Bengals Booth Podcast: Oh What A Night

chart to the Bengals defensive backs room, Mike Hilton. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light. Seltzer Refreshed the game, 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 on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Spotify, or pod Bean. It's the greatest thing since Thursday's celebration of the nineteen eighty one Super Bowl team.

In addition to inducting Paul Brown, Anthony Munio's, Ken Anderson, and Ken Riley into the Bengals Ring of Honor at halftime, the team welcome back nearly forty players from the Bengals first Super Bowl team, and they gathered for a pregame storytelling event at the new Icon Music Center next to Paul Brown Stadium. It was awesome and it was the result of a ton of planning and hard work by the Bengals Director of Community Engagement Alex Simons and many

other members of the Bengals front office staff. And kudos to the Brown and Blackburn families for making it all possible. It was truly a night to remember. Now let's get

to Thursday's game. The first half was a disaster. The Bengals first drive ended with a missed field goal by Evan McPherson, his first in the NFL, and things quickly went from bad to worse as a pair of rushing touchdowns gave Jacksonville a fourteen nothing lead the second quarter, and it looked like it might be twenty one nothing at the half before Cincinnati made the key defensive play of the game, fourth and goal from the Cincinnati one fifty nine seconds left and a half. Lawrence, moving to

his right, runs up the middle. It's and he did not get in. The Bengals stopped Trevor Lawrence. That is big, right there, boy Master. Here's Tyler Boyd on the critical goal line stand. You know, I think that was a difference in the game for sure. You know, doest stop really uh got us going, you know, because the game probably could have would have won a whole different way if they would have pushed it in, you know, so

off to our defense. So even after having just four first downs in the first half to Jacksonville's fifteen, the Bengals felt confident that they could rally. Here's c j Uzama. We came out unbelievably slow. And that's not a knock on Jacksonville. I mean, they're a good team. Their record isn't indicative of who they are as a team. But we knew that we were shooting ourselves on the front. We weren't performing the way that we should have formed,

and we came in at halftime. First of all, the defense had an incredible stop at the end of the half going into that going in twenty or twenty one to zero is huge in comparison to fourteen to zero. And you know, the leader stepped up, said some things in the locker room at halftime, and we came out and executed. The Bengals second play of the second half.

Got the ball rolling shotgun snapped to Burrow, four man rush, good pocket, flings it deep Dungell Chase over the shoulder catch at the Jacksonville forty and he runs it down to the Jaguars twenty five yard line. Safety Andrew wingered with a stop half forty four yard catch for Jamar Chase. It's the fourth grade game that Numero Uno has had a catch for thirty or more yards and it's set up the Bengals first score. Second down and seven at the twenty two of Jacksonville c j Uzama goes in

motion left to right Burrow under center. Now Mike Thomas goes in jet motion. They fake a hand off to the right Burrow at the short throw to the left phot at the eighteen Usama to the ten come back, moving a stick to the pylon, touchdown Bengals. You see jay U Sama with great yak yards after catch and the Bengals score on their first drive of the third quarter. That's exactly what they needed. Once again, it's a little play action. You get that running game going and the

play action is gonna be there. That made it fourteen seven, and after the defense got a three and out, the offense struck again. A one yard touchdown run by Burrow was overturned by replay, but ultimately didn't keep the Bengals out of the end zone. All right, here we go. The Bengals line up third down and goal inside the one, trailing by seven. Midway through the third quarter. Burrow ready and the shotgun catches the snap, hands to Mixing fights

his way into the end zone. Touchdown. Bengals, no need to review. Chow Mixing gets in with ease, and the Bengals make it a one point game. McPherson's extra point tied the score at fourteen. Heading to the fourth quarter, Jacksonville went back in front on a four yard touchdown run by James Robinson. He finished the game with seventy eight yards and two tds. But the Bengals responded again

with a ten play seventy five yard drive. Burrow catches the shotgun snap, good protection, pump fakes, gestures, scrambles left, penalty flag down. Burrow throws caught by Usama streaking toward the end zone. He's in. We'll see what the penalty flag is about. At the twenty eight. If it's on Jacksonville, it's a tie game. I think Jacksonville held initially. Then the Bengals went down the field and started blocking after

he was held, but Jacksonville held initially. Let's see what the college Ill' goal used to the hands, hands to the face hold of the plays a touchdown c j U Sama with two touchdown catches. Burrow was magnificent, going twenty five for thirty two. That's seventy eight percent for three hundred forty eight yards, with two touchdowns, no picks, and a career high passer rating of one thirty two point eight. That's the third time in four games this year that Joe's topped one twenty. I think I've got

better and better each week. You know, last week, you know, the defense played so well that I didn't have to do a lot, and then tonight, you know, there's gonna be games like that where you have stuff up and make plays, and so I'm really happy with my performance tonight. I'm just gonna keep building on this and keep getting better and better. With the score tied at twenty one, Jacksonville drove to the fifty before having to punt and the Bengals got the ball at their own ten with

five thirty three remaining. On their final drive, the Bengals had a false start and a holding penalty and lost Joe Mixon for the final few minutes when he appeared to twist his ankle on second and thirteen near midfield with roughly a minute to go, Burrow recognized that the Jags were going to an all out blitz with cover zero in other words, zero deep defenders, so he switched

the play to a jailbreak screen to see Juzama. Row lines up in the gun, extends the hands, catches the snap, throws to beat a blitz caught by c jas Zambi gets to the thirty five new meals at the thirty down to the twenty five, he gets tackled at the twenty one miles Jack making the stop. The Bengals beat the all out blitz and now they are within easy field goal range for Evan McPherson with a clock running

in forty eight seconds to go. You guys have heard me talking about just having the playbook in the back of my head seeing looks that you know, I can take advantage of, and that just comes with experience. And you know, they gave me a zero look, and so you know a week I knew defensive coordinator had a Baltimore background. You know, they've showed some zero on film. I knew they'd have to be ready for it in a big spot. And you know, I had CJ out there.

That's not exactly the personnel that we usually put through those jailbreak screens too. But you know, he really took advantage of the opportunity. And I had those plays in the back of my head expecting zero, and I just got to it and didn't really think about it. Burrows ability to read defense and switched to the right play is not the only sign of his brain power. According to Usama, he's the smartest person on the field at

all times. The I was fortunate enough to get brought into their jeopardy game, the quarterbacks that they have a little jeopardy game and the questions. I was like, what what the hell is this? Like I don't know any of this stuff. Why am I here? And he's just like, can I steal this one? Can I steal this one? I know this one. I'm like, if you want to, I don't. I don't know the answer, Like so I

don't know, he's He's just he's Joey franchise. Uzama finished with a career high ninety five receiving yards and after a run by Sama JP Ryan, the Bengals left four seconds on the clock and called on Evan McK fearless to win it. So here we go, a thirty five yard field goal attempt to win the game from the right hash Clark Harris will snap, Kevin Huber will hold Evan McPherson looking for his second game winner in four NFL games. This snap to put down the swing of

the right leg. The kick is on its way. Coffin Wills Sam Bam Bam hop out that Thursday Night Football national audience, Cincinnati Bengals three and one day in how about that Bengals Jackson Carmen lifting Evan McPherson into the air, just as he did back in Week one in overtime when he beat the Minnesota Vikings, and now on the final playoff regulation in primetime on Thursday Night Football, Evan McPherson delivers from thirty five yards away and the Cincinnati

Bengals rally from a fourteen nothing halftime deficit to beat Jacksonville twenty four to twenty one. Wow. Now we're threeing one. We're in a good we're in a good spot. Obviously, we had the one setback that we didn't play very well in Chicago, but you know, we've played pretty well the last the other three games. So we're just gonna keep building on. And I'm excited to have a bye weekend. No, it's gonna fun to watch some football, kind of relax,

you know, get a head start on Green Day. Dave Lapham spoke to head coach Zach Taylor in the locker room after the game. Congratulations, huge win. So many things to talk about it. I mean, you get down fourteen nothing, your defense, that goal, that fourth down stop was monumental.

You guys again when the coin toss and defer, it's worked out for you where you score at the end of the half to then score first possession, you make that stop at the end of the half to stay in the game, and then you come out and you kick their tail in about a minute and a half

to score and then come back and score again. Yeah, in a lot of ways, that is scoring at the end of a half kept seven points off the board that would have been that would have been difficult to overcome in this league, and so tremendous effort of our defense just just kind of bowing up there on the goal line. They had to do it a lot because we got the holding call in the end zone, you know, that gave him a first down, and so just just really critical there and a great job by them. You

overcame a few tough penalties. I mean, you had a holding call offensively on that last drive to set you back and CJ. I was talking to CJ and Tyler Boyd and CJ said, I'm not I don't get that screen this first time I've ever gotten that screen. Take us through that call, that play that went to CJ Zarman, that set everything up for that field goal. There was zero blitz. That was a check from Burrow. You know, that wasn't a called play, That wasn't two plays in

the huddle. We called a play and he checked to a zero blitz beater. What you got to do in this league and everyone has to be ready. And that's just a great example of CJ understanding the offense, taking mental reps because I promise you's never taking a physical rep of that, and executing when we needed the most. That's awesome. Joe Cullen, the defensive coordinator, five years as d line coach with Baltimore. They go zero blitz when you approached the red zone. You guys obviously had prepared

for that. You had your team prepared for that, and bam. When something like that happens, when it's like, yeah, this is what we were talking about, what are we gonna do? And then you execute it like that? How rewarding a feeling is that it's the best. You know, your players are just confident and what we asked them to do, the positions we put them in, and then they execute. And you know, sometimes you're stressed as a coach going into a game, and then I just take a deep

breath and say, we got good players. We got really good players. They're gonna go out there and play well and we're gonna win. What did you say at halftime, coach, I mean to come into football game and stagnated a little bit, never really got in a rhythm. You come out in the second half, I mean on fire. What was talked about was it like they're really not doing anything, We're kind of hurting ourselves. Yeah, we got their best shot all three phases, and we were not playing well

in any phase at that point. And we were only down fourteen to nothing, and we scored what fourteen points and three minutes at Chicago, and so we knew how quickly we can score quickly we can get some stops. There was no need to panic, and that's exactly what our team did. So no turnovers for either football team. It just turned into who's going to execute, who gets the ball last kind of thing, and you guys do that and you give them the knockout punch in a

game like that. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in a game like that too. I mean, what do you talk to your team about after the game or even tomorrow. I think situationally, the hinted everything, Well, you know, it's it's the defense got to stop. And in the middle of the fourth quarter, offense bled six minutes off to be able to finish with four seconds left, and a kicking team was able to kick it through the upright and finish it. So all three phases were connected.

All three phases stepped up and made plays when you did him. So you come off an emotional win in Pittsburgh Division win on the road, and then it's like, all right, well are we going to be able to you know, handle success. We're gonna be able to compartmentalize and the team did. What does that say about this football team that we're ready, you know, for the next phase of the season. This is just the first quarter. We're up seven and nothing right now, we got three

quarters left to play. So again, we got to come out focus for a game against the two time NFC champion contenders, you know, Green Bay Packers. We're gonna have a work cut out for us. It's good that we have a long week to get healthy because we can get some guys back, but we've got to be focused and ready and ready to play on the Sex game. It's a huge one. I know you haven't looked at tape yet. Trey Wayne's first first action. How how do

you think it went for him out there? You know, it's hard for me to say, but I saw him involved in a lot of plays. It's good to have Trey back, I'm sure for him. He hasn't played and almost a year and a half, so it's good for him just to get back out there, to get back in the phase of things. I know he's only going to improve with each game going forward. In your second he was beaten up. Who can you say stepped up

for you in absence of key players. Von Bell as a leader in that secondary, you know, and he stepped up. And you know, with Jesse out and Cheeto out, Vaughan Von is always the guy who's consistent, reliable, and so we knew that he keeped that secondary connected. Everybody, including myself, was stunned when McPherson missed and it's like, all right, well, he's kicked three extra points. He's in a rhythm. You knew he was going to kick that game or two

game winners in his first four at NFL games. Kids, Pretty cool. Yeah, No, no kicker in INFLO history has made all their kicks, and so you know at some point he was gonna face him of adversity for the first time in his young NFL career. But I didn't think everybody knew he was gonna put that last one through the uprights, and we trusted him and he did a great job. Three and one. Great start. A little mini bye week, go see the family R and R a little bit. But I know you guys, you guys

you're coaching staff. You guys work man, you guys grind it. You're gonna be able to get any time though. Yeah, I'm gonna go watch my kids play flag football on Sunday and spend some time with my family. And these coaches will too. They they deserve it, they put in the work. It's good for them to have this opportunity. Congratulations on a big night National's TV. The nation saw Bengal's face adversity and overcome it. Love it. That was great to see. Thanks, Thanks it. So the Green Bay

Packers come to town a week from Sunday. After getting embarrassed by the Saints in Week one thirty eight to three, the Packers have posted back to back wins over Detroit and San Francisco, Green Bay host Pittsburgh on Sunday. Now time for postgame analysis with Lap. What a performance by Joe Burrow Lap career high passer rating of one thirty two point eight. He often talks about how he wants the ball in his hands with a game on the line. Can see why after the performance he had on Thursday

Night Football. Down fourteen nothing at the half, they got the ball four times in the second half. He led them down the field to square every time. He said that. He talked to Zach Taylor at halftime and said, let's go empty. Got matchups I can take advantage of. We can do this right down the field a minute and a half. Score, get the ball back, score again. I mean,

he understands his football, there's no question about it. So doing that, making that adjustment, going empty and throwing it all over the place in the second half and then the screen passed that went to CJ. He audibilized too, and CJ had never gotten it. And I can see why. I mean, defensive linemen aren't. I mean, when the rush was so strong, I'm like, oh man, they're gonna back this down or something. He just dropped downside of him. Get the ball around it, and CJ was mad at

he didn't score. He goes, man, I got a score on that. So he wanted the hat trick. He didn't quite get there. But that was an unbelievable play as well. So in the defense when they had to make a stop. There weren't he turnovers in the game, but that fourth down stop, when that possession didn't end in a kick, that was a huge possession in that football game to keep him in it. That was bigger than it turned over because it's fourteen nothing. You've got less than a

minute to go in the second quarter. It's fourth and goal at the one. Trevor Lawrence is six six. I mean, if he jumps up and does the Drew Breeze play where you just jump up and extend the ball forward with two arms, yeah, I think it's a touchdown. He elected to run instead. Larry jug and Joby and Logan Wilson get him to the ground. That saves the day. It does. And um, like urban Meyer said to Vic Fangioe NFL, it's like playing Alabama every week. You gotta

get you gotta take the points. I mean, I think I think that's at that point. You go up three scores, you go up seventeen nothing, that's you know, that's a statement. He tried to get really greedy and you know, roll Michigan or something, you know, get up on him big, and it came back to bite him a little bit. But that obviously was big. The field goal missed by McPherson McPherson was big. But for him to come back and do what he does, I mean, he's let's face it,

every kicker is gonna miss kicks. Justin Tucker's miss kicks. You just can't, you know, you can't lose your mind over it. And he moved on and moved on quickly and got the game winner two and four weeks. Two game winners in four NFL games. That's crazy, both with the clock hitting zero. Unbelievable, unbelievable at the gun. McPherson, Bengo, Bango Longo, Justin Tucker might be better, but every McPherson is pretty darn good, no question about it. Let's talk

about Tyler Boyd. Nine catches for one hundred and eighteen yards. I'm still trying to figure out how he caught that pass on third down in six when he wasn't open, he was being interfered with. I don't know how Joe Burrow saw any sort of opening to get the ball to him and they connected. I really believe Dan that he's been the victim of a football team that hasn't played well enough. He is a Pole Bowl slot receiver.

Since he's coming to the league, nobody, very few, I think maybe one, has put up better numbers than him in the slot. He is a Pro Bowl caliber slot receiver. And I think now as the team starts to improve, people around the league will recognize this guy's talents and abilities. And he's incredibly intelligent. We were talking about in the post game. He and CJ both played quarterback, and he played in high school. CJ even played at Auburn obviously, and they just say that they can be on the

same page as the quarterback. They'll pre read a defense, you know, before the snap of the football in their routes and everything. And I almost get on the same page, you know, very very quickly. He's a very very intelligent football player, very very tough physical football players. He's a he's a special one. Thursday night games are hard to play. I mean, those guys are just starting to feel better by Thursday when they're back on the field and playing

in a game. Did that show tonight did they look like they were a little bit gas to you? You know? I asked h I asked, guys, what are they going to do? And they were all saying, you know, take some time and get my body right and all that. I think. Defensively, they played eighty seven snaps and it was it was not cool. I mean, it was it

wasn't boiling hot. It wasn't as hot as some of the games, but it was it was not fall weather, and they paid a price, I think, and I think that might have been a little bit of a factor, but they the adjustment they made was going empty. And the reason that that screen passed to CJ was called is Joe Cullen, the defense coordinator that spent five years with the Ravens. When you approach the red zone, they go zero, and they had a feeling it was going

to be zero, and it was. And when CJ, like he said, when when I broke the when I broke up, feel I should have scored. And they were saying also that Joe Barrow mentioned that Zach Taylor was going to find anybody that get tackled one on one by that deep safety. I said that if they're going to put a guy that deep, if we get tackled one on one by him, it's a fine. And they wanted to make sure that that guy didn't come up and make a one on one play on him. So it was interesting,

you know, how they get ready for this one. It kind of bums me out that Joe Montana was known as Joe Cool because you can't give that nickname to Joe Burrow. It's already been used. But that's what he is. He is Joe Cool. He is. I mean, I swear he was so composed and relaxed in the locker room. I thought he was going to take a nap. I mean his heart rate. He's one of those guys where the heart rate goes down instead of up, instead of

a you know, a panic situation. He just can take it down and he just is very You said it during the game when they got the ball back, he said, this is what Joe Burrow well, he wants. He lives on, thrives on it. A chance to win the football game, the ball in his hands to win the game. This is what it's all about. A showtime and the son of a gun one down and did it again, and you can't do it any better. He got the ball at his own ten with five thirty three on the clock.

He used all five thirty three and set up his outstanding kicker for a relative chip shot to win the game. I was I was praying to them kick it with like thirty seconds. I'm thinking, you know, within a half minute. They only have one time out I'll do better than that. Let's just take it all the way down and hit it at the gun. Just incredible. Um yeah, it's it's

good stuff. I think. I think that, you know, you you go on the road and win a division game, an emotional game, and then you come back and it's it's easy to say, look, you know, we can't afford to let down. You have to come out, you can't be flat and everything that you talk about, but going out and doing it, and then and then when you fall behind by fourteen, I think you know, now, all

of a sudden, it's a gut check for everybody. And they responded, which I think will stand him in good stead as they, you know, get into more competitive games and can't be much more competitive than that. Really, no team turned it over as such other than the fourth down stop in the goal line, and it just was like, all right, well, who's going to get the ball last, who's going to make the last body shot, who's going

to get the knockout punch? And that was just a good NFL football, you know, a team that came in tied for the lead and giveaways, held onto the football and made it a game for sure. So four games is no longer a quarter of the schedule now that you've got a seventeen game regular season. But it's close. They're three in one after four. How would you sum up the first close to quarter of the season. You know, I'd say that that it's it's a good start, I think.

I think that obviously, getting three of them to go in the right way. They've got miles before God before they rest, miles to travel. But they are, you know, building the foundation. It's not like there aren't any bricks laid there. There have been some bricks laid, and I think those bricks are gonna withstand you know, bad weather and all the stuff that it has to withstand as you build the rest of the house. So I think

they are, you know, get that good foundation established. And Paul Brown had a great saying winners makes believers of us all and that in a few words says so much. And there's no question I think a lot of the guys in that locker room are really starting to believe that they can go out and win football games no matter what the situation. And that's always a good thing. I mean, the body can do great things when the mind lets it, you know, and the mind's starting to

let these guys do some things. I don't have much more on the game tomorrow from three to six on The Bengals pep Rally Show on ESPN fifteen thirty. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Bud Light Seltzer. It's light and refreshing with a hint of fruit flavor. Now time for this week's fun Facts segment, where you get to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts with cornerback Mike Hilton from Fayetteville, Georgia, about

twenty miles away from Atlanta. What were some of the things that young Mike Hilton liked to do as a kid growing up in Georgia. Man one, I used to go to Six Flags all the time. You know, if you heard about six Flags of a George, you know they have some of the best roller coasters. So I did that a lot. Of course, play football, and you know, just enjoyed enjoying my time as a que We have King's Island nearby. Do you still like roller coasters? I've

heard about King's Island. Everybody said it definitely someplace I have to visit. So I'm gonna take my daughter there, and I'm gonna have some fun. We're doing fun facts with Mike Hilton. You attended Sandy Creek High School. You were more of a running back than a cornerback back then, right, Yes, I was. I got recruited mainly to play running back, and when I got to college, when I really flipped

over to play corner Were you okay with that? I wasn't at first, but I knew, especially in the SEC in my size, running back was kind of a ife situation. So I know, if I made that switch, you know, you'll put me in a position to be here. So you're in the process of having a great NFL career, but you are not the most famous football player from your high school. Recently inducted Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson make Tron went to Sandy Creek. Did you see him when you were a kid. Did you get to see

him player? Get to know him? Now? I've never actually seen him play when I was growing up, but during my high school games he would come, so I've had chances to talk to him and you know, just ask him about the NFL life, and you know, we had some good conversations, and you know, I just want to say congrats to him for being inducted. Was that pretty exciting for folks back home to see him getting the all things? Oh? Absolutely, especially for our town, which you

know isn't really the biggest town him. So you know, everybody knows everybody, and when you have a guy like Calvin Johnson that's inducted, you know, we take pride in then. So you are an outstanding player at one of Georgia's top high school football programs, But the University of Georgia, what'sn't interested? What did head coach Mark erect say to you?

I remember my high school coach pulled me out. You know, during recruiting time, you get pulled out the top of college coaches and you know, my high school coach was hyped me up and everything, and I met Rick and the first thing he said to him, he was like, you just not just not big enough for me. So that's kind of the sticking with me throughout my whole career. You know, I don't look at it as a bad thing.

You know, it's just him being honest. But it definitely pushed me to help me get to where I am. And it still motivates you. Absolutely, I absolutely I still here to this day, whether it's from other people or the fans of the coaches that I'm not small, but I know what I'm capable of. So Mark Rerecht made a terrible mistake and not recruiting you, but All Miss

was smart enough to recruit you. What was the best part of your college experience, man, really just being around everybody, getting no my college teammates and getting that true college field. You know, just when they say that's the best years of your life, that's honest truth. And I enjoyed all four As a senior at All Miss, you received one of the highest honors a player can receive at that school.

You were chosen to wear the number thirty eight in honor of the late Chucky Mullins, a great player who is paralyzed in a game. Can you articulate what that honor means? Number One, it goes to a senior defensive player every year. It shows leadership qualities owning off the field most importantly, especially off the field, you know, just being in the community, doing right in the classroom, and then when it comes to own the field, being a playmaker,

being a voice, being a leader. I really, I really took to he to it my freshman year when I started to learn who he was and why they were passing the water down every year, and it was one of my goals to become the winner. And you know I was blessed a winning We're doing fun facttion Mike Helton. Following your senior year at All Mess, you signed with Jacksonville as an undrafted free agent. Things didn't work out there. You signed with the Patriots for their practice squad. They

let you go. Did the thought of moving on from football even enter your mind? Oh? Absolutely. After I got cut by New England, which I was only up there for a week, So that was like a true experience, like this game is cut through, it's a business. I was at home from like week twelve, I mean week two. It's about week twelve, week thirteen. So during that whole span I had started working out, started applying for jobs. I kind of just started to take up that. You know,

my opportunity was going away. But you know I got that call from Pittsburgh and everything took off sense, that's for sure. They gave you a chance. You capitalized with four great seasons in the Steelers uniform. When did you know you made it. I kind of had a feeling through through that preseason. You know. Then it was four preseason games after the second and third when I was just making a lot of plays, and I just had my ears around the locker room that like everybody like Mike,

you're good man. You have nothing to worry about because you know, being undrafted, you're always worried, like today's the day I'm probably getting cut. But all those guys kind of kept me. Kem me confident and Kevin me rosing. We're talking to Mike Hilton. So as we've referenced, you're not a big guy five nine eighty four according to the roster, but you're one of the best blitzing defensive backs in the NFL. What's the secret. I don't want to get away too much, but you know, it's just

learning the tendencies of the quarterback. You know, when they're going to snap it, if they're gonna possibly have a motion before, just you know, watching field and just picking out those bits and pieces I can use to time I'm listening up better. Do you have a favorite sack? One? If we go one, I would say when I actually tied the record in Pittsburgh in twenty seventeen where I had three. So it was that third one when I

obviously tied the record is my favorite one. Now, what was that record for three in a game or three three in a game? It was I say, Troy Polamalus on that list and Carneal Lakes on that list and myself. So just knowing Pittsburgh history and being up there with those guys, it's a great an. I have to find out what records you're gonna break. Here we're talking to Mike Hilton. You became a free agent. You signed a four year, twenty four million dollars deal with the Bengals.

That's generational changing wealth potentially. When you go from undrafted free agent who had been let go a couple of times to highly coveted free agent signing a big deal. Is it a little bit overwhelming? I wouldn't say so, because I know how hard I've worded to get in this position. From our early experiences being cut. That kind of just got my mentality rolling, you know, being at home and seeing other guys who honestly I felt like I was bettering, you know, out there competing on Sundays.

I didn't let it get me down and you know, over the four years I was able to perform and I'm ready to perform here and sense it. So since joining the Bengals, you have brought an accountability chart essentially to the defensive backs room. Tell us about that one. It's something I learned from the learning from Joe Hayden. So shout out Joe. I appreciation man, But you know, it's just something especially in the secondary, we're all about getting getting our hands on the ball, being in great

coverage and just making plays. And when I brought it here, you know, guys really really embraced it because they know if we're doing these things correctly, it's going to pay off one Sunday. So I'm excited to see see how we fare Sunday. And one of the categories is apparently loafs. You get punished for loafing. And as a defender of the worst thing you can do is loath to the ball. If all other team is running to the ball and you're that one and this have a jog and sticking out,

it's gonna be seen. You're gonna get called out. So I kind of put that not just on the secondarybody as a defense, as a whole like, we want to be fast, we want to be physical, and we can't have no lows. All right, let's get to some wildcard categories for Mike Hilton. Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport? Any sport? Man, I have to go with the King Lebron James Man. He's the goat. He's the best to ever do it. And I'm kind of saying his his career slowly coming to an end.

But you know, I've enjoyed watching him my whole lifetime. Have you had a chance to meet him? I haven't, but you know, hopefully one day, whether he's still playing or not, I have that opportunity. All right, what do you like to spend your money on? Oh? Man, we're getting personal. I'm gonna give a husband answer. I have a wife and a daughter, so all my money goes to them too, and you know, especially my daughter or whatever she wants. It's hard to say no, really them too.

How old is your daughter? And what's your favorite part about being a dad? She turned to on the nineteen So she just turned to and favorite party. Just just seeing them grow up, you know, every day is like they learned something new, and you know, it just puts a smile on my face and when every time I come home or first word daddy, daddy. So it's a great feeling. Now we're gonna get really deep. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, entertainer, statesman, for whatever

it might be, who would that person be? Anybody to meet? I would say Michael Jackson. It's kind of an old school answer. I like it. Yeah, man, I kind of got an old school So then you know, I've raised around a lot of older people, So that's what I know. Do you have any hidden talents? I don't. That's what we're gonna think about it. I don't. I don't play any instruments, can't sing or nothing. So you know, God bless me. Play football. So that's what I'm doing. Last thing,

is there anything that you are really bad at? Really bad at? I'll be honest, I'm not the best mathematician like easy man. Yes, but if we go and you know, equations, fractions, dancing with things get a little hectic for me. As long as you know the value of a pick six, that's the only Matthew you need to know. This has been fun. I appreciate your time. Welcome to us, Cincinnati Investal luck this year. Thank you. I'm excited to be

a that's my Kilton, That's going to do it. For this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by bud Light, Seltzer refreshed the game. If you haven't done so already, please subscribe and if you have a minute, give it a rating or share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde, and thanks for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast