Bengals Booth Podcast: Makin' Plans

Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading the Bengals Booth Podcast, the and We're Making Plans edition as I discussed the twenty twenty four Bengals schedule with my colleagues Dave Lapham and Jeff Hobson. But first, it's my one on one conversation with Trey Hendrickson on why he's fired up and ready to go for his fourth

Well, you know, there's a lot to be excited about about being a Cincinnati Bengal know, and I think the pieces that the organization has added to help the defense and obviously the offense is something to be excited about.

So I want to be a part of the foundation.

That we're building, and the only way to do that is to be in meeting rooms, be a practice, build relationships as we all collectively come together, and obviously have that same.

Like minded goal to win the Super Bowl.

I've told people when I came into the building last year in the off season, I think I saw you here every time I came in. I mean, it speaks to your dedication to try to be the best player that you can be. Have you followed a similar course of action this offseason.

Yeah, it was a little more quiet, you know, it was a little earlier.

You know, I wanted to be respectful of the guys that were working out, and there was a lot of confusion going around, and you know, I'm not the most approachable person, so people would just kind of assume. So it was good that I got my work in, got to go home. My wife and I prayed about it, working it out day by day, you know, and we're at peace of the situation, and I think that's what's most important, and that only comes from Jesus Christ, and you know, we're very blessed.

Where are you in terms of hoping to get a contract extension or revised deal, whatever it might be.

You know, that's a good question.

It's a you know, my contract situation is it's just it's interesting. It's it's something that's out of my control at the end of the day. So what is in my control is how hard I work, you know, how hard I you know, film study.

Prepare myself and things like that.

And obviously I'm going to control what I can control and be the best teammate I can be, and end of the day, I think everything else will work itself.

About seventeen and a half sacks last year kind of speaks for itself. Do you feel like you are still in a sending player.

Yeah, you know, like I think it's something that I was blessed to be a part of. You know, statistics are something that are again and out of my control in some ways. You know, you need good coverage, you need good opportunity. Obviously having a lead will always help with past rushing, you.

Know, and stuff like that.

So, you know, sharpening my sword to be the best defensive end I can be is my goal every year, and I feel like I've achieved that this offseason, and I'm excited for the Hendrickson product I can put out there underneath.

The Bengals level.

You spoke to Jeff Hobson yesterday and said something to the effect that your dealings with the front office had been respectful. You felt like you are at least being heard. Yeah, can you elaborate on that?

Well, you know, like, obviously what I'm asking for is not something that would be the best, you know, business decision, you know, as at their running a business at the end of the day. And I understand that, and I can I can unpack that as however, I you know, it's an unlimited amount. So through prayer with my wife and hearing you know, it's not something that they want

But once that was the business side of it. Now we're getting.

Into the team side of it, which is a completely different dynamic.

You know, me rushing the past.

It will help DJ Hill, it will help you know, these rookies producer their family, as Sam Hubbard as he wants to play ten plus a year. You know, it'll help Dax be a better corner. It'll help the lineback rushing with their fits. So separating that business frustration, I guess you can say, and the love I have for the team and the coaches.

You know, we want to get lou a head coaching job.

You know, we want to be a top ten defense and help him out because he's given us so much opportunity myself included over the last three years of you know, being one of the you know, top pass rushers and stuff like that. Those are things that come from a good defensive scheme and everything him. So if I'm not participating, that doesn't help him, his family, their families, and it would be selfish.

Don't think about Marin.

You know, there's a time and a place to think about my family, and I did that. Now that all of this is unfolded, it was very clear that this is the direction.

Work hard, continue to work for what.

I want, and obviously take it day by day and help having help from my wife and being at peace with that. And obviously our foundation and Jesus Christ has helped tremendously, and it's a perfect piece that surpasses all understanding.

I think the one thing that anybody could understand is the fact that there are people playing your position accomplishing similar things that make more is that at the root of what bothers you, you know.

I think it's more that I want to know where, Like I love Cincinnati, I love Ohio. I don't want to bounce around the league.

If I want to play twelve years, you know, I don't.

Want to tell my wife, hey, look we're going to have to, you know. And some ways that's me speaking on my wants again and not what's best for the team. And I think the organization does a good job balancing what's best for the team to win a Super.

Bowl and things like that.

And I don't necessarily see my contract being something that needs to be addressed right now. From a business standpoint, what I'm asking for is not a business thing. I just want security knowing that I can continue to play here at a high level and not have to worry about what logo you know I'm representing at thirty one or however that looks. So end of the day, though,

It's taken time.

It's taken a lot of prayer, and obviously her helping me through this has been a tremendous help, and that she's a gift from God. And continuing to work hard for what I want something I'm excited for.

You're here, Sam's here, Aj is here. We've added Sheldon Rankins. Miles Murphy's got a year of experience under his belt. The drafted two defensive tackles, including Chris Jenkins in the second round. What do you think of this group?

Oh, you know, it's very early.

You know, we're still figuring it out, you know, And that's what I'm excited to be here about. You know, as we figure out our identity. I can see it from the ground up. And obviously, you know, I'm in

Called, We're excited that you're here. Thanks for your ton Yes, it's no doubt you can make a strong case that Trey Hendrickson is the best free agent acquisition in team history. He's been a Pro Bowler in all three of his seasons in Cincinnati and certainly doesn't appear to be slowing down. Trey doesn't turn thirty until December, and here's hoping that as long as he chooses to play pro football, he'll do so in a Bengals uniform. Now, let's get to

Well, I defer the LAP. I want to see what lap since I was because when it came out, the first thing I'd said is I wonder what laugh thinks.

So fair enough, we will the point guard will go behind the back and pass it to Lap to get his general thoughts.

Well, as I started looking at it here, I mean, the thing that seems really obvious to me is there's not three straight road games, not three straight home games.

You know, it's home away, home away, home away.

You have a couple of straight home games, a couple of straight away games, then you go into the buy. I like the fact that the buy occurs after the biggest trip of the year, longest trip out to LA to play, you know, to play the Chargers out there. I think the buy is very well placed after the eleventh game there. I like the fact that the travel miles total travel miles, the team's on second fewest in the league eleven air miles. Washington's the fewest ten fifty

They've got two additional or three additional.

Four to twenty five kicks, So you know, that's half the schedule is you know, is a special games a special special game that week from a scheduling standpoint, So you know, it confirms the fact that the league is in agreement that that, you know, it's it's a pretty good football team. The other thing is, we knew this before the actual dates, but five new head coaches and the Bengals the first four games. The Bengals have three

This and that?

I counted that with.

You know, the Bengals in the early stages of the season will still be putting their schematics together as well. And I'd rather have a coaching staff that's been together for a while. Uh, in the first you know, month of the season, as opposed to one that's just trying to figure each other out, figure out the players. And I think that's a that's a big deal, the fact

We all know that. But i'd uh, I think that they're going to be favored in three of the four first games of the season for sure.

All Right, Butch, you want to go second or would you like me to go second?

Well? I was just gonna say kind of what piggyback what Lapp said.

Uh, three of those new head coaches who from are

Then they come back and they'll probably play another rookie again in jayde Dangs. So you know, that's that's pretty helpful if you're looking to get out of the Great Gate fast. And then I think just the other thing is uh, you know, kind of what like what Lapp said to me, the the toughest spot of part of the schedule stats in November seventh, that that Thursday night game uh in uh in Baltimore, which by the way

All right, I've scribbled down a few things. Number one, and this is something both of you guys touched on. Three of the first four games are against three of the worst teams in the NFL. New England four and thirteen last year, Washington in Week three, four and thirteen last year, Carolina and Week four, two and fifteen last year. Add that up, you get ten and forty one in three of their first four games. If you can't win those three and start the season at least three in one,

Lost. The Ravens have never lost a Thursday night home game in this century.

Yeah, the AFC North started in two thousand and two. The Bengals have played ten prime time road games in the division oh and five in Pittsburgh, oh And three in Baltimore, oh and two in Cleveland. So it's time time to put an endo that streak and see if they can go on the road and win a game in Baltimore in primetime, which is obviously going to be tough right there with it for a tough road game, in my mind is at Dallas. The Cowboys were the only team in the NFL last year that did not

You know, one other interesting matchup is going to be Philadelphia. The four to twenty five kickoff Philadelphia in Cincinnati.

Hurts and Burroughs score off for the first.

Time you know that Burrows played. You know a lot of a lot of great quarterbacks he's matched up against it. Now Hurts is another one. How's that one gone unfold? That's going to be interest seem to to digest as well, you know, and uh that's I think the first thing that came to my mind about the about the schedule was that it was balanced and it was fair. I think those two things, you know, kind of our forefront front and center in my mind a little bit.

And you know, again.

As a former player, the one thing you look at is, oh man, how many times way on national TV?

Well?

Five, I mean five five time games you get to get to show your stuff and then these you know, these four games are big audiences as well. You get you get one of one at home and one on the road. There actually three of them, uh this year, right, there's three of them Philadelphia, uh, the Chargers and Kansas City three of them. So you get, you get, you get two of those on the road and one of those at home to show to show you whereas a

Long weeks.

You love.

You look for a long week and oh yeah, we've got long week action there. Short week.

Who But like we're talking about, you get to buy to buy after the big trip, you know, you have you have Baltimore on the road for that Thursday night game. Short week, and then you get to travel all the way or I should say a long week. You travel all the way to Los Angeles, like Putsch was talking about, but you have a long week to do it, and then you get to rest more after that football game.

So the league I think was extremely fair.

To the Bengals when they said, all right, we're going to stick you on Prime on Thursday, and you know, we know you've got to go to the West Coast one time. We're going to give you ten days to recover and then give you a bye week after that. Now, I think that's about as balance and fair as you can be. And that's why I think that's a kind of a microcosm of I think the schedule itself being fair and balanced to the team.

I think December is gonna be really interesting. You played the Steelers twice, first primetime game ever between Dallas, you know, between Mike Brown and Jerry Jones, they're in primetime together. Then you go the next week, you go see Brian Callahan, you go see Cincinnati South. Right, let's get finally get that Tyler Boyd Mike Hilton match up. Cheetahu Oozier is down there, so that then.

Then you got it.

Then you get like three days and here come the Browns come to town, and uh, you know, then I don't know what's gonna happen when Sean Payton comes in, but uh, I do know. Russell Wilson comes in two days after his birthday and he was actually born in Cincinnati, which is kind of a nice, kind of a nice wrinkle. And then I bet, but I don't know what to expect from Denver. My god, I I don't know they're

Well, I can tell you what Dallas thinks of Denver. They've got the Broncos winning five and a half games on the Vegas line this year, so they don't expect Sean Payton's team good to be very good. Let's quickly run down the schedule game by game. We start in Week one. Bill Belichick has gone after twenty four years as the Patriots head coach. Thirty seven year old Girodmeo

No question, no question question. You got to And I mean, let's face the New England's defense is always good and I think it will be again. But got to win that football game.

Week two at Kansas City. The Chiefs play in the kickoff game on the Thursday, and Week one against BA Baltimore, so they'll have a long week to prepare. But Butch, I'm kind of excited to see a Bengals Chiefs game that isn't one of the final games of the year. All these matchups over the last few years, they've played five times in the last three years. The earliest one was in Week twelve and obviously you've had the two

Yeah, I think the what's nice is and I know they still have a ten day break, but you know, this is going to probably be there might be a little bit of a letdown after all the hoopla of that opener, you know, and you know, maybe there's you know, the Bengals had a Super Bowl hangover when they went to Zoombo. Now they didn't win it, but you know, Kansas City's won too. I think this is that's kind

And it might not be brutally cold this time.

Around.

Week three is a Monday night home game against Washington, a new head coach, and Dan Quinn, in all likelihood a rookie starting quarterback and the number two pick in the draft Jade and Daniels, although maybe Marcus Mariotis starts the year at QB before they work him in. But in any case, Lap that's a team that won four games last year. Primetime home game against one of the weaker teams in the NFL again, much like Week one, certainly when you'd expect the Bengals to take care of business.

In I agree, and real quick about Kansas City. Isn't there Thursday night game? Their opener is at home as well? Aren't they direct home games in a row?

Correct?

So they're going to have to travel. So I think that's a factor.

They don't have to travel, you know, they get the home crowd in two straight games. I think that one's going to be a challenge, I really do, you know, it's I think the league did them a favor by saying, all right, we're giving you two tough opponents, but you're gonna have them both at home, and you're gonna have all that time in between those two games. So we're gonna make that as fair and balanced as we can

Which one of the benefits of finishing in fourth place last year in the AFC North is that the Bengals get three games against teams that finished in fourth place in their division last year, and one of those teams is Carolina in Week four. It's a road game. But the Panthers had the worst record in the league last year. They won two games. They've got a new head coach and Dave Canallis, former offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Good circumstances to go get a road win.

Yeah, I mean, I just was trying to look at their depth chart, you know, in the last couple of days and having trouble coming up with anybody that I really knew, you know, I mean, they just don't really have any impact players on either side of the ball. They got some good players, but you know, I think, yeah, I mean, that's to get to be able to go down there and get a win. I think they've got to. They've got to do that because I, like I said, I can't think of it. You know, they lost their

You do know their redheaded backup quarterback. That's one guy on the roster that you know.

I do.

I did know that that's true. That's true. But I'm not sure he's gonna play. But who knows. I guess you never know.

Nowadays, not likely to play a significant role barring an injury to Bryce Young. Let's move to Week five. Last year, lap the Bengals had to open the season with back to back games against teams from the division, and they didn't have a healthy Joe Burrow. This year, they don't get that first Divisional game until Week five, a home game against Baltimore. Here come the Ravens after sweeping the Bengals last year. But Joe Burrow wasn't healthy either of

I agree with that statement, Dan, and I think it's time to spank the Baltimore Ravens in Cincinnati.

I mean, you know they're suitful in Baltimore. There's no question about, no two ways about it.

Period.

Uh you've got to take advantage of your home crowd. I think I think the Baltimore Ravens respect the atmosphere at pay Corps. I think that you know, they know, they know that the Bengals being a division division arrival of big battle on the road at pay Corps. I mean, the Bengals have to feel like they can get get the job done. And Joe Burrow we matching up with Lamar Jackson again and uh that that'll be interesting to

Butch Week six, Sunday Night Football at the New York Giants, a team that won six games a year ago. They did not take a quarterback with the sixth pick in the draft. They're sticking with Daniel Jones. What do you think of that matchup in Week six?

I mean, you know, it's on the road, it's at night, so you never know, you know, you never I mean, ask the Steelers about it. Asked the twenty twenty Steelers about that at pay Corpse, So there's all you never know. But I mean that's another one that before that. You know, that's where you kind of ah, that's what because I think the next two games or you know, you know, the next three games or Cleveland Philly I in Baltimore, so you know, you've got to beat a not very

You know?

That's uh. It should be a day where the Bengals defensive line teas off lap.

Week seven is the first game against the Cleveland Browns. It is in Cleveland, and this is the team that's been Joe burrows nemesis so far in his NFL career, one in five as a starter against Cleveland. We all remember what happened in Week one last year when the Bengals couldn't do anything on a rainy day offensively in Cleveland. The Bengals did beat the Browns in the final game of the regular season last year, but that was Cleveland's

It is Dan and I'll tell you you know, the Cleveland Browns have good personnel. There's no doubt about it.

I mean you look at that at that group top to bottom, the biggest question is what are they going to get out of the quarterback? Is the quarterback play going to be consistent enough to be a difference from win football game for him? I think defensively that group can keep them in any football games they're playing to their capabilities. I think their offensive line is solid. I think they've got you know, good skill player. It's a

You certainly don't want.

To come out of those two division games in the first seven games of the season zero and two in the division them, don't damn sure don't want to do that. Better be at least one on one or two and oho, you know, be sweet sugar, there's no doubt, but you don't want to go over and lose those first two division games and find yourself in a hole like they found themselves in last year in the division.

But that's yeah, Now I was gonna say that game, that's the They're going to have to win one of those division games on the road. They're going to have to get the four and playing in Baltimore on a Thursday night and playing Pittsburgh in a finaleon a road, you know, probably Cleveland on October twenty twentieth at one pm, probably, you know, let's get that one first.

All right. Let's go to the next game, Week eight at home against Philly. I think this is one of the great home games on the schedule this year, a four to twenty five kick at pay Corps. The Eagles were good last year. They faded late after going to the Super Bowl the year before. But they've added Saquan Barkley. They've added a good pass rusher and Bryce Holt. They drafted the top two cornerbacks on most people's boards this

And I think what I think they picked up Vic Fangio is their DC right, probably the best move they It is probably the best move they made in the offseason. You know, he will give you and he will give you nothing. He will give you nothing deep. It's going to be a grind job right from the get going. It's amazing. But in the league seven years, the Bengals have never played him. I think he was hurt when the Giants were here in twenty twenty and they saw hurts just a little bit when he was a rookie

Lap The Las Vegas Raiders come to town in week nine on November third. It's the return of Marvin Lewis, who has surfaced on Antonio Pierce's coaching staff there with the Raiders. I guess the question is can Marvin play quarterback? Because I'm not sure that Aiden O'Connell or Gardner Minshew is going to lead the Raiders to much glory this year.

Yeah, that's that's the deal.

I mean, Joe Burrow or those two guys, I know where I put my money, and they're playing, you know, in Cincinnati. Obviously they get back to back home games for the first time on the schedule for the season. So it'd be nice to put together a couple of a couple of if they can beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Cincinnati on that on October twenty seventh to four to twenty five, a lot of eyeballs watching that carry

But the players love him.

But man, you gotta have a quarterback in the National Football League to get where you want to want to try to go. And uh and and that's that's obviously the big hole with the Las Vegas Raiders.

Which Week ten, almost exactly one month after playing Baltimore at home, the Bengals play the Ravens on the road. And we've already talked about this. It's a Thursday night primetime game, in my mind, the toughest game on paper on the schedule this year.

That is no question about it. Like I said, high ball never loses down there at night. They've never lost down there on a Thursday night. And h but I will say this, Uh, Joe Burrow's last pass put them up ten to seven. So uh uh with you know, late in the second quarter of that game. So let's see how is it, you know, let's see how the let's see how it goes with four quarters. Whenever he and Lamara get going, the thing is going to be

The following week is the final game before the Bengals by It is a road game in Los Angeles against the Chargers. It's the Bengals returned to Cell Fi for the first time since Super for Ball fifty six. They'll have some extra time to prepare after playing on Thursday night, football. They'll be taking on a Chargers team. Lap with Jim Harbaud now as the head coach, LA is going to be a better team simply because he is the guy running the show.

Absolutely, you know.

I mean, I think it's going to be a much more disciplined football team. I think it's going to be a tougher, more hard nosed football team. They're going to try to get the running game going. And they've got a quarterback, there's no doubt about that. That's that's gonna be the interesting dynamic I think, uh with with the h Boys, barbar and a Bear Herbert, I mean, I think, you know, it's like, all right, I like, I want to throw the pig.

I want to.

I want to. I want to spend the spin the ball down the football field. Our ball believes in that running game, you know. And he had a very talented quarterback that only lost one football game for him at Michigan, and he ran the football and the kid probably you know secretly with I wish I had an opportunity to throw more at Michigan. But we're winning a bunch of football games and Barbaugh wants to run it, play solid defense and the passing attack is a complimentary type thing.

There's no question.

We'll wrap up our look at the schedule in a moment, but first, here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. I buy comes

Yeah, last year I think they played two. I think they played their two games within three or four weeks. Now they're playing within December. Is Russ gonna cook? That's the big question that's going to be the deal in Pittsburgh. Is he going to be the guy?

Could be justin fields by then who knows?

Well if Russ's you know, the last the only game Russ ever played in in the city of his birth was he got he was the victim of a twenty four to seven comeback. But that will be you know, they've lost some guys on defense too, or do you know they've lost you know, but they've added They've added the great Patrick Queen, who is a piece that Bengals could never seem to solve when he was in Baltimore. So you know, it could be a typical Pittsburgh game.

The Steelers swept the Bengals last year, but they didn't face Joe Burrow in either of those games. We'll see if that changes things in week thirteen on December first lap. The following week, another really difficult game, Monday Night football at Dallas. I mentioned this at the beginning of our conversation. Cowboys didn't lose a home game during the regular season last year, and now they have Mike Zimmer as their

Yeah, that's that's going to be very, very interesting because I'm telling you, the Dallas Cowboys, the last time we saw them, they're getting run off the football field literally, I mean they were getting the ball run down their collective throats. So obviously that's going to be something that has been talked about the entire off season and it's going to be addressed.

Uh.

And really, how will the Bengals approached this Dallas Uh, this Dallas defensive football team. And you know, the Cowboys is just about the time of year where they they start to shrink a little bit maybe not maybe not quite yet. It's not the playoffs. They seem to have things very very well.

Uh.

During the course of the regular season, particularly at home. Like you said, Uh, last year they didn't lose one. So it's a it's a difficult place to play, there's no no, no question about that.

It's uh, it's.

America's team, Jerry Jones. It's going to be a nationally televised game, There's gonna be a lot on the line. It's going to be a tough, tough football game, there's no doubt. Then you have a short week, Monday night football. I think the toughest thing about it as a former player was I do remember that short week, particularly if you had a few years under your belt.

That short week becomes a factor, there's no question.

And that next game is a road game at Tennessee. You talked about it earlier, butch the Brian Callahan reunion with Zach Taylor. Now first year NFL head coaches tend to struggle, particularly early in their first year. But this isn't early. This is week fifteen, and I imagine Brian Callahan and his dad, Bill Callahan, will probably have that team playing reasonably be well by then.

Also, the Bengals are not exactly a mystery to him. He's been going against this defense and Loumann Rumo for five training camps and five five seasons practice, so that won't be a problem for him. You know. The folks down into you know, it's going to be a completely different you know, Zach Taylor had it all over Mike Vrabel in those matchups, you know, and that was not exactly an offensive minded team down there. The folks in Nashville are gonna think Callum I wrote this today. They're

So lap, after back to back road games at Dallas and Tennessee, the Bengals come home for two games in a row, including a Thursday night home game against the Cleveland Browns on December the nineteenth, the week before Christmas. They will have played Cleveland in mid October and they get them again in the rematch in late December.

Yeah, and uh, it's the Battle of Ohio Part two. And the fact that you get the Cleveland Browns in Cincinnati at pay Court Stadium when it could be two out of the last three games of the season division games the NFL, there's intent there, those are tie breakers. Those are significant football games. You get the one at home. You've got one at home and one on the road. You got Cleveland at home, you get Pittsburgh on the road to and it and the season. You've got to

One week later it's the final home game of the regular season, the Bengals hosting the Denver Broncos. Could be on Saturday, could be on Sunday, December twenty eighth or twenty ninth. Who do you think the starting quarterback will be at that point for the Denver Broncos. Butch bow Knicks, Jared Stidham or Zach Wilson.

They gotta beat in one of them because you cannot lose to the Laps kind of taken off a Lap said, you can't lose to the You gotta win twelve games. I mean in that division, in this conference, you got to get to twelve. And it takes a lot to win twelve games, and these are the games you have to win, you know. I think Zach Taylor in December, I think he's nine and four. I talked about Burrow in December and January. He's, uh, you know, he's got he's got a He's like thirteen and four. You know,

And it all ends in the regular season in Pittsburgh Week eighteen. The day and the time TBD based on what's at stake. But obviously the NFL likes to end the regular season lap with divisional rivalries, and this is one of the best, the Bengals and Steelers.

Of course, Dan, of course it's gonna end in what what what else could be the case? Oh my goodness, Mike Tomlin, we talked about his his excellence. The guy he just does not lead football teams to losing records.

It just it's he's.

Never had a losing record in his entire National Football League career. Quite amazing. This this Pittsburgh Steeler team will be up in the bit, it's going to be a physical football game, going to be a slave knock er extraordinaire. Who's going to be able to control the line of scrimmage? Not necessarily, you know, in the run, I'm saying, control the line of scrimmage. Lets your quarterback operate, let's your running game operate. It's not necessarily who out rushes the other.

I think both teams drafted with this game in mind. Both of them took offensive tackles in the first round. Steel Has took an offensive line in the second round. The Bengals took a defensive tackle in the next two rounds and two and three, So they must have known something with everything on the line and probably all those guys they'll be checking in at that point in the season, probably your top draft picks out to be playing.

Yeah, I agree, Butch, I think from a rotation standpoint, they'll have expanded their roles as such, and who's going to control the line of scrimmage. That's the bottom line in the AC North in general. You know, you can say the same thing when you face the Baltimore Ravens with the Cleveland Browns. I mean, both all three of these football teams leave in having a depth in their talent in the trenches, and that's what you have to

Vegas has the Bengals winning ten and a half, butch says it's going to take twelve to win the AFC North. I look at that schedule and I think twelve wins is very possible if Joe Burrow stays healthy. So far, it's looking good.

Yes, sir, that's the circle that in. That's the big Kirklet underline it, capitalize it.

It's great if you go thirteen and four in that division, station and his own body call the playoffs.

Well, if you go thirteen and four, you've got a chance to be the number one seed and that would certainly go a long way toward getting the Bengals to the Superdome in New Orleans. The Burrow and Chase returned to the Bayou. It was written in the stars. It's going to happen, and now we know how it's going to happen, now that the schedule has been released. Gentlemen, I appreciate your time as always, look forward to seeing