Bengals Booth Podcast: I'm So Excited

is with offensive lineman Quentin Spain. My broadcast partner Dave Lapplom joins me to look at the injury concerns on the Bengals defensive line and in our Know the Faux segment, we'll hear from John Burton, a TV sports anchor and

radio talk show host in Nashville. 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 by on Location in the official hospitality partner of the NFL, Visit on Location exp dot com for exclusive access to the biggest events in the NFL.

All season long, including Super Bowl fifty six. Here's a quick reminder that you could have the latest edition of this podcast delivered write to your phone, tablet, or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since Zach Taylor getting carded. Cj Uzama appeared on Good Morning Football on the NFL Network on Thursday and

shared a hilarious tidbit. When Zach Taylor showed up at Mount Lookout Tavern on Saturday to present a game ball to the fans after the playoff win over the Raiders, a bouncer asked to see his id. Uzama said he learned that from Kevin Huber, who was an eyewitness. That tells us two things. That Zach has a youthful appearance. We already knew that, and that he's not spending a lot of time hanging out at Mount Lookout Tavern. Now

let's get to this week's guests. It's the Bengals and Titans this Saturday, and there is nobody I would rather talk to preview the game than the great Greg co Sell from NFL Films and the NFL Matchup Show on ESPN. Greg before the twenty twenty draft. You are nice enough to give me your printed up notes about Joe Burrow, and I want to highlight three things that you wrote going into the draft. Number one, consistently precise ball placement.

Number two, a quick processor of pressures and coverage. Number three efficient pocket movement. Clearly you thought that Joe Burrow had the chance to be an excellent NFL player. What do you think of him now in the way that

he's playing? Well, you know what, Dan, Every once in a while, I guess right, you know, And I mean I really liked Burrow coming out, and I think, you know, one of the things I look for is when you see a player as a rookie, and obviously his rookie year was shortened, but he did play a good amount.

When you see a player that shows the same traits early in his NFL career that he showed in his really strong college career, I always think that's a really positive sign because that to me, particularly for a quarterback, that means that the game is not too fast for him, that he's still playing within his skill set and his traits. And I think that was pretty evident with Burrow a year ago. Obviously, the team wasn't quite as good, so

there were some poor performances as a team. I remember one game against Baltimore where I think they lost maybe thirty to seven something like that, and they were just overwhelmed by pressure. But the team wasn't quite good enough. You know, now as the team has gotten better, obviously with Jamar Chase defense, I think is better than it was a year ago. But the point I'm making about Burrow is you saw those traits even a year ago, so I'm not surprised that he's sort of taken another

step forward. This is not an X and O statement, but there's just a calmness and a poison posure to the manner in which he plays. He just navigates the pocket so well. He manages the pocket really well, and

I don't know if you can teach that. You know, everybody now focuses on quarterbacks that can run out of the pocket because we're so used to seeing the greatness of a Patrick Mahomes those kinds of plays, but no one really talks about the more nuanced and more subtle movement that's required within a smaller area, you know, an area that I sometimes describe as the size of a boxing ring even though it might even be a little

smaller than that. Let's talk about Jamar Chase next, because you also shared your predraft notes about Jamar and you said I loved him, so I can't wait to see what you say. Yeah, well, here's what you said. He has the explosive playmaking dimension that all NFL teams look for. How has Jamar Chase changed the Bengals offense? Anytime you have a vertical dimension, and by the way, they have two vertical dimensions, because te Higgins can do that as well.

He's a different player because of his length, so his stride length doesn't make him look as explosive. But stride length is a trait for a wide out. But Chase is dynamically explosive and he's also incredibly physical. I mean, think much of this pass game. He runs a lot of inbreaking routes, so he works the middle of the field, but he also aligns up predominantly as their boundary X, meaning the single receiver to the short side of the field.

And this is where the tandem with Joe Burrow is so effective because Burrow is an aggressive mindset thrower, so even if a corner is an off coverage, They'll still run vertical routes, and whether Chase gets on top of the corner or whether they throw back shoulder fades, that depends obviously on the corner and however they have that worked out. That just doesn't happen on a whim. But he definitely adds a vertical dimension. He adds a run

after catch dimension. Was that the Chiefs game in which he caught the seventy two yard touchdown where he caught the quick little out route and he just burst. I mean, watching that live on television was it was unbelievable because that the speed with which he just broke away was remarkable. So he's a truly complete receiver, and he's super competitive, and I think that that is always something that it can be really important. Do you have to be that

guy to be a good receiver? Maybe not, but when you are, And I think that's one reason I made the comparison in my evaluation to someone like Steve Smith, super competitive player, Jamar Chase, and he's I guess there's not a lot of talk now about the fact that they maybe should have taken Penny Sewell, huh. That definitely has died down as that died down a little bit, just a smidge. I took a lot of grief about that. Dan. You know, people were telling me I was an idiot

and I didn't know football. You know, you always should take an offensive lineman, and I just thought Chase was a special, special talent that there there's not a lot of Jamar Chase kinds of players. Well, I'm one of the morons that's said take Pina Suel. So I'm very happy, very happy to have been wrong. We are chatting with a great Greg co Cell from the NFL Matchup show on ESPN. Let's specifically talk now Bengals offense versus Titans defense. This is the number two run defense in the NFL.

They've got a great front four. What do the Bengals need to do to have success on Saturday? Yeah, this is going to be a challenge for this reason. First of all, I don't anticipate that they'll run the ball really effectively. I still think, assuming the game is close, that they need to run with a volume. But I'd be very surprised if Mixon has you know, twenty four one forty. But I still think they have to run the ball because I don't believe which gets into the

next part of the equation. I don't believe that their offensive line will be good enough to hold off that pass rush if they ask Joe Burrow by choice to drop back forty times or forty five times, and unless, of course, the score demands that. And I think that's one of the key matchups in this game. The defensive profile of the Titans is four man pass rush, multiple

coverage concepts. They're not a high percentage blitz defense. When they do bring a secondary player, meaning the slot corner might come, David Long, the linebacker might come, it's still normally a four man rush. It's what we call a four man zone exchange. They don't really rush five and awful lot. And this is a really good pass rush group, particularly inside in their subfront where it's Simmons and Autrey, two really really good players, I mean almost special players.

Everybody knows about Simmons. Autry has been overlooked a bit. He played with Indianapolis a year ago. He's your classic case, the guy who lines up outside and your base and comes inside as a d tackle and inside pass rusher in your sub fronts. And he's a really really good player. And you know what they're very good at, and this is this is home now during the week for the Bengals and the coaching staff. They're really good at what

we call t T stunts, tackle and tackle stunts. Whether it's Simmons who goes first as the penetrator and Autry loops, or whether Autry goes first as the penetrator and Simmons loops, they're really good at that and it's very difficult to deal with. Last week's opponent, the Raiders, also primarily a rush four type team, although it's obviously somewhat different. But how did you feel the Bengals offensive line did last week? For the most part, I thought they did pretty well.

I actually thought that Jonah Williams had a really solid game and left tackle and quite honestly, Dan, and again, you know, all I do is talk about the tape. I thought he's struggled at times this year and one on one pass protection, and that'll be a big factor again in this game. But I thought Williams had a really good game. He predominantly worked against Ngakwa. I thought

he did really well. Now, the quarterback helps there because Joe Burrow has such a great feel for timing rhythm anticipation. Rarely DC burrows in the pocket or get stuck in the pocket. Every once in a while, every quarterback does. But Burrow is not that guy, you know, for the most part. So and plus he has very good movement skills, so you know, rarely, I mean Burrow does get sacked because he and I know he got sacked a lot this year. Because I think he's one of those guys.

You know, I've not talked to him, so I don't know what's exactly in his head. But I think he's also one of those guys that believes he can make every throw, and there are times he's just gonna wait because he thinks, hey, if I just wait another beat longer, that throw will be there. And sometimes it's not. So

he does get sacked. But I think this is a key matchup in this game because their old line is and you know this is it's not a great past protecting gold line, and there will be some negative plays. You just hope that those negative plays don't result in turnovers. Let's turn to the other side of the ball. The Titans have a great running attack led by Derrick Henry. It looks like the King will be back for the first time since Halloween. What must the Bengals do on

the defensive end. Well, this is an offense that likes to run a lot out of base personnel. Whether they line up with two tight ends, sometimes three tight ends, they'll line up with a full back. So I've been given this a lot of thought. We've seen the Bengals in their base defense this year primarily be a five two front, five across with two stack backers Pratt and Wilson.

So the question to me is is that what they're going to line up with, because the one issue you face is when you have fewer bodies at the second level, and of course they can bring down a safety, which I think they'll have to and basically play with a single high safety. So whether they bring down bell or baits,

that's their call. You know, you don't want to get caught short at the second level because Henry gets to the second level, and you don't want to be short bodies at the second level because then he's going to get to the third level and then you have a problem. So I'm really curious to see what they do out Well, you know, one thing that was interesting this past week and I kind of view the Raiders as a running

team to some degree. They played a ton of nickel versus the Raiders when they lined up with multiple tight ends. I would be very surprised if they take that approach this week. I think you need the bigger bodies simply

to tackle Henry. So I think you're going to see more of the five two front bring a safety down because you need a lot of bodies around Derrick Henry because he's we know Henry can take it to the house, but he's also the master of making a three yard game into a seven yard game and then it's second and three and you don't want to be in that situation all game. Final question for Greg ko Sell, and I appreciate your time. What do you think of the

Bengals future and the young nucleus that they've built. Is this the tip of the iceberg for what Bengals fans can look forward to? Well, I think offensively, you'd have to be excited. They've got a very young offense. You know, I think the old Lion probably needs to be addressed in the draft. They need to get better with more depth, more competition, so they can improve. But you've got your quarterback you've got your white outs. People forget about boy

he's not old. So you know you have three really good white outs who fit extremely well. You know, I've always liked Joe Mixon a lot, and and you know, I never I'm not one who who tells coaches you know what I think they should do. I just remember Mixing at Oklahoma. I thought he was a great receiver who split out a lot. I would just love to see that more. But you know that's that's up to them. You know, that's not a criticism. So I think they

have a really good group. If they can get the offensive line to be a little better, I can't imagine why this offense would be one of the league's best for a number of years. Defensively, I think they're going to want to get better at corner. Overall, I think a Woozy had a solid year, and he's not a young I mean, he's not an older player. He's a young player. So I think you feel good about a Woozy who at times they didn't match up to top receivers.

I remember when they played Green Bay, he matched up to Davante Adams, So I think they probably feel he can do that. I think they're going to have to get better at the other corners spot going forward. You know, Hendrickson had a really nice year for them, but I would my guess is that they would believe that they

need a little more from the pass rush. They're not They're not a heavy blitz team, although they do increase pressure on third down, but overall, they're not a team that you think of as hey, they're coming after you. So I think they would probably like to get another pass rusher, whether it's on the edge or whether it's inside. I'm really intrigued by Hubbard's kind of ability, which I

don't know if they'll do more of. Maybe not this year because it's tough to put all this in now, but I'm really intrigued by Hubbard's ability kind of as a joker player. We saw him do that this week where he got a sack, but they did that on a couple of other occasions as well. I think he's athletic enough to be kind of that, you know, that kind of player. But you know, I think they'll definitely

look for a pass rusher. Greg there's nobody better at studying the tape and making a complicated game a little bit easier for the rest of us to understand. So I really appreciate your time and keep up the great work. Then I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Here's one thing to keep in mind when it comes to improving the pass rush. Next year, the Bengals will get Joseph

Osai back from his knee injury. The third round draft pick looked tremendous in past rush drills at training camp last year and in his preseason debut against Tampa Bay before suffering that injury. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Ultimate Bengals, the free to play fantasy football game. This year, Ultimate Bengals awarded 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 Store and Google Play Up. Next, this week's one on one player conversation with one of the highest graded players on the Bengals offensive line this year, left guard Quentin Spain. But you spent the first four years of your NFL career in Tennessee. It started forty eight games for the Titans. Does that add anything to this playoff game for you? Yeah, it's always gonna add something to this playoff game going back to Tennessee. But when I was in Buffalo, I went back to Tennessee too,

so I already got the Ravens game. But it's still a chip on my shoulder that going back to where I started at visiting with Quentin Spain. You made your Bengals debut against the Titans last year at Paul Brown Stadium, and it was a memorable game because you famously signed with a team on a Friday and then played just about every snap on Sunday, even though you didn't know all of your teammates names. What do you think that showed your teammates and coaches in that win? It showed

It showed my team and the coaches. With my coaches that I was like I was approval coming in signing late and planned that Sunday one practice one walked through, So it showed them that teach me to playbook. I'm a quick learner. I can learn on the wrong fly, So that's a good advantage that I have been in the league. Like I don't feel like most people can do what I did. We're chatting with Quentin Spain, Clinton, You hurt your ankle in the next to last game

of the regular season against Kansas City. It looked bad from the broadcast booth. Were you worried at the time that your season might be over? I was, or because I like I hurt my ankle and my knee, so I was feeling like dad. Most two injuries in one. So once I got back to the locker room and took X rays, my ankle was hurting the most, so

I wanted filling my knee. So but I know I heard in my knee too, so most of the pain was at the ankle, So you forget about what the second pain that you worry about the most, the most pain, so it was my ankle. So that week off I had, I was getting like getting treatment at home because I had COVID, so I had to stay home. I was rehabbing at home gag Ready, doing stuff for my ankles

while they was practicing and playing played Cleveland. So that's why I came back this playoff game because I was taking advantage of my own rehab where the guys pretty excited when you were able to take part in that first practice the week of the first playoff game, and it was decided because I told him, like my mind

said it differently, it's playoff. I can't can't miss games like the opportunities like that, So I like when I was at home, I was just attacking, attacking my rehab, so because I can't listen to a a game that they depending on me and I depend on them, so I had to get back. But you've had an excellent year. Your ranked is one of the top twenty guards in the NFL this year by Pro Football Focus. Do you think it's been one of your best seasons and what

stands out to you about this year? Um? Yeah, I feel like this have been a great season for me, coming all the situation I had in Buffalo, little leaving mid season, and Zach gave me another chance. Because last year, after my exit meeting, I told Zack like this team like I told Zack the same thing I told McDermott and Buffalo like this team special, and I want to come back. So when I told Zac that, I'm like,

I really want to come back. I see a special team and and you see what we were doing this year. So I'm happy he gave me an opportunity. You told reporters earlier this year, that you thought the offensive line needed to bond more on and off the field, so you initiated the weekly Thursday night offensive line dinner. Do you think that had a big impact. Yeah, that really had a big impact of the offensive linement because I know we come to work every day and we hear,

but we're not really bonding. We really at work game planning and stuff. So I like, I told the line, I'm like, everybody do this in the league. On Thursday, we get away from footba. I understand you see us all day, but it's special to see us outside of football get to know each other better because at the end of the day, when we on the field, we plan for each other. So if I don't understand, like don't know nothing about you, how can I trest you?

Like all that stuff, So communication and the bonding and stuff we do on Thursday, I think it really helped because we see if you plug an out a guy, yet we still communicate together because we all at dinner eating and talking about family, what they what we like to do, what like, stuff we don't like, and stuff like that might have been some of your favorite spots. The favorite spot was Jeff Ruby because I feel like Jeff Ruby is the best steakhouse in Cincinnati. But we've

been to a couple of spots. I took the guys to Route Roof or Rufe Chriss. We've been in a lot of different spots that I never heard of. So every time we went so I make if it's a good spot, I make sure I write it down because I'll come back to We're chatting with Clenton Spain. You face the Titans on Saturday. This is a team with an excellent front four led by interior lineman Jeffrey Simmons described number ninety eight, and he's he's that guy. He's

the angle on that defense. He's physical and he played to the whistle and if you come like have as, you will make you pay. And it's not just him either, the whole front four, they have the whole the front seven. They they attack down hill, they thump us and they got the eight Landry on the outside. He speed, he speed, they got the prix. He nice. So they played as a unit and they played angry. So Mike Braman do have them planning the way he liked to play physical.

Your second year there was Derrick Henry's rookie year. What stood out about the king when you were blocking for him? When I was coming out of college my last year two thousand fourteen, we played Alabama at the Georgia dun and Derek him wasn't running back, so everybody was saying like, oh, he ran too high, he ain't gonna make it in the league and all that. So when he first got to Tennessee, when I was there, and I say it,

I'm like, run, he really did so. But when the season was going on, I see him breaking tackles and people falling off, and he got breakaway speed and all that. But I'm saying, but when it was scouting and recruiting, they saying that he ran too high. But in the NFL he's still running the same, and then you see what he's doing here he producing. But I'm gonna tell

you're still about Derek Henry though. When I was in Tennessee, I was was at practice and we were running to play and I think we ran a draw and he was running the ball. But when I was blocking my dude, when I turned the round and Derek here was full speed right into me, right into my shoulder. So my whole right side went numb. My whole right side went um and I knew that he run with Paul then right then and there that day. If I'm like, yeah,

he's gonna be a good back. So even when you're blocking for him, if he hits you, it can be paid. You would fill it, you will feel it. So you're blocked for the King in Tennessee and now you're blocking for Joey Franchise in Cincinnati. You've been in this league for seven years? Are you amazed by what he's doing in year two? Yes, I'm I'm I'm I'm so amazed what happened last year with him and how he attacked this all season rehab and came back and pit this

great season. He havn't like. I'm just amazed how how he handled that, because some people with would have folded. But I see it Joey different. Like I seeing his eyes every time he come to work like he I feel like he on the mission. And that's the type of guy won't like I'm on a mission. I've been. I had a chip on my shoulder since I came in the league. So seeing that out of him, I'm like, I want to play for this guy. Last thing for

Quentin Space. You referred to your meeting with Zach Taylor your exit interview last year, when you told him you wanted to come back. And I know you told your agent that you wanted him to get a deal done in Cincinnati, almost regardless of the amount. What are you going to tell your agent at the end of this year. They already we talked about it. We talked, They put a bug and we told him, like, I want to be here. So at the end of the day, I want to be here. I want to finish my career Hill.

So it's up to them if they want to keep me here. But I'm just gonna go out every day and pit out good film. Just in cases they don't want me, somebody else will pick me up. But I want to be in cincin that. I told him that mid season. My agent told him that mid season. So we will see how things work. You've had a fantastic year. You've had an awesome impact on a young offensive line room. I certainly hope that you're back next year, and I

appreciate your time today. Best of luck against the Titans, don't you ent and signed a one year deal for about one point one million dollars last year. He'll turn thirty one next year in training camp. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by on Location, the official hospitality partner of the NFL. Visit on location exp dot com for exclusive access to the biggest events in the NFL all

season long, including Super Bowl fifty six. Now tired to discuss the Bengals' latest news and some keys to Saturday's game with my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Lap Let's start with the state of the Bengals defensive line as of Thursday morning. Trey Hendrickson appears to be back. He was full going practice on Wednesday. We know that Larry Ogan Jobi is out Josh Tupo limited at practice on Wednesday

because of his knee injury. They have signed three hundred thirty five pound eight year vet Zach Kerr off the Cardinals practice squad. That means he is on the active roster. He's wearing the number sixty nine. They have also signed former Miami Redhawk Doug Coston to the practice squad so he could get promoted for the game on Saturday. He has started in the past for Jacksonville, so after hearing all of that, what is your concern level for the

Bengals defensive line going into the game in Nashville. Well, you know, the thing is, I'm figuring that a big part of the game plan, or at any part of the game plan, was going to be played that five man front that they've played pretty successfully against teams that run it so well, and they did it against Baltimore initially unveiled it and really did a good job of controlling not only pass rush lanes but running lanes, you

know for Lamar Jackson. So hopefully that they'll have enough players in a rotation now to be able to use that look. And it's not something that you live in every single snap, but it's nice to be able to go to that. But when you go to three defensive tackles in the game at the same time, that's that's

eating snaps up, you know, for three guys. So you'd like to have some numbers there from a rotational standpoint, and hopefully with these signings that you reference, that'll give them that that type of rotation and um, you know that that's going to be I think the biggest key to the football game obviously is is the way that uh, the way that they can run the football. I mean

the Tennessee tightens. It's it's no secret, and it's going to run, run, run, run it again, you know, and then play action, pass, naked boots, um, you know, things things that nature. Uh so, But it all starts. Their offense starts first and foremost with running the football. Whoever it is, it's going to be running it. Can Zach Kerr join the Bengals on a Wednesday with a playoff game on Saturday and have a significant impact. I think

he needs to channel his his inner Quentin Spain. Quentin Spain last year in the regular season did basically exactly that with the offensive line, and honestly, Dan, there's more to learn, uh schematically, you know, from the with an offensive line standpoint, I'm not saying that there's no think to learn defensively, but there's less. There's less to learn, and it's more of a reactionary thing, whereas in the offensive line, you know you're gonna you initiate things that

defense responds to. So there's a little bit more sophistication to it, and a little bit more terminology formations, you know, all these different things to learn and assignments based on fronts that you're presented and all that. Defensively, you know, there's only so many places a defensive tackle can line up and so many responsibilities that he's going to have. So again it's a reactionary thing. I think he's probably in as good a football shape as you can be in.

I mean, he was just on a roster. He hasn't had a whole lot of playing time, but he's been at practices and I mean he's he's in football shape. He hasn't gotten out of football shape. So hopefully he has the impact that Quentin Spain had in that game last year when they had four new offensive linement starting and they beat the Tennessee Titans thirty to twenty, and Quentin Spain was a big reason why, and hopefully Zach will be a big reason why they hold the fourth

down in the running game in this one. All Right, more on that offensive line game in a little bit, but let's get back to the Titans rushing attack led by Derrick Henry. All indications are he will be back. He hasn't played since Halloween because of a broken right foot. Derrick Henry is six three, two hundred forty seven pounds. He hit twenty one point eight miles an hour on a touchdown run this year against Buffalo. That is the sixth fastest time of any ball carrier in the NFL. Again,

he is two hundred forty seven pounds. I want to put this into perspective. If we remember Jamar Chase's seventy two yard touchdown catch where he seemed to run away from the whole team. Jamar Chase hit twenty one point seven miles an hour on that run. Again, Derrick Henry hit twenty one point eight. How did the Bengals defend Derrick Henry and the other good running backs that the Titans have. Well, I think difference between Derrick Henry and Jamar Chase is Jamar Chase can get to that twenty

one point six or seven miles an hour faster. Derrick Henry takes them a while to get to top speed because because of his size. That's there. Oh baby, I mean you've got you know, we always talked about size speed ratio stuff. This guy sets a new standard. I mean that is ridiculous. And again they've got uh that this this franchise has a history and tradition of it.

Earl Campbell could do the same thing Eddie George could do the same thing the bigger backs of their generation, but could run you over and then run away from you as well. And those guys are rare, and they got another one in this big old beast. And honestly, just his presence is going to give that team a shot, a boost of confidence, adrenaline, enthusiasm. I mean, they're gonna

feel like we got our superhero back. We're almost invincible, you know, no matter how many times he carries the football, the fact that he's in pads on the sideline and at any point in time as a threat to go into the football game that gives an offensive football team an enormous boost. There is no no two ways about it. So it is going to be interesting. Dan. I think I personally believe that he's They're gonna just fifteen to

eighteen carries. I don't think they're gonna overload him. Um, I don't think they're gonna put it on his shoulder and say we were gonna lose a game, because if you Derrick Henry that that would be too much. I mean, you know, he hasn't hasn't really done much since Trick or Treat, So you know, like you got to. You gotta give the guy an opportunity to work his way back into it. And their mindset is probably, Okay, we're gonna we're gonna survive an advance, We're going to the

super Bowl. We want Derrick Henry throughout the entire process here. We don't want him for just one football game. If we overwork him, overload him and he starts favoring that foot. A lot of times when you come back from an injury, you start to favor it, even almost subconsciously, and then you get an injury somewhere else, you know, because you're running differently. Maybe you pull a calf muscle, you know, maybe you do something else to your leg or whatever

the case may be. So I think I don't think they say, all right, you're gonna hammer the ball twenty five thirty times this football game, because they have two other guys that performed well, and they could have a nice rotation and a three headed monster, and I think that would be, you know, something that would be a challenge to the Bengals as well. But man, when Derek Henry gets the football, Dan, you can't let him get

to that top end speed. I think the biggest key is make him make his first cut either behind or at the line of scrimmage. Worst case scenario if he gets past past the line of scrimmage into the linebacker level before he has to make his first cut. Or o'nelly. Now you've got something really tough. And I remember when we were playing big, great backs, the coaches would always say, look, make him don't allow him to square shoulder pads to the line of scrimmage. Make him run to the sideline,

Make him go east and west. Make him put his shoulder pad's face in the sideline, not facing north and south and him running north and south. You don't want that. Then you got a handful. Make everything east and west. Make him look east and west as pads look east and west, he runs east and west. Make him go sideline to sideline. Don't let that son of a gun go downhill on you. Then you got a tiger by the tail lap. Let's move on to Ryan Tannehill. Take an eighth in the draft by Miami the year after

the Bengals drafted Andy Dalton. He's been a good NFL player. He's in his tenth year, he's thirty three years old. Went to the Pro Bowl a couple of years ago, led the NFL in passer rating, but he's been a little inconsistent this year. What do you think of Ryan Tannehill? Yeah, I think inconsistent. It's a good way to put it. Dan. I think he's streaky, you know the plus on him. He didn't throw as many touchdown passes this year's last year.

He was well into the thirties last year. But he had seven rushing touchdowns last year and seven rushing touchdowns this year. His seven rushing touchdowns tied for fourteenth in the NFL. And he's a quarterback. So here's a guy that you know, quarterback sneak nakeds boots, keepers, you know, those kind of things. He can hurt you because of his athletic ability. I mean he could run. He was a wide receiver for a year at Texas A and M and not just a guy to phil a roster spot.

He was a guy that was an all conference type wide receiver. So you know, he understands when the wide receivers are running routes. Talk about being able to get on the same page. Here's a guy that's thrown it and run routes at a very high level, you know, and sometimes receivers that have played quarterback see that through a quarterback's eye. Well, how many quarterbacks and say they can see the game through receiver's eyes because they played receiver.

I mean, this guy did that. That's that's a rare deal right there. So I think, you know, as far as the mental part of it, it's it's all there a pre med students, smart as whip, you know, football and tell gents all of that. Um. But when he'll have streets where you know, he turns it over fourteen interceptions, fumbled the ball ten times, put it on the ground, lost four of them, eighteen giveaways. That that's a you know,

turnover machine at times. And uh in the one and three stretch they had in those three losses, his team turned over thirteen times and no, no, no takeaways. They remind us thirteen and he was a big part of that. So, um, you know, which which Titan team is going to show up the one that's going to take care of the ball from Bengal standpoint, hopefully not hopefully it's the tight team that uh that is generous, you know, and they're charitable.

It's a charitable Saturday Saturday afternoon down there in Nashville, and they give the Bengals some extra extra possessions and extra opportunities. I think that is the biggest factor. I think the Bengals have to take the football away to win this football game. And it's been pretty remarkable lately because the Bengals haven't turned it over in five games. Joe Burrow has gone his last five games without throwing

an interception. Paul Dayner Junior pointed out a great stat five straight games for Joe with a passer rating over one hundred and no interceptions. That's the longest streak like that ever in Bengals history. Yeah, one eighty attempts without an interception. The only guy that has more that's still alive and playing from a streak standpoint is Aaron Rodgers. He's number two to Aaron Rodgers in terms of taking

care of the football in that regard. So, you know, he had his issues during the course of the season as well, but he's really hit a stretch now where I think, you know he's he's totally confident that he's going to take care of the football and the Bengals have really played well. Obviously, when you're playing like that the quarterback doesn't have to take as many chances. You know, it's not got We don't have that many possessions left. I got to try to fit in this hole and

normally wouldn't maybe try to do that. But you know, like we've always talk about every interception there's a story behind behind it, and here lately there hasn't been any story for interceptions. The Bengals have played well as a team, and it starts with the level that Joe Barrow is playing at, which is extraordinary, extraordinarily phenomenal. Yes it is.

And let's talk about offensive strategy playing off that. The Titans are number two in the NFL in run defense at least in terms of yards allowed per game eighty four point six, number twenty five in the NFL and passing yards allowed per game two forty five point two. Now that's not always the best gauge because sometimes you give up a bunch of passing yards when you have a big lead. The Titans are number nine in the

NFL and passer rating allowed. So having said all of that, is this a let Joe Burrow throw it a bunch and try to win the game, or do they need a healthy mix of mix in. I don't think they can abandon the running game as such, but I would not be surprised if it's slanted heavily toward the past, and probably rightfully so. On first and second down, the Titans to me look fairly standard defensively. That might be the better downs to throw. One might not be great

downs to run on because they are so good. And then you find yourself if you don't perform well running the football and first second down, you're playing right into their hands. And a third and long and on third down, never mind third and long and third down in general. I mean the they mix it up they do. They do a great job on on third down that they'll they'll play some man, they'll play Cover one, they'll play some man they give they'll play cover two. They give

multiple looks of Cover two. They disguise it really well. They're not a real heavy pressure team, but when they do decide to pressure, they give you some exotic you know, on where the docks looks. So third down is a down that you want to particularly third and long. If you're in third down its third and four or less, three or less, that's not that bad a situation. But if you're looking at third and five or more, they only allow thirty six point seven percent conversion on third down,

sixth best in the league. So you want to avoid I mean, in a perfect world, you'd play so well on first and second down that you only have to try to convert you know, seven first third downs on the game. You don't want to be in a scenario we have to try to convert fifteen or sixteen of them, you know. And now if you only if you convert less than a fourth of them, you know, you're looking at a tough dynamic there. So I think first and

second down success is going to be big. And that's where I've mixed my running pass game up on first and second down. I certainly wouldn't fall into a habit of I'm gonna run it on first down and run it on a second down and throw it on third. You know, you got you gotta have a good healthy mix there in terms of play call and you know, I think I think another big key to this game, dan is is like in playoffs, everything gets emphasized and

more heightened. You know, Zack said in the red zone in the last game against the Raiders, he never really found his rhythm. I think not only for the players, but for the play callers. Zach and Louhann Rumo find a rhythm from a play calling standpoint as early as you can in this football game, and I think the coaching staff and the play callers did find that rhythm. The soonest puts their team in the best chance to win, obviously,

So you reference the Quentin Spain game earlier. When the Bengals beat the Titans at Paul Brown Stadium last year thirty one to twenty. Here was the starting offensive line that day. The starting left tackle was then rookie a chemid energy, the starting left guard a guy named Shaq Calhoun who had a very brief Cincinnati Bengals career. Billy Price started its center, Alex Redman started it right big Fred Johnson started at right tackle. After the first series,

Shaq Calhoun got benched. Quentin Spain came in. He had signed with a team two days earlier. He was introducing himself to his teammates in the huddle, and they played great and won the game. Joe Burrow wasn't hit, he wasn't sacked. He had a passer rating of one oh six point seven. They actually had a decent running game. Joe Mixon was out, Giovanni Bernard and Sam jp Ryan combined for ninety four yards. So if that line held up against Tennessee last year at Paul Brown Stadium, should

this line be able to do a decent job? You would think so, you know, I do think that this Tennessee Titan defensive line is very very solid. To be conservative, I guess with praise, Jeffrey Simmons I think is an outstanding interior defensive lineman. I think Aaron Donald's the only guy in the league. I think that is more disruptive than athletic and if you lose sleep the night before

the game, more so than this guy. Uh Autrey is a good rusher obviously, U you know they've got they have three three guys that have at least eight and a half sacks. Landry as twelve, Autreys nine, Simmons has eight and a half. That's pretty that's pretty balanced and pretty pretty good scenario there. So I think this offensive line will be challenged. But I do think that I think Frank Pollock has done a great job of developing guys. M you know, I look at Isaiah Prince and from

training camp to now. Man, he's come a long way, he really has, and his confidence I think is very very high. I thought that he played very well against Crosby last week, and I think I thought Jonah Williams basically a race in Gokway, who's a you know, a great rusher as well. So I think they're coming off some game, a game where they can have some momentum

going into this football game. And then it's going to be up to the interior guy, you know, hold down the fort against Simmons and and see how that, how all that shakes down. But that's going to be the key to the game, Dan is how well m You know, both both lines pass protect because both lines of both offenses have had their trouble in terms of giving up sacks. We know the Bengals have given up fifty one, excuse me,

fifty five now thirtieth in the National Football League. Well, you know, you look at the Titans, they've given up forty seven. They're twenty seventh in the NFL. So you know, both both of these offenses have given up their share of pressures and hits and sacks on their quarterback. I think that's going to be a big factor in this

football game. Who can protect their guy? Joe burrows vibe since the victory over the Raiders beginning of the postgame news conference has been We've got bigger fish to fry. It was a great win, but as he said earlier this week, one playoff win is the bare minimum around here going forward. What does Joe Burrows confidence mean to the Cincinnati Bengals right now and going forward. I think it means the world. I really do. I mean I think that, you know, And it's always it's always the biggest.

It always shows itself more so than any anytime it builds during the course of the week. You know, his teammates see how he prepares, They see how he has all the answers to the test that he's ready to play. But then there's no substitute for a game day. When you go out in the football field in the huddle for the first time and you look at the quarterback's face, you don't see one ounce of fear, you know, apprehension.

All you see is a steely eyed, confident the guy that's gonna take you to the promised land, and man that makes you feel so good. As an offensive lineman. You know, there's nothing more disconcerting to look at the quarterback and he looks at you and it's like, Ooh, I'm not sure about this one. Yeah, that's not a good thing. That's not a good thing. And h And

Joe Burrow is just the opposite of that. I mean, Joe Burrow is is somebody that you know, he's so confident and that's an earned confidence and then everybody feeds off of that confidence and they increase their self confidence. So it is it's a huge, huge deal and the big trickle down effect and Joe Burrow that's the tangible aspect of it. You still have to be able to play, and this dude can play, and then the intangible of you know, all of that that we just talked about.

I mean, I mean, he's got it all. That's why he's That's why he's Joey be good. Last thing lap last week, the Bengals broke their thirty one year playoff drought. You played in the bengals first ever playoff win, and they had something of a playoff drought going into that. They had lost in nineteen seventy seventy three, seventy five. They got over the hump beating Buffalo in eighty one. Then you won the Freezer Bowl and went to the Super Bowl. Any similarities between then and now for you, Yeah,

there is, Dan, There's there's a lot of similarities. Um, you know, you look at it. It's crazy. Joe Burrow is the youngest quarterback to ever win a playoff game in franchise history. There's only been three head coaches that have won a playoff game in franchise history. Forrest greg Our coach in the eighty one Super Bowl season, Sam Weish in the eighty eight Super Bowl season, and now Zach Taylor. Um, and I remember that was that was

specifically one of our goals. Let's be the team to win the first playoff game in franchise history, and we did it. Let's be the team to win the first AFC Championship in franchise history, and we did it. Let's be the team to win the first Super Bowl. Didn't do it, but we we climb the ladder of success a couple of runs there, you know, we got closer and I see similarity. Okay, this team hasn't won a playoff game in thirty one years. Let's be the team

to stop that drought. They did it. You know, let's let's let's be the team to advance and win the first playoff game on the road. Why don't why don't we be the first? Why not us? You know, to move on with CJ's slogan. You know, it's like, why not us? Why not this football team be the first one to go on the road and win a playoff game? Oh and seven? That would be you know, that would

be something to really hang your hat on. You end the thirty one year drought and then you you of the first team in franchise history, a proud franchise is over fifty years in existence, and you go on the road and you win a playoff game for the first time ever, You're he'll always be in history. I mean, nobody's ever gonna be able to Nobody can tie it. Nobody ever ever able to take it away from you. That's what we liked about the fact the first team to win a playoff game. Nobody can tie it where

the only wants to do it. You know, nobody can tie the fact that we were the first team to win an AFC championship. You can win other championships AFC championships, but nobody else can be the one to do it the first time. All that stuff's significant, meaningful, you know, and that's why that's why you play the game. And I think these guys, you know, they don't they don't like to listen about, oh, thirty one years in a row, haven't won a playoff game. Oh jeez, haven't won a

playoff game on the road, oh and seven. They don't. They don't worry about that. You know, it's not their history. Their history. They want to stop that thirty one year streak of losing, and they want to be the first team to win on the road in the playoffs, and I think they get a hell of a chance of doing it. Finally, it's time for this week's No the

Faux segment. Many years ago, at a TV station in Syracuse, New York, I worked with a guy named John Burton, who is one of my all time favorites on and off the air. He's a sports anchor and talk show host in Nashville now and he joined Lapping Me this week to preview Saturday's game. I started our conversation by asking John if Derrick Henry will play for the first time since breaking his foot on Halloween. Yeah, not official yet from the Titans, but it's a fad to complete.

Derrick Henry will be available. He will play Saturday in the playoff game. He's looked good at practice. He actually could have been available had the Titans had a game this weekend or even the previous weekend in the regular season finale. So yeah, he is the King is ready to go back on his throne. He's primed up, ready to go. And the good thing about it is he'll have some help because Dontrell Hilliard, d woman had most extremely well in the King's absence. You know, the Titans

are six and three without Derrick Henry this year. And if you'd told me that the day he got hurt Halloween up in the India, I was there for that, I would have said, no way. Yeah, the King's got a court man, He's got a couple of people that can that can help him there. And the thing about Derrick Henry, you know, it's like, all right, well, he's rested and he's uh, you know, ready to roll. He can take extend and take a lot of hits and

dish out a lot of punishment. But is he rusty. Well, this guy's work ethic and his conditioning from what I read and understand, his conditioning and the way he takes care of himself on how he pushes himself is second and none. So he'll be ready to roll, won't he? He will? Dave. I'll tell you what if you want to, you know, go on YouTube and just type in Derrick

Henry workout. I mean his workouts right broke the internet over the summer that this guy works extremely hard, and all reports are as he's been really really grinding to get ready for this playoff run. So he'll be ready. He'll be a little rusty, hasn't been hitting, you know, almost ten weeks, so that'll be a factor there. But I think after you know, a couple of carries, he'll get back into his groove. And again, like we said, like you said, Dave, he's got a cord behind him,

so he struggles early. You put in Deonta Foreman or Dontrell Hilliard and uh, you know, you give him a rest here and there, and you put him right back in there. So this could be that three headed monster that we saw with the Giants back in two thousand and eight. Remember that Brandon Jacobs, Derek Ward and a mod Bradshaw, I could envision that for the Tennessee Titans during this playoff run. We are talking to John Burton, who covers the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee has used ninety one

players this year. That is a record for a non strike season. So they've had a ton of injuries, but it looks like a bunch of these guys have come back just in time to face the Bengals on Saturday. Is that more or less the case? Yeah, it is that it's as healthy as they've been all season. Dan, you know, I mean you think about the guys that have missed significant times one Willie Jones, Well, they're all,

you know, healthy and ready to go. And the good news is their quarterback Ryan Tannehill has managed to stay healthy all year. Been a little bit banged up. He's been hit a lot this year, way more than he was last year, but he's healthy and ready to go. And you mentioned the fact that they've used so many players,

ninety one. That's a credit to the head coach, Mike Brabel, who I think, along with Zach Taylor, should get you know, significant run for head Coach of the Year because Frabel's ability to get these new guys in the lineup, coached up and ready to play and prepared. It's been It's been phenomenal this year because these injuries and illnesses that this team has went through this year would have crippled

most teams. But this is a sturdy organization with a with a firm winning culture, and I think that's ropped out on these players. So I got to give Frabel a lot of credit for keeping the ship afloat this h This Titan team, just like every team in the NFL,

has been streaky. I mean, they go eight and two in their first ten games, and they beat you know, some pretty darn good football teams in those eight victories, and they went four and three down the stretch, and they lost the teams like the Houston Texans and you know, the Patriots and steel has made the playoffs. But we Steelers Bengals fans. No, Pittsburgh's not the Pittsburgh Steelers team of old. Why why the discrepancy? Why they you know, why they're so good and then maybe not so good?

And is there any concern that they're going into the playoffs not playing as well as they did the beginning of the season. I can sum it up in one word, Dave turnovers. They went through a street where they were turning the ball over at an alarming rate. To turn the ball over five times in the Texans game. Then the next week they come back, they get blown out in New England, they commit four turnovers. They had I believe four turnovers in the Pittsburgh game for whatever reason.

You know this, Dave sacks turnovers the East type of things come in bunches. But as long as they're taking care of the football, and they did a better job of that down the stretch. They won that big Thursday night game against San Francisco where they came back. They didn't turn the ball over in that game. The Texans game, even though the defense fell asleep. You know, they had a twenty one nothing lead and then the defense fell asleep.

The Texans were able to score eighteen straight points, but Tannehill was able to keep the offense on schedule with no turnovers. As long as they're taking care of the football, you've seen it, guys. They can beat anybody in this league. But when they're turning the ball over, they've become really susceptible. We're chatting with John Burton from Nashville. You brought up Mike Rabel, who's been rate in his four years with

the Titans. He is best friends with you see head football coach Luke Fickle, going back to their playing days at Ohio State. Luke Fickle, as anyone here knows, is a wrestler at heart. He's tough, he's no nonsense, no excuses. Does that basically describe Mike Rabel, no question about it. And here's the thing, Dan, the players really relate to him because he was a pretty dark good player on the NFL. He won but three Super Bowls with the Patriots. He went to Kansas City late in his career and

made first team All Pro. I mean, he's been there, done that kind of guy. And he is a no nonsense guy. One of the things about Frabel is that he revealed this a couple of weeks ago. The biggest thing about him is he said, I learned not to panic when things come up, injuries, COVID, whatever we're going through. And that's rubbed off on his players, And you're right,

he's a guy that is a no nonsense guy. He is a guy that is a straight up, tell it like it is type of type of guy, and he's a players coach because he can relate to these guys. So he's been a perfect fit here in Tennessee him and the GM John Robinson because you know they are developing what they're calling the Titan Way. And you know, you hear coaches with catch phrases all the time. You know, Mike Tomlin has the standard is the standard, and whoever

else you want to name. Frabel's biggest catchphrase is biggest mantra is effort and finish. If you play for Mike Tomlin, I'm sorry. If you play for Mike Frabel, I should say you have to display those two qualities each and every day you go out on the field, whether it's a practice field or on game day. Effort and finish. And these players are bought in. Yeah, you know, I believe a football team takes on the personality of the head coach. And I look at this football team and

I see a physically imposing football team. You got a two hundred and fifty pound running back. You have two receivers in a two hundred and twenty pounds You have you know, Taylor Lawe and the offensive line, Jeffrey Simmons in the defensive line. I mean this is a this is a very very physical football team that does play with high energy and effort and does try to finish you every snap. I mean, is this from a physical standpoint, just you know, a boy walking in the lobby of

the hotel. Who, man, these guys look pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. They pride themselves, Dave on their physicality. And you mentioned the guys that you know their size and their speed and their strength. You look at a guy like Jeffrey Simmons, I think that guy's just maybe a notch to a half notch below Aaron Donald. I think these boys become maybe one of the most dominating interior defensive tackles in the National Football League. And he plays physical. Their middle linebacker,

David Long Junior, he's a physical guy. Kevin Byard, he has that combination, you know, the the all pro safety. He has that combination of physicality and finesse and a knack for finding the football. Yeah, physicality certainly is their calling card, and it does start with Derrick Henry and that offensive line. You know, they want to come off the ball, smack you right in the face, and impose their will. So the all important third phase gets neglected.

You know, the bigger the game, the less it gets talked about special teams, hidden yards, field position, all that sort of thing. How have special teams in specifically the kickers and the kicking game house it performed for Tennessee this year. They've both been solid, Dave. You know, Randy Bullocks come in. This organization has had a bad, bad run of luck with kickers ever since Ryan suck Up left and they finally have that stabilize with Randy Bullock.

He's been fantastic. I think he's only missed maybe three or four kicks all year. Brett Kern, they're all pro punter, one of the best punters really in NFL history. His consistency with pinning teams deep inside the twenty and most times inside the ten has been pretty significant. In Chester, Rogers has done a nice job in the return game, especially on punk returns. You know, he's had some big punt returns this year to set up scores. So, yeah,

that's you're right. That is the ignored phase, especially out in the playoffs. But the Titans a big reason why they're twelve and five in the one seed. You can't ignore the special teams on the whole. They've been solid for this team all year. I'm sure Bengals fans just heard you say Randy both has been fantastic and say why what did he just say? Because because Randy was not necessarily fantastic with the Bengals, although he wasn't terrible.

Is his errors were exaggerated. But in any case, it's going to be an awesome game on Saturday, a tremendous atmosphere. Looking forward to it, looking forward to seeing you, my friend, man, it's gonna be fantastic. Like you said, I'm really looking forward to it because the Bengals I love these young, hungry teams that you know, go in with the mindset of hey, why not us? And that's how I feel about the Bengals. And of course the Titans feel like

it's their year. It's going to be a battle on Saturday. Can't wait for it? All right? Thanks to John Burton and for much more on Saturday's game. Join lapping Me for the Bengals Pepper Rally Show Friday afternoon from three to six on ESPN fifteen thirty or on the iHeartMedia

app by searching for ESPN fifteen thirty. 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, and we're also presented by on Location, the official hospitality partner of the NFL. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us.

I'm Dan Horde and thank you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast