Bengals Booth Podcast: Rock Their World

to reporters about coming back to Cincinnati. I often include one of my interviews with a player on this podcast, but in this episode you'll hear a conversation between lap and right tackle Bobby Hart. Bobby's always a thoughtful interview, but he really opens up when talking shop with a

former offensive lineman. And in this week's Know the Faux segment, we'll talk to a former Baltimore linebacker who can not only discuss what's going on with the current Ravens, but can also describe from experience exactly what it's like to play for defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis. All of that is straight ahead. But first, 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,

or pod Bean. It's the greatest invention since the rear window to froster. If you're listening in the Cincinnati area, you know we had freezing rain on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and anybody that had to park their car outside was undoubtedly happy to press that button on the dashboard and have coils melt the ice on their rear window. But answer me this, why hasn't somebody invented something similar for the windshield. It would have to be see through

so that your vision wouldn't be impaired. But that doesn't seem that far fetched to me. If we can put a man on the moon, we can early invent a better windshield defroster. Come on, smart people, prove me right. All right, let's get to football. As the saying goes,

desperate times call for desperate measures. After giving up fifty one points to the Saints last Sunday and one thirty over their last three games, an average of forty three points a game, Marvin Lewis pulled the plug on defensive coordinator Tarall Austen and announced that he would handle those duties himself. There's only one other current head coach who serves as his own defensive coordinator in the NFL, and

that's the Vikings Mike Zimmer. Marvin explained the move on Monday by saying, quote, I just felt like we had to rock their world, shake things up a bit, end of quote. I discussed the move and a crazy week with my broadcast partner Dan Hood with Dave Lapham. The Bengals have a new defensive coordinator, Marvin Lewis. He's taking

over after Tarall Austin was fired on Monday. It's interesting, lap you made a comment several weeks ago about the Bengals defense saying you didn't think there was any cohesion, and now they've made this move. And I didn't really get the sense when the players were talking about it that anybody was too upset that Tara Loston was let go. Yeah, it was almost like they're expecting it, you know, particularly after the performance against the Saints. And I'm not going

to say, you know, it's a relief to them. I think that might be a little bit strong but I think they knew that something had to happen. And you know, obviously the performance that that unfolded against the New Orleans Saints is not NFL caliber. I mean, when you let an offense score nine straight possessions on you, and seven of those nine possessions were eight plays or more, three first downs or more, I mean, you are You're not

even putting up any resistance. And I'm not even counting you know, that last possession because they took a knee and kneel down. But it's just amazing to allow a football team to do anything they want. They threw for two ramped at two hundred. I mean, they had they had over twenty first downs on like forty snaps in the first half. It was it was ludicrous. So something had to happen. I mean, there's there's too much talent again. People that I talked to around the league, they're all like,

what's going on? Our coaches did love to have some of the talent on that defensive football team. We can't figure out what has happened and what is it? What is it? And I'm like, I wish I could tell you. If I could tell you, to make a lot of money because it solved the problem. But it it was it was the oddest thing, and I don't know, it was like, you know, the hand never fit the glove

or vice versa. Just it just never happened. And Marvin Lewis just got tired of seeing what he was seeing on the sideline and the defense they weren't even run into the ball anymore because they were confused and apprehensive. And when that happens, you know, now you're not gonna If you're ring the wrong place, you're dead from the snap before the snap. But if you're in the right place and you're still not sure, if you're not confident, not you're you're not going to tackle people, you're not

going to make plays. And that's where they were. That had to change. Hugh Jackson is back. What's his role going to be and how do you think it'll go over with the players and coaches. I think his role is going to be, you know, like an administrative assistant to the head coach on game day, a game management stuff, clock management, deciding on replays when the offense is out

there to challenge a replay or whatever the case. Maybe if Marvin Is is tied up with the defensive football team, you know, in a huddle on a a grease pad with those guys. I think those kind of things and I think I think you will have some input with Marvin on the defense. I mean, Marvin, trust Hugh and trust his football acumen. And the thing about Hugh Jackson every position that he was with you, including the defensive side of the football, as assistant in the secondary, assistant

special teams, everybody get better. Receivers had the best year they've ever had. Quarterback Andy Dalton had the best year ever had when he was coordinator. Running backs improved. I mean he's a good football coach. I mean he's certainly proven that here. And the other thing with Hugh dan is he's coached on the coaching staff three out of the four teams in the division. Cleveland head coach, with

the with the Baltimore Ravencies quarterback coach Joe Flacco. He went and scouted him at Delaware, and of course he with the Bengals multiple times. And Marvin Lewis made a good point not only his knowledge of the division, because he's you know, he tied tied Pittsburgh and beat Baltimore already involved those game plans, but all the teams they play in the AFC West, he's already game planned and against teams like the Oakland Raiders, you know, and teams

like the Denver Broncos d LA Chargers. Those three they played the AFC West three games in a row after they after they play Baltimore in Cleveland, they go to the AFC West and they come back and finish at Cleveland and at Pittsburgh. So he was going to have a major, major impact in a voice in the game plans for all of those games because he's already done it up in Cleveland. Lap. As of December ninth last year, the Bengals had the longest streak of any team in

the NFL of holding opponents under thirty points. They did it for twenty two consecutive games. The Bears ended the streak by scoring thirty three on December tenth. Since then, in thirteen games, teams are averaging thirty point seven points against the Bengals. Most of the good players are still here. Injuries have been a factor, But shouldn't this defense be

at least pretty good? No question, Dan, I mean, I think it's it's stunning to me when I look at when I look at what it looked like in training camp, when they were running around like crazy in completions. You know, they were told those are like fumbles, go pick them up and score. You know, we want to have a takeaway mentality. We want to run to the football. We want everybody moving football. I thought, wow, man, they're they're

buying what coach Austin selling here. You know, they look pretty good at training camp and look decent, you know, during the preseason, and then for whatever reason, it just stopped. I mean, it just kind of fell apart. I think there was too much gray area. Guys just weren't sure. You know, it's like, okay, do I on this? Look do I do this? Or I do I do that? And when that happens, all of a sudden, you're not playing fast anymore. You're apprehensive. You know, you're passive and

you're not aggressive. And you know, an athlete that's lost his confidence is a guy that's not going to win. You know, snaps, There's no question about it. And if you're not confident in exactly what you're supposed to do, how you're supposed to do it, when you're supposed to do it, and all that goes along with it. You're in trouble. And to me, it looked like everybody was starting to get tentative. It was like, ooh, make sure before I move too late, it's over. And then everybody

started there was some unrest about it. You know, look, it looked very much like when kenzimpce. He was coaching the offense. Too much information, too many what ifs. Just line up, just have one thing to look at, trust your eyes and go. Don't let your eyes get crossed up. Don't go across side and like, oh what am I looking at? And you know the other actor is obviously you look at the offenses they played, Kansas City, New Orleans,

Tampa Bay can really throw it. They have faced some prolific offenses with some unbelievable speed, and when they motioned with all the speed their motion with it's like, oh man, the strength of formation was here announced here. What happens now when that strength goes away from me? I have to do And then they're snapping the football, it's like, oh,

you know, you're in trouble. So the speed of it, and when an offense is playing fast like New Orleans and Knasity, you have to play fast, and they weren't, and then they missed a bunch of tackles, you know, when they were in position. Because of the athleticism and the uncertainty I think of the players, it get carries over. They weren't tackling, they weren't finishing people, so it just snowballed.

And I think, you know, Marvin Lewis made a great point at training at the press conference that he had when he said, guys were coming off the field to the sideline and they were looking at me like I need help throw me a lifeline. He said, you know, you, as a form of player, you're nor what I'm talking about. I know exactly what he's talking about. I've been in games down thirty nothing from the sideline. Look at the coach like, man, what's going on? Help help me? You know.

And he was seeing that universally amongst the players coming to the sideline, and it didn't look like it was going well between the coaches and the players, and you know, and it fell on the shoulders of the guy calling the plays, and everybody suits dirty. But unfortunately coach Austin was the one that paid because he was the coordinator the Bengals head to Baltimore this week. The Ravens have one of the best defenses in the NFL Number two

and yards allowed, Number two and points allowed. But the Bengals scored thirty four when they beat Baltimore back in Week two. What do the Bengals do that allows them to have more success than most teams against Baltimore? Offensively? Well, particularly in that first game, Dan, it was tempo, you know, they really went up tempo. They had Baltimore's defensive lineman tapping out, tapping their helmets. They had to come out of the football game. And when you go up tempo,

it makes the defense go to fewer defensive looks. You know. It's like they have to go more base, more vanilla. Maybe a couple of different packages, but not as many as they would if they have a lot of time to substitute and run personnel on and off the football field and get real creative with their blitz packages. They did try to blitz though, Andy Dalton still and Wink Martindale. It was Blink Martindale. He got out of that blitz package and Andy got the ball out of his hand

and just abused the blitz. I mean it was unbelievable. They took a three score lead very only in that football game. Aj Green had three touchdown catches with less than seventeen minutes gone in the game. You know, less than two minutes into the second quarter, he already had his third touchdown reception. So they really really came. I think they surprised them with their temple. That's why this

rematch it's going to be interesting to me. Will Martindale play coverage or will he play you know, blitz like that's their personality, that's who they are. They've had success with the numbers that you talked about with their blitz packages. So it's like, are we going to be the Baltimore Ravens or do we have to be somebody else because sinc Natti handed us so well when we were the Baltimore raven It's gonna be interesting to see what the chess match is going to be like and who's gonna

blink first again. The Bengals don't know who the Ravens starting quarterback is going to be on Sunday. Joe Flacco has a sore hip, so it could be him, or it could be rookie Lamar Jackson, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Louisville. Who would the Bengals rather face. I know who. I'd rather face Joe Flacco with the bum hip because you know what you're getting with Joe Flacco. Like you said, they they've performed well against Joe Flacco.

Going into the first matchup, he had thrown more interceptions against the Bengals than he had against the Browns and Steelers combined, and he threw three more in the first game against the Bengals, So it still might be the case. And you know, I would rather deal with that. I'm in that guy's head. Lamar Jackson's so much unknown, you know. I mean, he can, he can improvise and create. His best plays might be when he's freelancing after the play

breaks down. And you know, it wasn't necessarily the play that was called. It was the play he made after the play that was called. And as a coordinator, so frustrating because you have everything done, you have all the coverage done, and all of a sudden, he breaks a tackle against somebody and he's off to the racist for twenty five yards with his athletic ability. So I think I'd rather go with the thing that I know more

about than the complete unknown. That's Lamar Jackson twenty five interceptions in twenty games for Joe Flacco against the Bengals. All right, last thing. People often ask me the following question, what's your favorite place to broadcast a game? I typically say Baltimore, huge booth, great location, outstanding fans, crab cakes in the press box, dining room. Most of the time. It's a great atmosphere to do a game. I'm gonna ask you the question, same question, what's your favorite place

ever to call a game? College or pro? Jerry World, Man, the network booth for Jerry World is unbelievable. It's like a penthouse condo. There are two bathrooms in the two bathrooms in a broadcast booth. I've never seen it before. I guess it his and hers in case there are females in there. I mean, and I literally if they the TV screen was already there, you know, I think.

And man, I could pitch a cotton live here. And it was unbelievable, huge, huge, It was two or three times bigger than anything I've ever been in, and very well done. And it's it's the location is awesome. I mean, it's it's a perfect place to watch a watch a football game. I was distracted though, by the by the big you know, uh screen, the JumboTron up top. I mean it was so big your eyes just wandered up there.

I usually like just watching the game more, but it was like a magnet pullm I just have to look at the JumboTron. But that that place was amazing, and the food was good. Boy, I mean that they had some barbecue. They had they had some good, good eat So I that was a pleasurable experience. I could have stayed there a week. It was awesome. Two bathrooms we don't even have one and are both sometimes at halftime it's a mad dash to beat the line, no doubt, no question. I mean I thought, all I need is

a shower. I mean there are two jobs. Yeah, I'll maybe I'll maybe just cashing one of the John's for a shower. I mean, the place was unbelievable, really was Thanks Lap. When Hugh Jackson left the Bengals after the twenty fifteen season to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns, you would have had a hard time finding a single player, coach or administrator with the Bengals that didn't think Hugh would be successful, you can add my name to the list. Well,

we were obviously wrong. Hugh's record in Cleveland was three thirty six and one. If you throw in his one year as the head coach in Oakland, Hugh's career record as an NFL head coach is eleven forty four and one. That's a winning percentage of point two h five. Of all the head coaches in NFL history that have lasted for at least forty games, only one had a lower winning percentage. That's Bert Bell, who coached the Eagles from nineteen thirty six to nineteen forty and Old Burt couldn't

be fired he was the owner. Now. I don't know of Vince Lombardi or Don Shula would have won with the talent that Hugh had in Cleveland, but it obviously didn't work out, and now he's back with the title of special assistant to the head coach. Hugh met with Cincinnati reporters on Wednesday, and here are some of his most interesting comments, beginning with a description of what he'll be doing for the Bengals. Whatever this organization needs me

to do, whatever Marvin thinks I need to do. They help him, to help him be the best version of himself, to help rather ths offensively, defensively, special teams, I'll do whatever they need me to do. So offensive included, well, no, it's not. I mean, I'm not going it's anything's included. If Bill wants to bounce an idea for me, no doubt, you know. But anything I can do to help and assist this organization, I'll do. No it does it does it?

Just being here feels comfortable with me. These, Like I said, these are people that I know in respect, I think there are some of the best of what they do. I'm talking from top down. Obviously, you know the team. They'll be first to tell you they didn't play as well as they on it to last week. We got, you know, some huge games coming up starting this weekend, and now we're looking to get get the football team back to where it needs to be. You're an asservative guy,

and how mind you have to be. I'm not stepping on toes here, absolutely. I mean, I'm I'm here to help. You know, I'm not here to nobody's job. You know, I'm here to help and assist. You know, I'm still going to be me and I think everybody respects that. You know, I'm gonna bring energy and have fun and and have a good time out of practice and do everything I can. But at the same time, I'm very mindful that you know, I'm a I'm a helper here, That's what I am. Do you need this as opposed

to just like going to a beach. I like beaches, but I'm not a beach guy at this time of year, you know, I seriously I do. You know. I'm not one that um likes to not work. You know, a lot of people like to do it that way. Not me. I like to be on the grass and coaching players and being around players, So why not, and especially when it's an opportunity to come back. It's like being home, you know. This is like being home with people that I no one respect and trust. How do you see Marvin,

you know, kind of embracing this. He hasn't done this in a long time. Tuesday, I bet those meetings with him, he's uh, he's getting after it now. He understands what needs to be done, he has a plan. He's different. I'm not gonna say he's different. You know, he's got a little bit more on his plate. Right now. You know, he's got to go make those game day calls. So, uh, it's gonna be fun for him. It's gonna be fun for me watching him do it, you know, because he

hadn't done it in a while. But at the same time, he was one of the best that ever did it. So I mean you kind of intrigued with that. You haven't really you haven't really been around with you. Yeah, I'm excited to watch him do it, you know, because it is different. Let's just be honest. Marvin's competitive, just like all of us are. So I think he's looking forward to Sunday. When you were like going Cleveland, people here instantly began speculating, will Hugh be back to Cincinnati?

Did you wonder if there might be something I want? I was hoping that there would be something because again, as I said, I would want to be someplace that that I you know, respect everybody in the building and people who know me know me personally, and again it's it's a tremendous opportunity for me, and I'm just thankful, you know that they said, Hey, Hugh, come on home.

Here's an opportunity for you to come and help, and let's go as a coach in what ways can a new voice or a new voice and a new role impact a team. Well, it can be impactful, but it can also hurt too, you know, And I get that. So I just have to, you know, like I said, play my role to the best of my ability. I don't want to do anything to upset anything that they have going on here. But at the same time, if I can help, I do want to help do I

wish I never left, Nah, I don't. I think the experience in Cleveland was good, you know, regardless of what the record was. I mean, it was an opportunity and an experience and I can you know, you can't get those back, and I think I'm a better coach for it, you know, having gone through it. But at the same time, you know, nobody wants to have that kind of record, you know. But I'm looking forward to being here helping this organization win and getting this organization back to where

it needs to be. The last time Hugh was part of the staff in Cincinnati, the Bengals tied the franchise record with twelve regular season wins and might have finished with more if Andy Dalton didn't break his thumb. With four games to go. That season, with Hugh serving as offensive coordinator, the Bengals average twenty six point two points a game. This year, they're averaging twenty six point one

under Bill Laser. That's despite an offensive line that is much improved from last year, but it's still a work in progress. One of the newcomers up front is right tackle Bobby Hart, and this week he talks shop with Dave Lapham. All Right, Bobby, offensive line Baltimore Ravens always a big challenge. I mean, their mentality is pressure, their mentality is blitz. You guys cooked them, yeah, I mean you you threw them out of the blitz. You guys made a lot of plays, big plays against that blitz

and they and they blinked, they flinched. Gonna try to do that again. The main thing that we do and the first game was communicating. I feel like that's the biggest thing, you know. Just like you say, they like to throw a lot of things that show a lot

of pressure, a lot of blitzes. So to me, communication is just the best the most important thing that we, you know, do from the receivers to the quarterback, though entire old line, making sure the old line the backs on the same page, so we can pick up those blitzes and pick up those pressures, and you have a quarterback that can recognize. I mean, he sees a lot of things. He sees some things pre snap that usually are true. Sometimes you know, everybody's gonna get pooled from

pre snap to post snap. At his percentage of recognizing pretty early and making them play as higher than the smart guy. Yeah, definitely. You know, in New York, I had the opportunity to be with Eli and he's you know, he does a great job of doing that. So you're coming here and see Andy doing the same, the same things that Eli does, just recognizing things to get you out of things, get you into things. It's just they're definitely on the same level. So I've had something to

compare it to. Andy does a great job. You're you're a young man, but you got a lot of NFL experiencement, You get a lot of NFL reps under your belt for a guy your age. In fact, I don't think I know anybody that's got as many reps at this stage of their career as you do. How advantageous is it when you're going into a stretch run you know, seven games four him against division on his division rivals.

Every game is a big game, pressure weeks. How big an advantage of all the all the experience you Gardner, Yes, it's definitely advantage. Man. It's it's like anything goes. You know, you can talk about doing it, and you know you can be on the board and be in practice and

you know, do all the other things. But until you get in the game actually get those jups, there's nothing like it, man, Like you just alluded to, I have a lot of them over my four years, and I definitely you know, watch film of you know where I was and where I am now and just how I can learn, always trying to get better. So it's just always something that you can go off of. They get the couple of guys. Their last name starts with s

the es boys. You know, they got Sugs and Smith and they're tied for the team lead with five and a half sacks. They come off the edge, they're the edge guys and Sucks He'll come off of both edges. So you've played against them. How good a player is Sugs? And can you compare them to anybody that you played against before? H Yeah, I mean I feel like Sugs is carn name his own class. I kind of kind of grouping with a guy, kind of like Nick Perry and Green Bayer I play with. You know, they have

they have good speed and stuff. But you can't just, you know, just think that it's just all speed because that's what they want you to do, so they can use their power and things like that. So you have to, you know, you play the game with them, and it's give and take game. You know, those guys chess match and things like that. But they're great rushers, uh smith and subs, you know, coming off the edge, giving great moves,

you know, working counter moves and things like that. You definitely have to have your head on and just be on your game going as you get Joe Mixon, even though he's missed two games, is tenth in the NFL and rushing Joe's talent. Man, how important is it to get to get Joe off against his Ravens and stay balanced. You gotta run it someing right, Feed them man, Feed Joe man. I'm definitely on the feed Joe training hundred saying that's my guy. May He's a great talent man.

He missed two games in the bye weekend. He's taught still top ten in the in the league. Man, it just goes to show you and then you know what he can do out of the backfield and things like that. He's works in pass protection. He's definitely am just you know all around back that can just do it all. And I'm definitely on the feed roal train. So you and Redmond, we've had a few games now. You missed a player next to him last week with the hamstring issue that he had. But looks like all sings green

light go for this one. But working against with each other and against you know, looks that you've seen. Now you have a little repertoire of experience against certain looks. How much better are you guys getting on a week

by week basis? We were watching film I want to say it was actually the first Baltimore Ravens game, and just some of the stuff that we were just doing that you know a player could have went for five when when it did go for five yards, but you know, just things that we know now how to get that play to go for ten twelve, hopefully break the big one. It's just uh, you know, it means, it means the

most like we talked about earlier. It's just you know, that game experience, knowing that you know, we're sitting by each other in the meet and we see that look. We're just like, we know what's do now, So it's it's awesome. So we talked about you know, Frank and your thoughts are Frank earlier in the season when we when we chatted. But now Frank's rules. You know, Rank, Frank's got rules that one rule covers a lot of things, a lot of different looks, a lot of different configurations

they can do defensively. How how pleasurable is it to play in a system like that now that you're you know, nine games in coming up on game number ten. Man, it's it's awesome. It means the world to everybody on the offense a line. I've been in systems where you know, it's uh, you know, playing and you've got forty different looks that the defense can give you, and it's like, uh, you know, Frank big things that he wants us to play fast. So I feel like that's why he simplifies it.

You know, we got rules, We got base rules that cover you know, pretty much everything. Like you just said, we note in the season. It's you know, the things that we started in the season, it's not about to change. So I really appreciate that. And it means a lot as an offensive linement when you can you know and you know, you know because this is your rule, you're not guessing and you could just play fast and that split second is you know, that's eternity in football. So

it's definitely good final thought. And appreciate your carving so much time for me on the road. You've been on the road in loud places. Man. You've been in the in the NFC East, now here you are in the nc North. I mean it's crazy. It's crazy in Baltimore now. You know they love their football. How important is it to try to make that crowd sitting on their hands, get off to good start and quiet them down? Man? Man, uh, it's you know, it's you don't even really pay attention

to the crowd. Man. Where you're in a groove of things. Man, you're going on silent snap, you're communicating and stuff like that. Man. Honestly me, I love being in those environments. Man. I remember when you used to be at Florida State where you go to Death Valley, and you know that's be some of the funnest games, you know, because it's like you gotta you have a you know, a test. Can you quiet the crowd? You know? And I kind of look at it like that, can we get this take

this crowd out of it? And you know they might start off, you know, rocking and things like that, but as the game goes, if you do what you're supposed do, you know, you nullify us. So it would definitely be a challenge that you know, I feel like we're all looking forward to and I can't wait to get into Baltimore. Thanks Bobby, good luck, all right, thank you. I appreciate it. Lap mentioned how young Bobby is. He's in his fourth NFL season and he is less than two months older

than rookie center Billy Price. Hart started training camp at Florida State when he was only sixteen years old. Now time for this week's No The Fox segment. Former University of Cincinnati football and basketball player Brad Jackson is the ideal expert this week. He's a member of the Baltimore media covering the Ravens, but in his playing days, he was a linebacker on perhaps the greatest defense in NFL history.

Back in two thousand in Baltimore when Marvin Lewis was the coordinator and the Ravens won the Super Bowl, Brad joined us on the Bengals Game Plan Show. You can speak to Marvin Lewis's ability to be a play caller as a defensive coordinator better than anybody because you know you played for Marvin Lewis. What do you expect how to Marvin Lewis when he h rolls into Baltimore on

Sunday as a play caller on the defensive side of things. Well, well, first and foremost, you know, obviously you talked about my relationship with Marvin. You know, he changed my career. We did great things, We set records on defense that still remain, and obviously won the Super Bowl in two thousand and

thirty five. But a lot of what's going to happen now And to Marvin, I know, throughout the years and Cincinnati, a lot of people were complaining he was actually excellent as a leader to to not get involved in defense, probably as much as I would have liked and probably as much as he probably would have liked. But that's that's what leaders do. That's what real great leaders do,

they don't meddle with things. And you know he would have his suggestions, but he would leave you know, the defense up to them or you know who or PAULI or whoever was out there. And now that he's a coordinator, his name is on this. And we heard Hugh Jackson, who obviously you know, was fired in a former Bengers coach, but fired from the Browns, and you know he's going

to be back helping out. You heard him say, you know obviously after he was fired that if he's going to go down, he'd rather go down with what he did best. And he probably should have, you know, had more involvement in the offense, and maybe he would still

be in Cleveland. I don't know, you know, but what I can tell you is that there will be a greater intention from the defense, there will be a greater sense of urgency, and there will be a tremendous amount of increasing focus from the players, because that's what Marvin Lewis demands from your players to do your job. I know Bill Belichick gets a lot of credit for it, but Marvin Lewis started that, you know, far way back

in nineteen ninety eight. For me, when I got to Baltimore after leaving Universe Cincinnati of doing your job and paying attention to the detail and then going out there and playing your butt off. So I fully expect that the way the defense is going to come out this Sunday out here in Baltimore at the M ANDT Bank Stadium, you're going to see an increase of intensity and increase in urgency and a greater attention to detail. Yeah, that's

I couldn't agree with you more. In conversation with John Harbaugh today on a conference call, you know, I said, boy, there's a lot of intrigue, a lot of unknown in this football game. What kind of adjustments will Marvin Lewis make from a defensive standpoint? And then on the other side of things, who's going to be your quarterback? And coach Habbud just kind of chuckled and it's like, yeah, that's that is interesting. Who is going to be our quarterback?

You know, he's not going to about to he's not about to divulge anything, but what do you think do you think it's Joe Flacco with that bum right hip? Do you think it's Lamar Jackson? And who will will RG three be up? If Joe Flacco has that hip issue, and I guess I look at it, if Lamar Jackson RG three or both the quarterbacks, your game plan is going to be similar than if Joe Flacco is a quarterback, and then Lamar Jackson has to go in for Joe.

For Joe Flacco, that's two different kinds of schematics. I mean, it's kind of an interesting dynamic at quarterback. How do you think an unfolds man? Well, well, first and foremost, you're right. And Marvel Lewis said a great today in the conference call out here that we heard, which what he said, he's not really worried about who John Harball is going to put out at quarterback. He has to worry about the Cincinnati Bengals. And that goes to what I just said last where you have to take care

of your business. You have to handle your job. I don't care because throughout the course of a game, say Joe Flacco does start, well, guess what in every game this year, the Baltimore Ravens have planned maybe eight to twelve to fifteen plays of this new little kind of quote unquote wildcat whatever you want to call it, where Lamar and Joe Flacker were on the field at the same time, right, so you still had to prepare for that,

and you're one hundred percent correct. Lab Where if it's RG three, who hasn't even been active all year for the fans out in Cincinnati that you know obviously don't follow the Ravens as closely as I. He hasn't even had on hilmet and shoulder pads dog since the preseason, So I highly doubt that you're going to start him.

Is it possible, Yeah, but he hasn't had any of those rests because behind the closed doors, Lamar Jackson has been getting all the rests with the number two, and he's been you know, they've been pushing him along little by little. So I don't expect Joe Flaker to play Sunday. I think it's going to be Lamar. They just don't want to tell Marvin because they know Marvin as great as a designer of blisses and schemes that he has been as a coordinator in this league, that he is

going to dial with some things. And trust me, no matter who's playing quarterback, they're going to have to change some things from what occurred when the Bang was beat the Ravens in Cincinnati early in the season. So you know, they just have to take care of the salves, no matter if it's Lamar, no matter if it's RG three, or no matter if it's Joe. So you know, hardball

is not gonna give it away. He kind of costs the flak out here because you know, last Friday on the ninth, at five TIM, they did a Washington, DC style kind of like media drop at five PM on a Friday during a buy a week when the players were already gone out of town that Joe Flacco's next start would be in Jeopardy, which was nine days later. So and then today he comes out and he says, I'm going to address this right now. I'm not answering one question or any questions, and we don't feel we

have to answer to anyone. Well, unfortunately, there's a lot of PSL owner and sweetholders and fans that are kind of like, well, you told us last Friday Joe Flacco's hurt, but against the game against the Steelers, he didn't miss a play and he finished the entire game in that lost a week and a half ago here at Baltimore before they went on to buy, so, I honestly think

it will be Lamar Jackson. He has struggled obviously since the preseason that he talked about it himself where he was throwing a lot of ducks his exact words, because he was having to adjust to the NFL football is different than the NCAA football. So he was having struggles

adjesting with the grip and the throw. He's worked some of those things, but you best believe that no matter what happens, no matter whose quarterback the Cincinnati Bengals, whether you're a linebacker, you got to stay in your gap. Whether you're a defensively end, you gotta stay you know, keep contained if your tackle, if you're spy corners got

to keep their eyes that have good eyes. You have to do those things defensively, whether it's Joe Flacco or whether it's Lamar Jackson or RG three, no doubt talking about the Ravens defense, which you know a lot about you you're a participant in your career with the Ravens defense, very very historically proud, a lot of tradition. I mean, blue collar is going to smack you around it very physical. Second in the NFL in yards allowed, second in the

NFL and points allowed big difference this year. Though thirty four takeaways last year led the league, twenty two interceptions led the league this year seven takeaways third few US at this stage of the season, just five interceptions. Is it just that's how it is in the league, you know they come in bunch of or is there a reason for your estimation? Well, I think you're right. I

think it's a combination of boats. You know, two years ago here in Baltimore, that was a big complaint that the Baltimore was near the bottom of the National Football League and turnovers, and then last year they turned it around. This year. Talking to Martindale, who obviously was a linebacker coach when I was at the Universe Cincinnati on Rex Ryan's staff when we were in college and is now the defensive coordinator here in Baltimore, you know, talking to

him weekly. They're they're working hard, they're doing all the things in practice. They just haven't had an opportunity to get their hands on the footballs. And part of that is they're not getting the pressure that they were getting early in the season with the front seven. So they're still you know, when they went to Tennessee and they had ten eleven sacks in the game. You know, quarterbacks just aren't turning to football over, they're not throwing it

up there. So unfortunately they haven't had an opportunity to make as many turnovers as they would like. But I agree with you, he's talked about it. We've talked about it. I talked about it with Chris Hewitt, former air kat who was the secondary coach here in Baltimore, and he, you know, flat out said, they firmly believe that, you know, they come in bunches and they just have to continue

to work at it. So by them not getting to the quarterback as much and not putting as much pressure to force those you know, turnovers in the secondary, you know, they've played solid, but they still haven't had their chance an opportunity to get many interceptions because the balls quite frankly haven't been thrown down a field as much deep

against the Ravens. And the other side of it is, you know, the people that they played Pittsburgh a couple of weeks ago, they just took advantage of the linebackers, which to me, and you know, pains me to say as a former linebacker here, the linebackers have kind of been lacking in coverage here in Baltimore. See Jay Moseley is a great pro bowler. We all know that he's got to get a huge extension, but the last couple of years, his coverage, which is kind of what he

was known for, hasn't been what it's been. I know he's been fighting through some injuries and that sort of thing, but everybody's injured and you got to go out there and do your job. So it's one of those things that I'm sure the Bengals hope that they don't get on get on track with getting turnovers this Sunday here

at the Big Crab Cake downtown. I'm sure the Ravens hope that they find a way to get some of those turnovers to take the pressure off Lamar Smith and try to give the offense as many opportunities and try to put points him as possible. One final question. Appreciate your time. I'm kind of up against the clock, but I need to ask you, besides Flacco, any significant injuries that might be a concern for the Ravens in this one. Well, both tackles you have. Orlando Brown Junior obviously is at

right tackle. He was kind of nicked up. Ronnie Stanley was out last week. They're not sure. He was limited in practice today. So for the Bengals that's been that could be an advantage, and it's been a disadvantage for the Ravens in the last couple of weeks because the injuries on the offensive line. They haven't been able to protect Joe Flacco and they haven't been able to consistently

get any type of running game going. All right, thanks, do you see Athletics Hall of Famer Brad Jackson one of the most passionate former Bearcat you will ever find. He recently traveled to Cincinnati for the Bearcat basketball game against Ohio State in order to be there for the reopening of Fifth Third Arena. And I would love to see Brad Jackson's name. I'm the Ring of honor at NIPPERD Stadium. That's going to do it for this episode of the podcast. If you haven't done so already, don't

forget to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or pod Bean. And if you have a minute, please give it a rating or leave a comment. Your feedback has always appreciated, and five star ratings help more Bengals fans find this podcast. I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth podcast.