouldn't you be allowed to get some credit for that? Exactly? Exactly? Well, add I'm glad you also brought up the fact that the Steelers have struggled in the run game as well, when you look at each of their losses a season, they failed to get over sixty two run yards as a team in each of those games, including Week three when they did play the Bengals the first time around. What's been going on in Pittsburgh and is that an area that the Bengals defense should focus on again, is

really trying to limit that run game? Well one, but I also feel that part of the run game is whether you are committed to the or not. And let's go back to the Bengals for just a minute, Marissa. In the first half against the Raiders, the runs weren't particularly pretty, you weren't netting that much, but then those same exact runs broke for more in the third and fourth quarters. And that's the way that a run game works.

And it just feels like over the course of the last four years, the Steelers haven't been particularly committed to the run, even as they sit here and say, we want to run the ball, we want our run game to be better, we are focused on this. Well, they haven't spent any money on their offensive line, and they've hired an offensive coordinator who, you know, wonderful person, wonderful human, but in certain moments, it's do you want to outthink somebody or do you want to just run all over them?

And when we go back to Sunday night against the Chargers, with the Steelers again, they're down by the goal line, they're throwing extensively, they're not necessarily connecting, and then at some point the Steelers just throw in their fullback. There. They threw in their first round running back and they ran up the gut and they scored a touchdown finally, and it felt like, Okay, that's maybe not so sexy, that's maybe not what you know is generating attention at

this moment, but that's what works. So why can't you just stick with what works? Easier said than done sometimes but absolutely well. Add the Steelers have been without t J. Watt for a handful of games this season, most notably when they did play in Week three. He was out last week against the Chargers. Is he someone that has a good chance of going on Sunday? What are the odds that he suits up against the Bengals, Marissa, We

totally expect him back. In fact, mcdomlin today said that he anticipates him being back and he of course changes the entire defense and it's not just the attention he draws at the position that he's at, but it's what is infectious about the way that he plays and how that affects everybody else. So obviously the Steelers defense is significantly different if t J. Watt is back, and as I said, Mike Tomlin said, the expectation is that he

will indeed be back against the Bengals. Seems like there's a lot on the line Sunday between the Bengals and the Steelers for the Bengals to come out victorious. What do they need to do right against Pittsburgh? Run the ball, run the ball, control the clock, keep possession, and it just feels like that'll do it. You know, sometimes, Marissa, the best offense or the best defense is a really really good offense that prevents the other offense from getting

the ball. And we know that the Bengals can be a very quick strike offense. We saw that the last time the Bengals and the Steelers played with Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow. But if you control the clock, if you keep possession, if you keep the ball away from the Steelers, then you're in great shape. Well, Aditi, the last one I have for you today. I've seen an adorable photo of your daughter posted from over the weekend

watching the Browns game. And I know your kids have roots in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, but I really think they would look pretty cute and some maybe tiger stripes we can get some. Maybe we could throw some orange of black apparel into the mix here every now and then, if you want to send me that, I have no

problem throwing that on my children. In fact, what's really funny is you used to have a running back coach who sent us a lot of Bengals gear, and we still do wear a lot of those hats, a lot of those I don't even know what to call them, but our mormers in cold weather, so we will wear

whenever is sent to us. But my poor daughter was born in Cleveland and the Browns treated her tremendously well, and she is just buying into that, and I can't you know, isn't part of parenting letting your kids be exactly And it's just this an asc North family, it seems maybe. I mean, I didn't growl up here, so it's easy for me to let everybody go there one way. Well, add thank you so much for joining us. Love your coverage at NFL Network. Thanks for spending time with us today, Marissa.

It's been an absolute pleasure. And thank you so so so much for having me and run the ball. That's all I'm gonna say. Run the ball. Hi. Thanks to Marissa and add and that's going to do it for this episode of The Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play Next Level Fantasy Football game, downloaded now from the App Store and Google Play.

If you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde, Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast