Bengals Booth Podcast: Luck Be A Lady

My one on one player interview is with punter Kevin Hubert, who will reach a milestone on Sunday that only two other players have reached in team history. Dave Lapham joins me to discuss the latest Bengals news, including why Hakimadnagi is starting in place of Jackson Carmen at right guard, and finally, it's our no the faux segment as we get the scoop on the Raiders from Jesse Eric, who

covers the team for ksn VTV in Las Vegas. 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 the tradition of radio announcers getting in trouble for

criticizing officials. In nineteen eighty eight, Marty Brenneman and Joe Nuxall were summoned to Commissioner Peter Uberot's office for criticizing umpire Dave Polone. In two thousand and three, my color commentator on UC basketball games, the late grade Chuck Mayshock, got ejected from an NCAA tournament game for yelling at one of the refs. It never happened again in the final four hundred forty six games of Chuck's broadcasting career.

And this week, the Texas Tech football announcers have been suspended from Saturday's game against Oklahoma State for ripping the officials last week in a win over Iowa State. Did Brian Jensen and his analyst John Harris go too far? Yeah? Probably, and I'm sure they regret it, but let me add this, their call of Texas Techs sixty two yard walk off

field goal to win that game was fantastic. Now let's get to my guests, beginning with one of the top TV analysts in the NFL, Charles Davis, will be in the booth with Ian Eagle this Sunday for CBS and Charles. You guys had the Browns Patriots game last week. Cleveland lost by thirty eight. One week after a great showing against the Bengals. The Ravens looked lousy last week the Steelers tied the winless Lions. Can you explain the AFC North to us Dan? I can't explain the FC North.

I can't explain the AFC South. I can't explain the NFL. You know, it's funny because as I was watching the Raiders get jumped on by Kansas City on Sunday night and didn't expect that at all. I expected the Raiders to get off the deck a little bit because we all know that the troubles they've been through. But at the same time, here comes Kansas City a chance to really make a move a home game. All of that in Kansas City, which had been struggling. They got right

in that game. And I read something recently and it was so aproposed. The AFC West has let Kansas City off the hook. You know, I feel like Dennis Green is being channeled again, right. They let them off the hook because they had them where they wanted them, and now Kansas City's back in control. In the AFC North, every time there's a chance for someone to really take control or to make a move, doesn't really happen that way.

I guess my analogy is every time one of these teams goes up the ladder, someone hooks an ankle and pulls them back down to the pack. So I think that's where we are right now with the entire NFL, because every time we think someone has got it figured out, I mean, who who wasn't a win in their jumped the Arizona Carolina. I mean, I mean, just you just don't know how it's gonna go. Yeah. I think the Bengals had the greatest bye week in history last week

with the way things went in the AFC North. We're visiting with Charles Davis. This will be the first Bengals game that you and I and will do this year What are you looking forward to seeing on the Cincinnati team. Well, you know, let's get away from all the things. We're looking to see them get better at doing and after this two game losing streak, let's just talk about the Bengals overall. Where they are a team that people want to watch play. You want to watch Joe Burrow at quarterback.

You want to see Jamar Chase, te Higgins, Tyler Boyd, cj Uzama. Am I getting there? Am I close to that? I want to get close? Thank you, Zama, cj you Zomba. How's that all right? See, that's why I come to you. I come to you for the education. So you want to see them play? I mean you enjoyed that. You enjoy seeing the fireworks. Look, I'm tired of watching the highlights. I want to see the real thing. And now I'm

going to get a chance to do that. Defensively, you know, I want to see Jesse Bates get back in form. I love the way that he's a ballhawk. I want to see him get people on the ground in the run game. I want to see all of those things come together. This is a fun team to watch. This is a team that now you talk about it. I'll put to you this way. Dan, my son is twenty three, and when I told him I had this game first thing, he said, oh wow, that'd be cool. You get to

see the Bengals. How often have you heard that in the last ten years? You really have it that much because you got used to a certain way. We saw it during the Andy Dalton aj Green competing for division crowns during that time frame, but the last few years we haven't had it. There's a certain excitement about the Bengals and what they bring to the table. So I'm you know, I know myself, I and Evan Washburn and our crew, we're pretty excited about a chance to see

them live. Tell your son, we said, thanks, let's talk about the Bengals Widress Core a little bit more closely. What are your observations about Jamar t and Tyler so far? I just think that they work together so well because we always talk about roles, but I do think that all of them fill different roles in different ways and can do it, you know, with multiplicity, all right, you can't just say this guy does this, this guy does that, and this guy does that, and that's all they do.

They kind of do it all but some of them, but you got to accentuate what their strengths are. With Jamar Chase, the explosiveness is off the charts. We know that ball is in his hand. If you count to three and he's not on the ground, there's a good chance he's making a huge play for you downfield, all right. With t Higgins, the strength, the ability to shed people after a catch, run through contact, that's another big, big

thing that you're looking for. And Tyler Boyd, it's funny as a guy that I work with, we've been watching swapping some some film, look at each other and he's like, it just me or is he extremely underrated? Still? And I love how he said still because we've recognized he's a very good player for a long time now. But because the Bengals didn't have a record where we talked about them every week in the national scene, he didn't

get recognized for what he does. But put him in the slot and figure out how you're going to cover him. Very nifty in what he does, excellent hands, body control of the whole deal. Now take all of that and put it all together. If you want to run certain things as Zach Taylor and Brian Callahan do on offense. You can mix and match with these guys. They don't have to stay in one spot in order for you to make plays. Man, I'm watching tape and there's Jamar

Chase back at tailback. So we're gonna see a lot of different things out of him and continue to do so. Find ways to get them the football. What's the old expression, Dan, You don't always just call plays. You you call things for people. There's certain things you have in mind that you want to accomplish. Make sure you get those plays called. And I know the Bengals do that well, Charles, Let's talk a little bit about the Bengals defense. Through five weeks.

It was great, fifth in the NFL and fewest points alot allowed. The last couple of games, they've given up a bunch. What must the defense do against a very good Raiders offense this week? Well, it's funny because the Raider's identity, what they wanted to be their identities starting the season was a really hard running football team who beat you over the top off of play action, who

established that physicality at the line of scrimmage. That's why they drafted Alex Leatherwood in the first round out of Alabama. They thought he'd be a plug and play right tackle for them and beat you up. Hasn't worked out that well, so he's moved inside to guard and Brandon Parker's plan right tackle, and they run the ball a lot less than I think that the Raiders wanted to do going into the season. And it's not just because of the shift that had coached either. They weren't running it well

before John Gruden lost his job. So now you've got Derek Carr with the explosiveness out wide, with the ability to create plays with his moxie in the pocket and enough movement that he keeps plays alive and finds people down field. Obviously, what Henry Ruggs did was horrific. There's no other way to put it. The loss of life for Tina Tintor. You can't express any more than that. The focus for me is on her, not on Henry Ruggs,

but he's no longer on this team. Still, for them as a football team, there goes that speed out wide, and I hate to say that because that's what got him into trouble in his personal life was speed. But that's a problem for them on offense, That's why they signed to Sean Jackson, hoping to find that person who can open things up and now allow the other receivers to play to their strengths. Brian Edwards is a big, strong,

physical receiver, but he's not a sprinter. Hunter Renfro can run a route and have eighteen different moves on it. Always laughed at myself because one of my favorite movies, I don't know if you remember it, Dan, it's called The Best of Times, Robin Williams Kurt Russell, and they recreated a high school foot all game when they're adults and they're playing, and Robin Williams moves off the line of scrimmage where he'd give like a temptations, you know,

soul move and a spin and all that. Hunter Renfro runs routes like that and finds himself open and making plays, And always laughed at myself. He's a much more athletic Jack Dundee from the Best of Times, but that I need that speed out wide in order to create that space for them to run those underneath routes. And Darren Waller, of course, is a tight end mask. You know, he's a wide receiver masquerading as a tight end. He's just a bigger force and he hasn't gotten the ball as

much lately. So I have a feeling Greg Olson, that offensive coordinator. He's written down on his list find opportunities for Darren Waller. So it'll be an I see how that matchup it takes place. You will have to show that movie to Hunter Renfro for him to understand it's a compliment. Yeah, and and I don't know that he will. I think if I show it to me, he might punch me in my face. So I'm not sure I will, but it's it's one to me. It is a It's

a very interesting deal because it's funny to make. But Dan, you've seen the highlights this year already. You're going to see it live on Sunday. He makes extra moves and we always talk about double move, occasionally a triple move. I've seen Hunter Renfro with four moves on a route and it turns into a big play. That's why I started laughing about the Jack Dundee think because in a movie, you know, he's doing all this stuff. In live scrimbar, a spin in the toil and the twist and all that.

You can't do that in real life, but Hunter Renfro makes it work in real life with all without all the Hollywood extras that go with it. A couple more questions for Charles Davis from CBS. How about the Raiders defense. Max Crosby has been one of the best pass rushers in the league this year, but they gave up forty one last week to Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes basically did whatever he wanted to. Yeah, he got right, didn't he? Because Patrick Mahomes is going through a stretch. Like you know,

people talk about Joe Burrow and the interception bug. That's what they were talking about with Patrick Mahomes. You're still creating plays, but every game there's a turnover or what's going on with that. Some of that the fault of the quarterback. Some of that the ball bouncing off receiver's hands. You know, some of us just bad luck as you go along. And that's why always caution people. You know, that's why quarterbacks don't yell at receivers very often because

sometimes that ball bounce off their hands. But the next time you throw it into double coverage and he goes up and takes it away and give makes a big play and all of a sudden you look good again. So you gotta you take the good and the bad and figure it out in between. But I think that for this defense, they're not overly complex. Dan that front four is gonna try and get after you. If you get into second and long, third and long, here comes Yannick and gok Way off of one edge, Max Crosby

off of the other. They're getting really good play from Quinton Jefferson, Darius Filon, Damien Square Inside. Those guys have played Hankins, They've played well for them inside in rushing the passer. They've given up more in the run game than you might expect. But if they get you pinned down, here they come. They're gonna play that old Seattle Cover one, Cover three behind it that Gus Bradley is going to do.

And he's got a young secondary. He's gonna want to keep Jonathan Abram, the strong safety, out of coverage if he can. He's gonna have the high safety of Travan Merrick, the Brookie out of TCU, and he's hoping to get some help back out on the corners. Remember, Casey Habert has played really well for them. I mean he's been a big pick up, but they've been dinged up on the other corner a lot. Trayvon Mullin hasn't been there, and they're playing with Brandon Bason now who started the

season with the Chargers. So that's what you're going to get out of them. It's not going to be overly complex. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to stay out of second and third and long because they get after you off the edge, which is something they didn't do last year. This year, this group, Oh, they're coming for you. Final question, you mentioned your twenty three

year old son. I'm gonna mention my fifteen year old son because since twenty sixteen, I'm pretty sure that he has heard your voice more than he's heard my voice, because you are of the commentators for Madden NFL Football, the video game. When you talk to NFL players, do they want to talk about Madden more than anything else? It's funny, Dan, you brought that up, and I'll try

and be SUCYNC for once in my life. This is the seventh year that I'm working on the game now and it's myself and Brandon Godden, who who's my play by play partner, formerly at Georgia Tech. Butler now he's Westwood One. He does Fox Sports, Big ten Network. He's a lead guy for them, the whole deal. Right, So all this time frame, there's not a single weekend I've done an NFL game since I've started this thing. That's

somewhere a Madden mention doesn't come up. But if doesn't come from me, it's just part of the culture of what we do. Right. So, like when you're doing something, you're talking to someone, Man, that guy that you played, you know, a guy you gotta cover this week. My god, four touchdowns last week, that defensive back is likely gonna say, yeah, it was like something out of Madden. I mean, my god. You know I remember I did game I think with Chandler Jones a few years ago and he had three

sacks a week before with the Cardinals. Nobody said, sitting down, Man, if that doesn't prove my Madden rating, I don't know what will. Now never connected me with it, Okay, I've not been connected, which has been an amazing part for me and a good thing, I guess in a lot of ways. Until this year. Jalen Hurts was the first one I started to talk to him. Hey, Jalen, you know he goes on a second. I know that voice. You're the Madden guy. First time that has happened seventh year,

so it doesn't happen very often. But I will tell you this as a parent, let me give you some advice. Parent to parent. There's a mute button on the game. Exercise it as you need to. Can play with the headphones on and the whole thing so you don't have to keep hearing this apping at you all the time. You know, of the various battles I want to fight with my son, that isn't one of them. He is welcome to listen to you while he's playing. Good man, child.

This has been a treat. It's always great to catch up. I hope you have a great game on Sunday, and I look forward to seeing the in Vegas. Hey, right back at you, Dan. I can't wait to see when we get there, see you and Dave and the crew. It's always a blast to see. It's been way too long. It's been a long time since I've done a Bengals game, but we are very excited to see them in person.

Up next, my one on one visit with the Bengals all time leader in every significant hunting category, Kevin Hubert, who will reach a milestone on Sunday in Las Vegas. Kevin, you are about to play in your two hundredth NFL regular season game, and that is a big number. Ken Riley and Reggie Williams are the only other Bengals that are in the two hundred club. What's this milestone mean?

Do you? You know, it's pretty cool. Fee It's something that you know, I never thought I would get to, you know, I've always just I never thought about a number of games and the fact that you know, started getting close and closer, as like Matt can actually do this and get up to two hundred games, and I just think I usually hit me. Yet I think it's gonna be some of those things that I'm running like, why, you know, I've crossed a two hundred game threshold, which

which is pretty pretty cool thing. And I think it's gonna be a pretty pretty good accomplishment that I've I've had in my career. I'll say. With a new seventeen game regular season schedule this year, you can tie Ken Riley's franchise record at the end of the season with two O seven. To break it, you need to come back for a fourteenth year. Is that the plan? Yeah, I mean that's definitely the plan. And I can't just tie.

I gotta break it. So I definitely got to come back next year and uh, you know, get that and hopefully pad the stats a little bit. I can't and I gotta keep Clark behind me, you know. I can't let Clark pass me. Are you guys competing for who's gonna last the longest? You know, I don't think we've ever really talked about that, but I'm sure there's a little uh, you know, I definitely want to last longer than him, and I don't want him to, you know,

pass me. So yeah, there's a little internal competition that so you can last longest. We're chatting with Kevin Huber. So far this year, you're averaging forty six point four yards a punt with a net average of forty point nine. Both of those numbers are above your career average. What's been the key to your longevity? I think to staying consistent and you know, listen to your body and knowing

what you need to do, just being ready. I think that's the biggest thing I've learned throughout the years is what it takes in the off season to get ready for, you know, the long season, and then also during the season to keep that maintenance up to to get yourself through and you know, it's it's it's not overly complicated. It's just a matter of just knowing what you need to do and you know, take control, being a professional

and doing it. Um. Also, it's helped a lot to keep the continuity with Clark and then also with Darren, and I know Darren's gonna get no matter who we have out there, it's gonna have a team prepared. UM. So I can sit back they're confident and comfortable knowing that you know, if someone gets hurt and we have a backup come in in the middle of the game, that I know they're gonna be ready to go and know exactly what to do. And I don't like worry

about are they gonna make their block or not. I can just be back there, be comfortable and you know, get the job done. At this stage your career, in your thirteenth NFL season, are you like a veteran pitcher who maybe has lost a mile or two office fastball, but finds other ways to be just as effective. Yeah, that's probably go way to put it. I mean, you know, you see some of these young guys coming out and they can just absolutely hammer the ball. Um, you know,

that wasn't really the style when I came out. Um, you know, but I think you know, this being consistent at you know what I can do, not trying to do what I you know, not trying to do something different. You know, I know what I do works, and you know, I've found myself in the you know, the top you know ten um and you know, gross and net for the last several years. So obviously, UM, it'd be great if I had a light that can you know, like some of these guys. But at the same time, UM,

they probably wish they had more consistency. Consistency, and I think the way I've done things has worked, and I'm just thinking to continue to do that. Punting is not the only part of your job. You've actually been out there as the holder more on pats and field goals than you have for punts this season. I think most of us kind of take the job of holder for granted.

Is it underappreciated? I think so. I think people look at that as I don't even think when people pay attention to that, but I think it's such a huge, you know, part of the game. When you see all these kicks that are missed around the league. You know there's a lot this year, and there's been several in the last couple of years. If you kind of look at you know, people don't really pay a lot of time. They just put on the kicker. But if you really break down the operation, a lot of times it's on

the holder. You know, they're not getting laces around, they're not clean catching it, putting it down. That's definitely something I pride myself on that I think. I think I'm a pretty good holder, and especially in this division, you have to be with you know, the weather, the cold, the wind. You know, we have terrible conditions in this division. So it's something I've kind of pride myself on because I don't ever want to kick to be blamed on me.

So I want to make sure that like everything's done and everything's perfect for the for the kicker, just that they can do their job and they're not worrying about, you know, is the ball going again? In the spot We're chatting with Kevin Huber you are working with a new kicker this year and Evan McPherson. Does it sound different when he kicks? Yeah. I mean he's got an explosiveness that I've really never experienced. You know, you kind

of see it. I've gotten to the clothes I can say is you know when we play against Tucker and Multimore, you know, the ball kind of comes off very similar. And I think Evan's had a great job. He's got a great you know, mental part of it. You know, he's he's very knowledgeal about the position and he knows right away, you know, if he missed a kick what he did, and he does a great job of justining. He listens really well to Darren and um. Yeah, he's got a great future out of him. Clark Harris is

thirty seven, you're thirty six. Evan McPherson is twenty two. Has it been fun to have a young kid in the room. Yeah, he definite. He keeps us young. Well, we asked him a lot of time when some old songs come on the radio if he knows who they are, and he has no idea, So we have some fun with that. At the same time, you know, he likes to poke and brought us a little bit for being the old guy. So it's been a fun mix and uh,

you know we've meshed really well. Our personalities are you know, different, but also very similar. So it's it's uh, it's been a nice, nice season so far. Just we've really meshed well. And uh, um it's been it's been a good run so far. He told me a great story. He said, you took him golfing and the guy in charge of the carts asked if he was your son? Can you confirm yeah, it was. I think I think it's actually

what I asked me. It fills my son, so uh yeah, I mean it's yeah, it's just one of those things. I've been asked more times this year bye bye, because we've had a lot of new faces in the locker room. So I've been asked if I'm the coach several times. Um, a couple of the players, girl from the Wise, asks if I'm if I'm a coach, and um, So it's just just nature the business. You get old and you looked at the older. I mean it's you know, the locker room keeps staying young and I keep getting older.

So it's it's just it's Bound to Happen thirty six as a kid in my book, trusts Me. A couple more questions for Kevin Huber. The Bengals went to the playoffs in six of your first seven seasons, you haven't been back in the last five. How much are you enjoying being back in the hunt this year? And does anything stand out about this group? I mean, first off, it's great to be back. You know, it's you know, it's tough when you're losing games. It's tough to stay focused.

It's tough to you know, keep remembering that, like this is your job and you have to perform, and and it's it become it's freshrating because it becomes almost a selfish mentality when you're losing, because you're like a right, like I look out for myself and to make sure I'm performing well for myself. Or now it's you're winning games and you want to do well to help win more games. And it's just more fun because the locker room,

just the mentality is better. Everyone's more excited. Um, everyone's helping everybody out because they see it, they see that you know where this team can go. And it's just a lot more fun. And with this group, it's it's a it's a really good group. It's probably one of the best group as far as locker room presence and um personalities that we've ever had. And you know, the biggest thing I think I've said this in a lot of a lot of interviews this year, is you know,

the the egos are not there. You don't you don't have the you know, you don't have the guys that are that might be pulling away from what the rest of the group wants to do um and kind of create that that bad that bad juju if you will. You know, everyone locker room right now just wants to win. They want to win. They want to do it for each other, and you know, that's that's all they want

to do. Last thing, your last year, you see, was two thousand and eight, and the program reached a point that they had never reached before when you guys went to the Orange Bowl, the first time Cincinnatie played in the Bowl of that magnitude. Now you see his ranked third in the country. They've got a legitimate chance of going to the four team playoff. How exciting is that

for you? I mean, it's pretty cool, especially still being in Cincinnati, so I can, you know, really be in it, and I get to see all the media every day talking about it. I've gotten a chance to go to a couple of games, and then I got a chance to go check out the game day experience, which is

the pretty awesome. They did a great job of that and just seeing how you know, you know the fact that we didn't you know, just completely do what typically happens and programs like this or as you you have some success, then you just drop off, you know, worre sustaining success. And I think coach fickles on a phenomenal job of just recruiting and getting guys in and getting guys to buy in and just seeing you know, how well they're playing and how consistent they're playing. It's just

really fun to watch. And I can, you know, you know, talk a little bit more in the locker room with with how weather they're playing. And your name is on the stadium wall is when the greatest Bearcats of them all. Congratulations on two hundred regular season NFL games. It's phenomenal milestone and I hope there are many many more to come.

I appreciate you, Ton, Thanks, I really appreciate it. Kevin obviously wants to keep playing beyond this year, and at age thirty six, he is not the oldest punter in the NFL. Baltimore Sam Cook and Arizona's Andy Lee are both thirty nine. 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. Now time for my midweek chat with my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham lap Sunday's game is not a must win for the Bengals. If they lose to the Raiders and then win, they're five remaining home games, that alone would make them ten and seven and give them a decent chance of going to the playoffs. But I was looking at one of these playoffs simulators earlier today.

Right now, they supposedly have a thirty eight percent chance of making the playoffs if they went on Sunday. It jumps to fifty five percent if they went on Sunday and then beat the Steelers at home. The next week it jumps to sixty nine percent. So again it's not a must win, but a win would really help. It's important, you know. I think it's an important football game. And

you look at it, there's a lot of similarities. Both teams have lost two in a row, Bengals obviously separated by the you know, after the bye, and both teams coming off a blog by division rival. So who's going to be able to get up off the mat, you know? And does have the bye week? Does the bye week allow you to get over it? Or do you stew in it? And it becomes more of an issue again,

sports psychologists have a field day, you know. Sometimes a lot of people say, when you lay an egg, you know, like the Raiders laid the egg, the best thing to do is get right back to work the following Monday and put that aside. And all the Bengals weren't in that situation. They laid an egg and an effected, infested and fostered itself or whatever. So it's it's it's going to be interesting to see who comes out. And I think we've talked about it just about ad nausium every week.

A fast start, I think a fast start, and this one's big because the team that starts out quickly maybe has gotten over it a little bit faster, and and that'll help them get over and be tougher to get off the mat if you have to overcome a two score deficit or something like that. So I think that's going to be an interesting thing to watch. And you look at the Raiders their first two games of the season. They beat the Ravens, they beat the Steelers. They're two

and old against the AFC North. So the Bengals could be the first AFC North team to knock them off. Hopefully your comparison about their last two games is right on the money. Even the score of the recent game was almost identical. All the Bengals lost forty one to sixteen. The Raiders lost forty one to fourteen. Amazing, it is it's it's amazing. And you look at the big win the Bengals had, you know before they had their two games slide, you know, fourteen. I mean, what's the deal

with the forty one and staying in the teams. I mean, it's it's kind of a recurring theme. It's kind of an interesting, interesting dynamic and uh, you know, the Bengals and the Raiders are both just good examples of what's going on in the National Football League, you know. I mean the best the Bengals have played, obviously, is the Baltimore Ravens game. That's about as close to as well as they can play. But they've only done it one

time in nine games. So it gives you a little bit of hope that, man, they haven't really put it together on a consistent enough basis to get on on a nice run, and you know, maybe they have that in them. The Raiders, it's the same thing. You know, They've They've looked pretty darn good at times and other times have looked like is this the same football team? There's so many similarities between these two teams, there really are. It's it's it's amazing how how their seasons have almost

unfolded the same way. For this stage of the year. The Bengals are markably healthy. I am. I'm knocking on wood as I say that, but they do have a significant injury now. A Keen Davis Gather suffered a foot injury in the most recent game. He had surgery this week. Sounds like there's a decent chance that he's out for the rest of the year. Jordan Evans was already out for the rest of the year. So those are two of your core linebackers. Marcus Bailey has been on the

COVID list. He apparently is going to be back on Thursday. The Bengals recently added Clay Johnston off waivers from the Panthers. He was featured prominently on Hard Knocks last year after being drafted by the Rams. But how is all of this linebacker stuff going to impact the team? Yeah, it's yeah, I think it's going to be, you know, one of the one of the big storylines of this game and the second half of the season. There's there's no doubt

about it. Joe Bacchis is a guy that you know is going to have to take on a more significant role. Marcus Bailey with the COVID issue, you know, he didn't practice in the early stages of the week that he didn't practice on Wednesday. Hopefully be able to come back and give him some practice snaps and be ready to

play in the football game. But yeah, you look at it, and you know, Joseph Faci, you go way back, it's like an outside linebacker, defensive end, more of a defensive end type guy, but an edge rush kind of guy. They've had their they've had their issues at the linebacker position. That if you were going to pick a position, and usually it does when you start to have an injury. Um, it's it's almost like a virus and it affects one position group and the linebacker corps is definitely the group.

And it's now it's like the trickle down effect starts to hit Darren Simmons because now linebackers and it hasn't had that many of them on a special teams roster. I mean that's been for the last couple of years now something where a lot of teams have more linebackers available on special teams than what Darren has had. Now that that that pot is dwindled even more and so the linebackers are playing special teams for him have to

step up and fill some of these subpackage snaps. You know that they were being filled by like Davis gaitheror Bailey's going to be the guy to take the place that. Now who's your special teams linebackers? So you know there there are guys that they're evaluating as we speak. I mean guys that they've just signed and you know, taken a look at and seeing what kind of roles they can fill, whether it be special teams or sub package roles. And I think that would be you know, a Caletro.

I think that's how you say his name. He was here with the Bengals for a little bit. Austin Caletro. What can he give you out of Villanova six foot two h forty pound guy? Can he give you some special team snaps? So yeah, it's it's a it's a process where the ripple effect of injuries two guys you know that aren't even starters as such, guys that will have in a rotation or in some kind of package or whatever the case may be, it starts to have

an impact. And Darren Simmons and Luanna Rumo and everybody's trying to figure it out. At this point. The Raiders have one of the best tight ends in the NFL and Darren Waller, he's had back to back one thousand yard receiving seasons. I imagine a Keen Davis Gaither would have been involved in coverage on him. What do they do now? I think that one of the packages that Trey Flowers is involved in and he's been the guy they put on the tight end um and he's he's

a bigger defensive back. He's got some some length and some leverage to him. You know. I mean, he's a he's a guy that's like sixty three and he's got long arms, and I think I think that's a role that he may he may fill. Michael Thomas, the safety they they signed, he may be involved in that a little bit. They may bracket him some. I would think I would bracket him with a linebacker and a safety. Sometimes. I think I think you're just gonna have to give

different looks to Waller. Whatever the Kansas City Chiefs did, I'd do that because you know, it was the it was the big matchup or not obviously against each other, but who is going to have a bigger game for their respective team, Travis kel Kelsey or Darren Waller. It was Kelsey in a in a landslide, and that that's the thing. Dan, you know, I'm looking at the second half of the schedule. They have Waller, they have Kittle. When the forty nine ers come to Cincinnati, they've got

Andrews again, the Ravens and Kelsey. Three AFC Pro Bowl tight ends, all three of the guys that are probably going to be in the Pro Bowl, and then Kittle for the NFC. The quarterback tight end combinations they've got in four out of their last eight games pretty darn significant. So this is a starting point to see, how are you going to be able to handle the tight ends. They did a good job against Andrews the first time. They did a good job against the Ravens offense in general.

In fact, I think a lot of teams around the league trying to crack the code like they did against the Baltimore Ravens. But tight ends are going to be an issue issue in the second half of this season. You just depressed me with that stat You didn't even mention Friar Muth would be getting a bigger and bigger role with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let's talk about the cornerback position. In recent weeks, the Bengals have added a couple of

veteran corners who have been starters elsewhere. Trey Flowers, you mentioned him formerly of Seattle, Vernon Hargraves, the former number one draft pick who most recently was with Houston. There was some speculation that maybe one of those guys who had surpassed Eli Apple and move into the starting lineup. It's not going to happen this week. Zach Taylor told reporters that Eli is still the starter, and when asked why, defended his play so far this year. But what do

you think long term? You know, I think that even if you know Zach says that Eli Apples the starter, all that matters to me. Starter is just a designation who's taken the preponderance of the snaps, who's taking the majority you know of the snaps, and what are the

packages of those snaps, and who's playing where. So I think what they're they're trying to do is is work everybody into, you know, a package as such and break them into into playing time that way, and then if they show they can handle that package with alacrity, then they'll expand that package, you know. So I think that, uh, I think that in my mind. As Paul Brown and Tiger Johnson, the first coaches that I had experienced with in my first NFL season, they said, hey, you have

to win your job every single week. In the National Football League, there's no givens. I mean, everybody's good. You know, a lot of times, there's not much difference between the guy that's quote starting and the guy that's quote backing

them up. Sometimes they're pretty darn equal. So you just what it should do is it should inspire competitive spirit, you know, and hopefully you get the best out of guys, and if guys are going to assume the feudal position fold their tent, you don't want those guys anyway, you know, So hopefully it lifts the entire level to play. On the back end, the use of the word alacrity one of the reasons why you got into Harvard or we're accepted at least back in the day. Let's turn to

the offensive line. Hakima Dentogy will start at right guard for the second consecutive game. What's it mean to him? What's it mean to Jackson Carmen? Yeah, I think I think for Identagy it's it's his patience was tested, his resiliency was tested. How do you handle success, how do you handle failure? All those kind of things were tested when he had the injury that he had, and all he was trying to do when he sustained the injury,

he was to get better. You know, he's trying to get extra lift in and um, you know, I don't know, it's you're you're in that in that place where you're trying to get that one last rep and you're working. You're working and sometimes and you know it can it can cause a physical issue. You're trying to get that that last rep and got it out. Sometimes it's best just okay, give it away and let's do another set.

And however it happened, Um, it did happen to him, and it set him back a little bit, but but he responded well. I mean, I was very impressed with how he handled that training camp. There's there's mental parts, and I've seen guys and that you know, they get injured and it's like I'm not part of this and they kind of mope around and you know they don't they don't really feel part of the team. And it's hard to be hurt, hard to be injured. You feel

like you're almost you know, a leper. You know, you're isolated and you can't do things that other people are doing. But he was. He was right in the middle of it. I mean he did everything short of taking the physical up. I mean, he was on top of every coaching point that Frank Pollock was going through and he would talk to his teammates, He talked to the veteran players, and I was impressed with that part of it. How he

was always trying to accumulate knowledge. And when I talked to some of the veteran lineman, you know, I'd say, what kind of questions is he asking you? You know? And they'd be like good ones, you know, a real good ones. So now you think, and here's the kid that's dead serious. And so he got himself as ready as he possibly could from all other areas other than the actual will be able to go out there and

take the physical reps. And you know, as we've said many times, and any athletic endeavor starts with the feet ends with your hands. He's got he's excels in both areas. I mean, he's got some sweet feet. Now. His lateral movement is as good as I've seen. And then when he finishes you with that punch, you know, and you're now you're allowed to extend your hands and actually punch with your palms, and he packs one. He packs a punch.

So hopefully, I think he's put himself in a position to take advantage of an opportunity, he prepared himself to do so. And I'm rooting for him because guys like that. You know, he handled everything the right way, let's put it that way. Everything that he could possibly do to get himself ready for his next opportunity, he did in spades.

And how about Jackson now handling this? Yeah, I think I think what Jackson has to do is I mean, everybody, uh again, you handle success and then deal with failure? How are you gonna How resilient are you? How are you gonna how are you going to react? And coaches and teammates, everybody's watching. Are you gonna Are you gonna say it's over? You know, I lost my job, he's the guy. Or are you gonna say I want that

job back? I'm gonna I'm gonna The first thing that I always thought if something happened like that, the first thing I was gonna do is going to the coach and say, Coach, what do I need to do to get better? How? What do I need to do to get the job. This thing's important to me. How do I help the team more? What do I have to do that That type of a reaction, I think is what is what teammates and coaches hope for instead of you know, like, uh, you know, whoe is me, poor me?

Nobody gets a damn about you, you know. I mean, there's been many many players and coaches that go through this. They have gone through this league, and there's gonna be many many coaches and players that go through it in the future. So they don't care about one person's situation. So there's not gonna be any pity party if you if you get into that pity party mode, you're the only one at the party, and it's gonna be hard to dig yourself out of that. So I think it's

very important. This is probably the first time it's ever happened to him. I mean, highly regarded prospect in high school, highly regarded prospect coming out of Clemson. This is the first significant slap in the face. WHOA, I just you know, I'm not good enough right now? What do I need to do to be good enough and proceed from there? Because again, the other thing is from a teammate standpoint and a coach standpoint, you're one snap away from going

back in and taking the job again. That's where you have to look at it. It's like you're literally one snap away. So you you better not be lax or lack of daisical or whatever. You have to approach it like you're a starter and you're in. You're preparing as a starter, and that's what every player should do in my opinion, you know, and then when the opportunity knocks

like it did for a humid energy, he's ready. Let's talk about Joe Burrow, who's having an outstanding second NFL season with one exception, He's three a lot of picks, eleven of them, tied for most in the NFL with Sam Darnold. Here's a stat for you. When he throws one or fewer, the Bengals are five and one. When he throws two or more, they're own three. How much of it is on him so far this year? Well, as the old saying goes, you know, every one of

them has its own story. But I do think a couple of red zone or red zone into the end zone interceptions were you know, almost like hoping a prayer type throws and those more often than not don't work out. But you've seen deflections for interceptions. You've seen defenders just making great plays. I mean, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the the defender and say, you know what, I wasn't necessarily fulled by the scheme, but I didn't think he was good enough to do what

he did. I didn't think he had that kind of athleticism. I thought I had a window to take advantage of. And the thing with Joey has so much confidence in his accuracy, and he should. He's about as accurate as I've ever seen. He thinks, you know that a lot of times he can get it into these micro windows, you know, really really tiny ones. So and a lot

of times he does. So I think with him, there's no doubt that he can tell you more about every interception he's thrown than every touchdown pass he's thrown this year, I'll guarantee you and you know that he'll remember the story and the lesson to be learned by the story with every single one of them. And the ones that aren't on him, let it roll off your back like

water off a duck. But the ones that are on him, you know, learn your lesson, uh you know, don't don't wallow in it, you know, but but learn from it and move on. And I think I think that's going to be a big factor. I'd like to see him, you know, the second half of the season, the last eight games, maybe you know, no more than four or five, you know, cut it in half or better. And he's capable of doing that. It's just, you know, that that

balancing act that great players like him so competitive. It's like, I can do this, you know, and I've done it. I know I can do this. Sometimes you have to just you know, live for another snap. The opponent this week the Las Vegas Raiders, like the Bengals, five and four. Like the Bengals, they started five and two before losing two in a row, as you pointed out earlier. But unlike the Bengals, this is a team with a ton of turmoil. Their head coach John Gruden forced to resign.

They lost Henry Ruggs. He's likely to go to jail for a long time for that accident that killed a woman and her dog. They've got a bunch of injuries, including some that happened just last Sunday night against the Chiefs. This is a team where you can't help but wondering if they are reeling and beginning to spire a lot of control. Yeah, I mean, you were thinking the same

thing a little bit with the Cleveland Browns. You know, I was thinking, boy, Cleveland Browns, some of the things that are going on there, and you know the OBJ situation that was going on with Cleveland and Baker Mayfield. He's got a wounded wing, you know, and all these things that, Uh, boy, what are the Cleveland Browns? What's their mindset? Like? How are they going to be able

to how will they handle this? I think that again, to go back to my first point about getting off to a fast start, I think if if you get off to a fast start when they're they've experienced everything they've experienced, the scab comes off quicker and the wound opens faster, and it's like, this isn't the week, This isn't the week. We come back and rally boys. You know, man, I was still was still struggling. We're still need to get over we need more time. But if they take

a two score lead, yeah, guys, we're good. We're done with that. We're tough, We're tough mentally, we're tough physically, we're resilient. We can bounce back. You know, sometimes when when when a group goes through that type of stuff, it galvanizes, you know. I mean, it can have that, It can have that effect as well. I don't know

what the percentages are. They have analytics on everything. I don't know what the percentages are of you know, teams that have recovered from this type of craziness that we're talking about and have gone on to you know, win a division or getting the playoffs and advancing the playoffs. I'm not sure about that. But I think it's all up to the Bengals at this point, you know. I mean I think that the uh, the Raiders are probably they're probably fragile, you know. I mean, I think it

could it could go either way. And I think on how how the game goes early, I think we'll have a bearing on it. I really do, particularly if they if they really come out and take control of it. I mean, just totally put a thumping on them. From the early stages. I don't think there's going to be that much fight. But if they the longer it's a game, the more of a dog fight they're in. Because now all of a sudden, it's like, yeah, guys, even though all this crap that we've had to deal with, we're

still a good football team. I love you, man, Let's go win this sucker. That kind of stuff can happen. I'm looking forward to seeing this stadium. I'm looking forward to being in Las Vegas for an NFL game because I imagine it's going to be just a little bit like when we've gone to London in the past, where people come from all over because it's Vegas and it's a chance to see your NFL team on the road in a city where you can always find a cheap

hotel room and spend a little money doing other stuff. Yeah, I mean, there's no doubt it's going to be interesting to see how how diverse the crowd is, you know, and what the mindset of the crowd might be. If if the Raiders get off to a slow start and you've gotten your butt kicked either you know, rolling the bones or playing blackjack, you may start booing real quick,

mainly two snaps. But if they get out to a great start and you're up a grand man, now, it's all good boy, this is a this is paradise plus. So it'll be it'll be interesting to see what the what the crowd is like. And uh yeah, I agree, it's it's um there's no place like Vegas, that's for sure. There's absolutely it's it's one of a kind. And I can't think of an organization that probably fits that city

better than the Raiders. You know that Raiders with Al Davis, our Syracuse fellow alone, Um and he was he definitely was one of a kind. And uh that I can tell you Dan. When I played, I mean we're like two and fifteen as an organization in Oakland, in LA I mean that's when they were dominant. We went out there and just we couldn't beat him. I mean we'd lose thirty one twenty eight whatever the I mean, it was close games, competitive games lose. We lost two playoff

games out there. I played in one of them, that thirty one twenty eight game I'm talking about. I mean, that was anybody's football game. But we just couldn't get over the top against those great Raider teams that won Super Bowls. And I'm I'm pulling for the Bengals to spank the Raiders in Las Vegas. A new a new new location, new environment and under the everything that Vegas has to offer, get a victory against the Raiders. That could be one sweet weekend finally, it's time for our

no the faux segment. Jesse Merritt covers the Raiders for ksn VTV in Las Vegas, and he joined Lap and Wayne box Miller on the Bengals Game Plan Show on Wednesday night. You know, it's been kind of a poster ride for Raiders in you know, they were living pretty well. They were happy with the way the season was going, you know, and then the buy comes around. They come

out of the buy. I think that they're gonna have a nice DC game against the Giants, and then they lose the game, lose the turnover battle on that one, and then they drop another game there against the Chiefs. So they're kind of down on it. You're starting to hear all the people talking about car and that, you know, people say it all they need to move on from them and all this stuff because he's getting turnovers and stuff like that. So, you know, they're kind of down

on it right now. But I think people need to realize there's still a young season. There's still a lot of time left to go on to the end of the day. You know, both the Bengals and the Raiders, they're five and four, they got a winning record and They've got a whole lot of games in front of them, so you know, they still kind of control their playoff dets. To me, right now, a sports psychologist would have a field day with the Raiders. Obviously. Really, the John Gruden incident,

you know, is polarizing. I'm sure there were some John Gruden fans and some guys that weren't as much of a fan of John Gruden, which could be a divisive thing for the football team. Then what went on with Henry Ruggs. I mean, this football team has dealt with some adversity. Do you think that what they're dealing with in terms of the mental part of it be off the field stuff. Do you think it's had any bearing

on the two game losing streak. You know, I try not to put too much stock into that because you know, for me, I played college football and it was like obviously nowhere near the level that these guys do. But like when you get on on the field, that's like your release. You know, you don't really think about anything else.

It's it's kind of off to the side. And maybe when they're meetings and things like said, it can be, but I think more than anything, it would be kind of the emotional toll of like everything because it's been like one after another. You mentioned Gruden, you mentioned the situation with Ruggs, also Damon Arnett, who was another first round pick. He was recently pleased. You know, it was

kind of just one thing after another. I had multiple friends of mine who cover teams all across the league saying, like, man, they're keeping you busy. It's just one thing after another. I was getting it exhausted. So I'm sure you know, for the players, it probably is because they know these guys on a personal level. They're their brothers, their coach, things like that, so it's got to take somewhat of

a toll. But I also think once you get the game day, you know, they're only const round in the game. They got so much coming at him they can't really think about anything else at that point. I agree that it's the sanctuary. Basically, game days you're sanctuary, you know, and then everything else goes away. I agree. Jesse Merrick from three News in Las Vegas, our guests and Jesse,

thanks to join us. When you look at what this team needs to do down to stretch up what is broken, per se or what needs to be tweaked their fix going down to stretch. Yeah, they got to get back to pushing the ball down the field the way that they had. You know, they were they were able to hit a lot of deep passes, you know, early on in the season and get teams kind of on their heels.

That backed them off a bit, and you know, in a couple of the games we saw them be able to kind of establish the run a bit because of that. Now lately, you know, the run blocking, it just hasn't been there. They haven't been able to get the run game going, and then they've been losing the turnover battle every time they try and throw it down the field, and teams are kind of just able to sit in that shell and not worry about, you know, too much

over the top. Obviously, losing Rugs hurts because he's that guy that had that game breaking type of speed. Then they go bring into Sean Jackson. You know, in this last game here against the Chiefs, looks like he had a massive touchdown that was at a key moment in the game and then I don't know what the heck happened, he got turned around or whatever, and then the ball gets punched loose and that's the pivotal moment in the

game where you know things just changed. So for me, it's honestly, I think the Raiders need to not abandon the run because I don't want to obviously just throw it out of the window because they got Josh Jacob.

But at the same time, like in the early parts of the season, they didn't have Josh Jacob and they were cooking when they're able to get the passing in going and use that short passing game to open up the run and then take a couple of shots here and there throughout the game, and they were hitting album at a pretty decent clip. So I think for them, really concentrate on the path, go ahead and throw it like forty plus times a game, and let the run game kind of hop in there as more of a

supplemental thing. And I think that's where they're going to see more success throughout the year doing that. As the Rugs ripple effect infected Waller, I mean, it seems like the Kansas City Chiefs had a pretty good game plan to contain Waller, who's in my mind a Pro Bowl tight end. I mean, this guy's side speech race shows off the charts. I thought you know, the Kelsey Waller deal Chiefs Raiders, which tight end was going to step up, and obviously Kelsey had a game and Waller didn't really

get that involved. What did in Europe mind, when you watched it, What did they do to take Waller out of the game. A lot of bracket coverage and we've seen a lot more teams start to do that, you know, and and they think the Raiders are using them as a bit of a decoy. You know, in the first game against the Ravens, they targeted in nineteen times and

people freaked out. They were like, nineteen times, throw the ball to somebody else, and it's like, yo, hold up that Darren Waller, like he's one of the best players in the league, like beating the ball as many times, feeding the ball twenty thirty times, But whatever it takes, if that's gonna win you games. And so they've kind of come away from that. I think they got to

get it more involved in that. And obviously, again it's it's easier said than done when teams are bracketing you, because now, let's be honest, without rugs in there, Tokay, yeah, they have de Shaan Jackson, but he's not the same type of speed guy. He's got obviously much older, you know, and doesn't quite have the same level of speed and

game breaking type of stuff that he used to. So, you know, I think teams are able to key in on him a little bit more because they're not as worried about the other players in there, because you know, Brian Edwards hasn't shown the consistency as a receiver to continue to do it to draw that type of attention.

And again we haven't seen Josh Jacobs get going either, and the other receivers a lot of younger umcoving guys Nna Renfro starting to emerge as a really good spot receiver, but still to the point where a defense is gonna key in on him at you know, all points about the game. So I think they got to start kind of forcing it a bit to Waller and saying, hey, look, this guy's just better than the guys you got on the other side of the ball. I don't care if

you're bracking in whatever the heck you do. We're gonna feed him the ball. But then also at the same time be able to connect when it's just not there, and he'd be opening to when other guys are in single coverage. So it's a matter of winning those one on one of battles that they just haven't been able to do with any contstency. That's far outside of Darren Waller. Okay, Jesse Merrick, you can find him on Twitter social media. Jesse News three LV. That's j e SSC News three LV.

You know, one of the things I was looking at with you know, Darren Waller. I mean, this guy over the last couple of years, fourteen catches for twenty and more yards in nineteen sixteen, and more catches for twenty more yards and already eight this year. I mean, you're talking about a tight end getting twenty and more yards. It's just like a huge bonus. Well, you're talking about a guy that's six six plus two hundred and fifty pounds plus that runs a sub four five forty. That

is a freakazoid. I mean that that is a size speed ratio that's like unbelievable. I mean, he is uh, He's he's really really talented and gifted. There's there's no question about it. Why we have you, Jesse. Defensively, the Bengals have a couple of uh I call him the h Boys. You have Hendrickson and Hubbard and they've combined for thirteen and a half sacks. You guys have in Gockway and Crosby who've combined for eleven sacks. How how much energy? How much? How much do they give this

defense off the edge at the defensive end position? Man? It is? That was one thing that constantly talked about, is that they got to get to the quarterback. They got to get a pass rush going. Well this year they've gotten it in spades. It hasn't translated to as

many sacks as you would think it probably would. And depending on where you get your stacks from, Max Crosby and Unique and Gockway different points about the year have been number one in the league, and pressure from what I know right now, Crosby is number one, and Treasures by a Pro football focus, And so those guys really set the tone for the defense around them, and it's

helped guys like Casey Hayward and coverage. You know, I don't know anymore if he has, but I think up until like a week or two ago, he hadn't allowed you know, a catch at all all season or something like that, or more than he had like one of the highest coverage grades by Pro Football Focus, so he had had been having a great year, and I think a lot of that is because of the pressure those guys that are applying, and they're really kind of breaking

the game for the defense and allowing guys to roam around and just kind of be athletes. And so they have been the driving for for this defense. And it's fun to watch because they're competing NonStop. Even a practice, it's a sprint in the line of scream because it's

a front offerer, whatever the heck they're doing. Brosby and Unique seemed to really have this big connection and they're they're playing off of each other very well, and it's something that's given opposing offenses, you know, a heck of the headache and you know you've been staught it against Mahome, he was having to move around and get off the spot, which he obviously does all the time, but they frustrated him. That just obviously not enough. You guy sat it for

forty one point. Hi. Thanks the Lap Box and Jesse Merrick for that interview. And here's a quick reminder to join lap and Me for the Bengals PEP rally show this Friday from two thirty to five thirty on 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 downloaded

now from the App Store and Google Play. And 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 thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast