Bengals Booth Podcast: Our House

last week. I'll chat with defensive tackle j to Fell who is going to play an important role, with DJ Reader and Josh Tupo out with injuries, and in our Know the Faux segment, we'll get the latest down the Falcons from their longtime radio voice, West Durham. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the

official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit ketteringhealth dot org to learn more. Now 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 This week's Rulers of the Jungle on Sunday

at pay Course Stadium. The pregame Hoo Day Chant will be led by former Bengal Devin Still and his daughter Leia. In twenty fourteen, when Devon was in his third season with the Bengals, Leah was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She was just four years old at the time. She's twelve now and cancer free, and it is going to be awesome to see Devin and Leia on the throne in the Jungle this Sunday. Now, let's look ahead to this week's game, beginning with a former Bengal turned

Emmy Award winning broadcaster. It is always great to catch up with former Angle Super Bowl safety Solomon Wilcot's the host of the opening drive on Sirius XM NFL Radio, Sally. It's been a bit of a bumpy ride so far from the Bengals, but they find themselves tied for first in the AFC North at three and three. Assess the team through the first six games of the season. Well, look, it was a bumpy start, There's no doubt about it. You get off to the O two start and you

get even at two and two. I think it's clear that in this league, if you get into a two or three game hole, man, it's tough to work your way out of it because you've got to spend so much energy just getting back to five hundred, and then you lose the next game, and then next thing you know,

we're two and three. But we were fortunate. I thought the game against the New Orleans Saints it was the best we played on offense anyway, in terms of just having good balance, ran the ball very good with Joe Mixon, and then obviously forcing them to come out of the double coverage that Jamar Chase had been getting for the first month of the season. Once he gets single coverage,

he's as good as open all day. And so I really do think the Saints game was not our best game as a football team, but it was certainly the best game for the offense. I thought we played very well in the Thursday night game against Miami was probably our most complete game offensively and defensively. Sally, we knew it might take a while for the offensive line to gel. Do you see that happening? Yeah, but we still have ways to go. You know. That goes to show you

that in this game, practice matters. Time spent together, playing within a system for coaches, that matters, And yeah, you can go spend the money, But just because you throw a bunch of guys together with really good names on the back of their jerseys, as Dick lebou would say, it doesn't make you a good football team. The ability to play together and have that chemistry and even the non verbal communication goes such a long way into helping

and be able to perform at a high level. And that's why you see the Buffalo Bills sort of in their position. These are players that have been on the team. They did add a von Miller to help the younger guys to improve, but these are players that have been playing together for a while in the same system offensively and on defense, that they've kept it intact and you see them playing at a very high level. Now we

are visiting a former Bengal safety, Solomon Wilcots. You are part of one of the great secondaries in franchise history, the Swat team, the current group has adopted the nickname the Cleanup Crew. What stands out when you watch this group play chitterbay Ewoozier. He's just consistent in coverage and a very good tackler when asked to right. And I think our safety tandem of Jesse Bates and von Belle there, I mean, just a really good all around group. Great

in coverage, great against the run. They're not afraid to lay their pads on people, which seemed to be something that we don't ask players to do a whole lot in today's NFL. But these guys are very willing tacklers. They understand and embrace the physical part of the game. And so I love the depth and versatility that they have in this secondary and they're just going to continue to get better. What was your reaction last Sunday when Joe Burrow walked into the Superdome wearing a game used

Jamar Chase lsu Jersey. You know I said this on our podcast to Believe in Bigger Podcasts with Adam pac Man Jones. I said, this was like, you know, Babe Ruth, we all know it's kind of folk lower where Babe Ruth He pointed to left field with his bat. Next thing, you know, he knocks it out of the park and he hits it to left field, and as you will know, being the trite and true professional broadcaster that you are,

that's called calling your shot, right. It's sort of a nonverbal communication saying here's what I'm about to do, and then you do it. So that was Joe Burrow saying, we're getting ready to have a big day, and here's the guy that I'm gonna be throwing the ball too. Here's the guy that's gonna like gonna beat you all day. And that's exactly what happened. Fifteen yard tests down past the Jamar Chase, and then the sixty yard game winner to break it all open. I know they didn't have

a cigar after this one, but they could have. They could have. Sally, you're part of the Super Bowl team in nineteen eighty eight. It obviously took a while for the Bengals to get back. How competent are you that the Bengals will return to the Super Bowl in the Joe Burrow era. I'm confident of that, but it's not gonna be easy. Right. The AFC is loaded, the other teams have good quarterbacks, too. They understand the metrics of

you've got to be good at the quarterback position. You gotta be good on the back end of your defense. Defenses today and our NFL are built from the back to the front. Bill Belichick understands that. Sean McDermott and Buffalo understands that. The Eagles in Philadelphia understand it. And so you've got to be able to keep people from throwing the ball over your head, and when they do try, you got to be able to pick it off and you better have a good pass rush. And I think

the Rams showed us that. I think von Miller jumping over to the Buffalo Bills, I think speaks to more of that. And so no, I think we got to continue to build around Joe. But he is I think he's invested not just improving his game, but making this one of the model franchises. And as we've seen, people want to play with him. So he's the fourth multiplier

and you've got to have one of those. That's what Indianapolis had in a Peyton Manning, That's what the Patriots had, and Tom Brady and the Packers have had so long with Brett Farve and Aaron Rodgers, and we like to believe that we have that same thing at quarterback in Joe Burrow. So the Falcon come to town this Sunday. Atlanta's rushed for at least one hundred and fifty yards in five out of six games. Is stopping the run is holding the Falcons to a reasonable number the biggest

key on Sunday. Yeah. I mean, here's a couple of things. You got to keep them under a buck fifty because they've been over one hundred and fifty each of the last three games. I mean, when they got one hundred and fifty plush yards on Tampa, I was really impressed. And they did that two weeks ago. Three weeks ago they went for two hundred against Cleveland, and then last week against the really good forty nine or defense, I think they had one hundred and sixty eight yards rushing

the football. And they have the fewest three and outs of any offense international Football League, So they know how to stay on the field on third down. So that's what we have to do. Defensively. We're gonna have to hold up against their run game, but we got to get them off the field when they get to third down. More importantly, our offense can help with this. Right if in Joe Burrow I think alluded to that your offense can get a ten point lead and keep and stay

ahead on the scoreboard. Arthur Smith is not going to stick with that run game. There's no NFL offense that's gonna keep looking at that scoreboard. You down by two scores, and you're gonna call yourself running your way back into the ball game. You're gonna have to start throwing it right now. The Atlanta Falcons only average about twenty three pass attempts per game, one of the lowest in the league, so they clearly don't want Marcus Mariota throwing the ball.

They'd rather have him running the ball. And not just our defense, but our offense can play a role in forcing them to do the things they don't want to do, and that's have to throw the football. Let me follow up by Marcus Mariota. I'll be honest. I thought Desmond Ritter would be starting for the Falcons by week seven of the season, but Mariotta has played well. He completed thirteen passes in a row last week in that win

over the forty nine ers. What do you think of Marcus Mariota at this stage of his career, he's serviceable. I've always liked Marcus, even when he was in in Tennessee. I thought put in the right offense. The guy is a He's just a really fine young man. He does all the right things. His teammates love him, they really do. And Arthur Smith understood it. That's why he went and

traded for him. You know, even though Marcus Mariota went to the Raiders, but when Arthur Smith had been the offensive coordinated with the Titans, he had had Marcus Mariota there with him. And since he became the head coach over in Atlanta, he felt that Marcus would be a low cost assembly to this offense. And it's worked out. Listen, he's saving the team money. I'm talking about the head

coach now. He improved the quarterback position with where the team is today and also lower the cost for what they have to pay for a quarterback. That to me, that's what good coaches do. They find a way to make the team better without having to break the owner's wallet to do it. And that's why Arthur Smith, he has his team tied for first place in the NFC North excuse me. In the NFC South Division, last thing for Solomon Wilcot's j readers out. He's missed three games.

Josh Tupo is going to be out this week. Logan Wilson is questionable with a shoulder injury. How big of an issue is that for a defense when the spine the guys in the middle are out or might be out. Look, I said, this is the game that we need dj Ripper. I mean, I mean, if he's back in this game, I'm very confident they're not going to be able to run the ball on this Now you take Josh Tupo out,

man makes it really tough. I mean, you've got to be able to hold up at the point in the middle of your defense, and particularly against teams like this that are gonna run at thirty close to almost forty times in a ball game, and you need to have the rotation on your defensive line. I think the rookie, you know, Zach Carter, I think he'll hold up well. He's a durable, very versatile guy, but he is a rookie. He can play both the run and penetrate and get

a pressure on the quarterback equally as well. It's a big spot for him, but it is more than just about him. I think it's going to be about the rotation of those guys on the interior. Let's see how we do. It's going to be a real challenge. Sally. Always appreciate your time and your insight. Keep up the great work and thanks again, Thanks Dere greatly appreciate you. Thanks for having The Bengals Booth podcast is presented by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with

tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs. Find both inside the Bengals app. Solomon Wilcots called last week's game against the Saints the bengals best offensive performance of the season. The numbers back it up, as the Bengals scored thirty or more points for the first time in eleven games going back to last year. Joe Burrow had a season

high passer rating of one twenty six. Jamar Chase had a season high one hundred thirty two receiving yards, and while the Bengals only ran the ball fourteen times, those rhymes averaged five point four yards. So has the offense turned a corner? Here's my broadcast partner, Dave Lapham an identity standpoint, what they found out is accentuate the positive and stay away from things they're not doing quite as

well they were trying to. I thought I thought forced the issue a little bit with the stretch running game. You know, they're trying to get that ball outside outside zone stretch game, and they had mixed results with it. What they're doing now, I really like gap stuff. You know, you seal seal the edge, pull a lineman, power, gap blocking power, getting one more player at the point of attack than they have on the defensive side of it. Double teaming coming off at the linebacker level in between

the tackles, just hammering the ball. Let you'll mix and square, shoulder pads up and go downhill. I think that's their run game entity. I think they've found that to be the case. The other one, you know, it should be instead of the power inside running game being an appetizer to the main course of the stretch reverse it. Let the let the full meal be that power running game and the appetizer be the outside game. You know, just don't don't try to force you to do things that

you're not able to get done. As as a football team, accentuate your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, you know, And I think that's a big factor. The other thing that our APO that run pass option game now, I think that they found out that they're a team that fits from a personnel standpoint with the big powerful guys they have inside running the ball from the shotgun and then RPO. It's like the play action look from the shotgun, and I'm telling you're looking at tape. Joe Mixon could rush

for over a hundred yards. They were a huge gain gaps in there in there in the defensive front for the Saints. I mean they were gashing them, and Joe would pull it out of there and throw it because he was gashing them in the passing game. So when you're in a situation where you look at it after the fact and could have run it for good yards and throw it for good yards, you got the linebackers saying what do I do? And that's exactly what happened.

The linebackers were frozen. I mean the linebackers didn't know what to do. And when you can when you can take control of it that way, and you're punching and making them CounterPunch, and they don't know what to do to CounterPunch. You're gonna score thirty points like they did. So I think we're gonna see them accentuate. They found out who they are. Accentuate those positives and don't try to force feed things that you know you've found out

you can't really do. But you're gonna have to be able to do it at some point because somebody's gonna come up with a defensive game plan. It's it's all in the NFL. It's all about adjustments, and they're gonna they're gonna face somebody who is gonna say, all right, I've come up both the way to take away this RPO stuff in the inside running game, where do you got So it's the NFL. You're always evolving and that's

that's the key to success in this league. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and community to a new level elevates your connection with all too fiber. In the first three games of the season, when the Bengals still had DJ reader in the middle of their defense, Cincinnati was allowing eighty six rushing yards per game and three point seven

yards per carry, both top ten in the NFL. In three games without DJ, they're allowing one hundred and fifty six rushing yards per game and five point six per carry. The Saints had a whopping two hundred twenty eight yards on the ground last week. Now they face an Atlanta team that runs seventy percent of the time on first down,

the highest percentage in the league. With reader Josh Tupo and Jeff Gunter all unavailable on the d line and linebacker Logan Wilson questionable with his shoulder injury, one of the guys who will be counted on to play a bigger role is defensive tackle Jay two fell A, who has claimed off waivers from Jacksonville at the end of training camp. I spoke with him this week. Jay major Bengal's debut last week and played a big role in the win. Six tackles, and that was in just twenty

three defensive snaps. Describe what it meant to you to get your first opportunity to contribute and to play well in a win. Man, I'm very grateful, very grateful. First off, I just want to you know, glory goes to them, you know, the most high guy. I'm always put in first. But for me, the most part, it was just you know, I wanted to, you know, make sure that I could help my brothers and you know, step up and be able to make the plays and you know, be able

to come out with this one. So you know, it was a big team effort. I was just playing my part, doing my role, and uh, you know, I'm really grateful that you know, they was counting on me, and you know, I don't want to let my my teammates down. That's that's the biggest thing for me. So I was very grateful. We're chatting with JA two fell a. DJ Reader has been out for a few weeks. Josh Tupo heard his calf last week. They are both excellent against the run.

Do you consider that to be your strength? Uh? Yeah, I mean I've I've always been uh you know, been able to play the run. Uh really well, you know throughout high school and college and uh, for me, you know, it was just being able to watch those guys in front of me, uh DJ and Big Tupo, and uh, you know, watch how they play and then you know just uh piggyback off of that, and you know, try try to do my best to to correlate you know, what the what they what they do. Obviously I can't

you know that those guys are health players. Uh you know, they're they're beasts in their own right. So for me, you know, it was it was just really awesome to you know, come in there and be able to you know, be uh counted on and and uh know that you know we're gonna stop the run and it's just the next man up. So it was really awesome. You had a broken hand last year in your rookie season with

Jacksonville and missed part of the season. How eager are you to show what you can do giving regular playing time in the NFL. Oh man, I'm I'm really uh you know, I'm really excited. I'm really here, uh you know, just to prove myself, uh to show you know, my teammates, uh that you know, I'm here to win games. And then I'm here. You know, I'm all in uh for this team, and you know I'm gonna give it, you know, my heart and soul and and uh, you know everything.

I got into this game here because I love it and I just want to prove to my teammates and uh, you know everybody else in the league that you know, I'm uh, I'm here to be great and uh you know, um, I'm just really blessed to be here in this organization and be with the Bengals. So it's awesome. We're chatting with j two fl a Bengals defensive lineman. You went

through training camp with j Axonville. I assume they were planning to put you on the practice squad after the end of training camp, but the Bengals swooped in and I claimed you off waivers, and I know they were really happy to bring you into this organization. I imagine that's kind of a whirlwind, though, when you're going through that as a player. What was that like for you?

I'm not gonna lie it was. It was a world win, really really tough, you know, uh, thinking that you know you're you're going to be in uh in one place, and the next thing you know, your whole world gets flipped over. But for me, you know, I'm I'm used to you know, I'm used I'm used to be putting into like awkward situations, and you know, for me, it's just putting my best foot forward and going to work, and uh, you know, the opportunity came and Cincinnati called,

and I was all for it. You know, I was for me. I was going to give them, uh, you know, my heart and soul and show them that, you know, I desire to be in this league and uh you know why they picked me, and uh for that, it was it was really hard, you know to leave my teammates out and Jackson I had, you know, good friends, Uh, good good guys. But you know, it's a business at the end of the day. And I'm really grateful that

I'm here in this organization. And oh and we're able to play some really good football and to learn some from some really good, uh, really good players on my team. So I'm I'm blessed in that way. You've been here now for about a month and a half. What stands out about your coaches and teammates here? Oh? Man, I mean from the first day I walked in, Uh, it was it was all off. Um everybody. Uh you know, I can tell that everybody, uh is always there's no

one ever, you know, left out. They always want everybody included and everything and and we you know, we do everything together, and uh, we're able to just feed off each other. And I think that's the biggest thing, you know, is uh, you know offense. You know, when defensive guys are out there making plays, you know, the offense starts feeding off of that, and then we start feeding off of them, and uh, you know next thing, you know that, you know, the wheels start rolling and we don't stop.

So you face the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday. They are number three in the NFL and rushing yards per game, they average four point nine yards per carry. They've got eight rushing touchdowns, that's third best in the league. They run the ball fifty seven percent of the time, that's number two in the league. So when I give all of those numbers, it seems pretty obvious to me that stopping the run is going to be a major key

to winning. Do you agree? Oh yeah, I mean every week, you know, that's a that's the number one thing that you know, we part of selves just you know, being able to stop the run. And uh, you know this week isn't any different. We're gonna you know, that's the number one priority is to be able to stop the run, and then uh, let the guys go get after them and and have some fun on on you know, pass rushing and uh getting Mariota down. But yeah, I mean

that's the plan, is to stop the run. And uh, we're gonna we have a lot of guys you know that are eager to just show up and proved to uh proved to you know everybody every week that you know, we're we're health of defense and uh you know we're gonna we're gonna keep on getting better every week. Final question for J two fel A Domata Pecola is here for eleven years. You're Simoen Domata Simoen. He used to call everybody a uso, which I believe is the Simoan

term for brother. He was one of the great leaders Enfranchise history. How has your Simone background impacted you as a football player and as a person. Oh man, it's a big peco man. I look up to that guy since I was I was a little kid being able to watch uh you know NFL and and I'd always see big Peckle And for me, it means everything. Uh

my culture is everything. That's who I am and uh you know I where everything I do is is uh is you know it, it shows it reflects off of you know, just my my people, the small people, and uh, you know I carry them wherever I go, So you know, being able to the big whistle, you know, being here and you know being able to just know that you know, he was, he was, He did what he did here, you know it was great and uh, it's just it's a blessing to know that my culture has really helped

me shape me to who he was a fan favorite here for a decade. It's great to have you on the Bengals. Best of luck this week, and I appreciate your time, sir. I appreciate you. Thank you who Day. The Bengals Beat podcast is brought to you by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust pay core to help them recruit, pay engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycorps dot com. The Bengals are three and three

and tied for first in the AFC North. The Falcons are three and three and tied for first in the NFC South with Tampa Bay. Now time for this week's Know the Faux segment. As the voice of the Falcons, West Durham joined Lap and Wayne box Miller on the Bengals game plan show refreshing to watch. Arthur Smith and Terry Fott knows the GM and their second year kind of built this thing a little bit. And I've used the term I think Falcon fans are probably tired of

hearing me use the phrase layering. But Atlanta has done a really good job of finding a way to get the right guys to do the right job in certain areas, even to the quarterback. I think Marcus Mariota. You know, obviously it didn't end well in Nashville. He was a backup in Vegas, but he's come to Atlanta and he's he's done a really nice job of following the face of the franchise and arguably the greatest player in team history.

And Matt Ryan, and he's an example of probably anywhere from eight to twelve guys who probably showed up to play for this team this year Wayne with a chip on their shoulder, and they're handful of them. And lap you you know who I'm talking about. You can identify him as well as anybody in this league. And Arthur has has spun that into a productive, hard playing, kind of grindedball team and they've been uh They've never they're

never out of a game. I mean, you got to remember Sunday's two touchdown win was Arthur Smith's first victory that was not one score as the Falcons head coach. Wow, I mean, it's just it's it's been that way since he took over here. So, you know, I'm excited about where they're going. But at the same time, I'm also cognizant that there's a building process going on here and every Sunday can be different in this league. We all know that, right, yes, and it'll be a heck of

a test on Sunday for sure. You know, when you look at it West, it's the Bengals and the Falcons have tracked identically to get to the three and three mark. Lose their first two, win their next two, lose one, win one, and and the Bengals are one in three in one score games. Um now, they've they've won two games by two scores and the Falcons have won one game by two scores. That's the only difference in the way that their seasons have unfolded. So both teams have

experienced the same thing. You know, it comes to who's going to make the one play and avoid the one mistake to win the football game, and both teams have seen a lot of that this year, there's no question. And you know, it's interesting because obviously you guys had a great run last year to the Super Bowl, and you've got a lot of those principles back of a very very talented team. You go through the free agency that everybody does when you have success and that type thing.

But they may be at similar spots in the road. I think Zach Taylor's done a terrific job as the Bengals coach. I think what Arthur Smith's done here is admirable. But they're both probably you know, they may have their best football ahead of them. You're ahead of the game in respect that Burrow is a proven commodity, Chase is a proven commodity, You're running it well with Nixon, and your defense was kind of already there. Now you've lost

some of those guys. But at the same time, I think I see a lot of similarities in who the Bengals and who the Falcons are. For sure. You know, you guys had a big road win in Seattle. What does this team do well on the road and what

do they need to do well again Cincinnati. Well, I'd say they probably need to start well Sunday because it looks like on paper Cincinnati starts well, right, you know, Atlanta, I see that big scoring differential in the second half, and if Atlanta doesn't start well that I know the Bengals can close. I just see the numbers on paper here,

So it's gonna get interesting. I think Atlanta has to keep the game in front of him Wayne and that sounds like real coach speaker and then for a radio announcer to say that, but I think that I think there's a lot of truth in it. Atlanta has to come out and run the ball. They don't have Cordarrel Patterson. They are now running it by committee. Mariota doesn't get himself typically in trouble. He moves around in the pocket. The defense made some plays the other day to force turnovers.

I think that's gonna be a big part of what Sunday is too. If they can create a turnover or two, I think they give themselves a chance. Yeah, they're plus two in the turnover ratio, which is tied for seven's best in the NFL, and you always have a chance if you are in that plus category ten peas the defensive coordinator. I remember when he was at Baltimore that stimulated pressure, his own blitz combination package that he has where he got a guy, a lot of guys in

the line of scrimmage. You don't know which ones are coming, but some of them are coming, you know, and you might drop a defensive end and blitz a linebacker, a blitz a safety or a slock corner or whatever, and then he mixes up his coverages in the back end. At least he did in Baltimore. Is he doing the same type of thing in Atlanta? Is he given given those kind of looks, he sure is? They even the

other thing too. Atlanta one Sunday with their their most productive tackler at least one of them, Sideline and Michael Walker, and they had a rookie Troy Anderson respond in a in a very fine way. So I would even say that, you know, they've even developed some depth behind that blitzing package that that he's done so well. For sure. You know one player I wanted to ask you about. He just has seemed to anchor himself as an Atlanta Falcon as Grady Jarrett, and just continues to play well thirty

career Sacks. I believe what about him impresses you the most? Oh, guy, Wayne, I think you know the one thing I'll tell you about Grady Jared is he's learned to be a pro. I mean, he's he is absolutely with Ryan Gone, He's the face of the franchise. There's no question in my mind about that. He's the guy that's taking the leadership role in the community. Has been the leadership guy in

the community for for a couple of years. But Grady's one of those guys who I think the future of the Atlanta Falcons is going to revolve around how good ninety seven ends. And you know what, he kind of It's funny he arrived a year ahead of Aaron Donald in the league, and when you think about it, he and Aaron Donald even though Donald's obviously won a Super Bowl and been an MVP, Grady Jarrett's like Tom Brady

three times in Super Bowl fifty one. Right, m you're talking about a guy who he and Donald, in my opinion, to kind of laugh, redefine that, you know, undersized. The guys perceive to be undersized defensive tackles, right and H and they're the two guys that come to mind with me when when we talk about that position in the NFL.

For sure. Yeah, currently I agree. The guy who reminds me of a little bit in Bengals history, Geno Atkins, kind of the undersized, you know, real explosive, um just you know, just unbelievably unblockable with the six feet tall, three hundred pound kind of guy you know that has got that that upfield quickness and the first step and all those sort of things. I mean, he's kind of in that in that uh, in that neighborhood with me when I watch him. I mean, two time Pro bowler,

that's just a game wrecker at defensive tackle. Usually there are more so you know outside at the edge position, he's a game wrecker inside like Aaron Donald, I agree with you. Yeah, it's it's interesting to watch and those guys has certainly developed well and you know, but it's it's got to be a package deal for for Atlanta to be successful. I mean, they have to, they have

to play complimentary football. They've they've been pretty successful, you know, Bradley Pinion, the punters having his best year, Young Way Coups and all the top kickers in the league, and you know, even Avery Williams is leading the league in punt return yardage. So they've got to play all three phases in order to be successful. And certainly I'll have to do that on Sunday because that's a great environment. You guys are you guys are fourtune. You've got one

of the great venues in the NFL. And you know it's a program that's in a franchise that's been successful. Um, you know, it'll be quite a challenge for Atlanta. Tell me about Avery Williams. He converted converted from from running back to why a defensive back to wide receiver. You know, he's a he's a factor there. But I mean as a punt returner number one in the NFL seventeen point eight per per return, twenty four point three kick return.

If you had enough returns to be in the top five there as well, this guy must be ah, you know, just slippery in space. Huh. Yeah. It's player development and Marquise Williams does a great job with teams too. I mean, they've got a plan in that phase of the game, and you know last year they kind of struggled with it, to be honest, and this year. You seem like the maturation of some of these younger guys that you'll see carry of the ball on Sunday. I would throw Avery

Williams into that maturation. And you know, it's a hell of a gamble. Now, you take a guy who was a dB in college. You know, he showed up out of Jay Sarah, California in high school. He had played running back in high school, but he did not he did not have an offensive carry day as a Boise State player. For four years, he never touched the ball

as a running back. And after a year or so in the league, they decided they're going to move into running back there in the OTA's And the first time I saw him in kind of those one on one drills as a running back, I thought, well, you know, they wouldn't be doing this unless they had a plan. And sure enough, they've had a plan and he's played a little bit of running back and now with the

Patterson injury, quite frankly, they've needed it. Talk about Kyle Pittsbour's second of a guy a great year last year. I mean, is he as advertised? Yeah, Jay, he is. And the problem is is that you know, every other time he'd been in the red zone in his professional career.

There have been two guys, and then Kyle Shanahan. I guess he and Demiko Ryan figured out they didn't need to double team in the other day and he saw what happened, right, So, I mean, you know, he gets his first touchdown on us soil is only other touchdown Cats have been against the Jets in London as a rookie. So yeah, he's a terrific player. But he's also benefited from Drake London being there too, Wayne, don't make don't get that part twisted. Now, remember they did not have

Calvin Ridley after the first four games last year. Cal Fitz had to kind of go it alone and it really took away a lot of what Atlanta was going to do in the throw game. But now with Drake London and Lamasa's the keyst developing the way he is, I think Atlanta's they're ascending in terms of throwing the football for sure. A lot of people listening to the show right now, are you see Bearcat fans. Desmond Hutter is the backup quarterback to Marcus Mariota. Desmond Ritter is

a legend at University of Cincinnati. How's it gone for Desmond Ritter? What's his what's his future look like with the organization? You know what? The night the day they drafted in Lap I called Dan, I just black called him. I said, okay, what's the story? And he he wrote, he texted me back, he said, great kid in the winner. And I can verify that he is a great kid and a winner. And every Bearcad fan in the in the Queen City ought to be thrilled. Desmond's gonna get

an opportunity at some point. I think the quarterback to team, I just don't know that it's going to be this year. And I think he's okay with it, and I think the franchise is you know Marcus. Marcus is kind of that placeholder a little bit, and he's doing a nice job. But I can see where they're excited about Desmond Ritter. We saw him in the preseason. He did some really good things. He had those rookie orientation moments like all

of them. But at the same time, there's no mistaking why he was so successful that you see there's no you can't you cannot see it. I mean, he is so good and so smooth when he plays, and he's got that poise that you look for in guys who can play a long time in the league. Thanks to West durah Man, here's an invitation to join Lapping Box at the Wings and Rings location and Union, Kentucky for the Bengals pep Rally Show this Friday from three to six.

Their special guests will be Doug Pelfrey and Stanley Morgan. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, presented by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals, by Bengals Picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs by pay Corps, the official HR software provider of the Bengals, and by Alta Fiber future Proof Fiber

Internet elevate your connection with Alta Fiber. 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.