Bengals Booth Podcast: Steamroller

from a broadcast partner, Dave Lappo. Then, in this week's fund fact segment, you'll get to know a linebacker with a frequently mispronounced last name. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented 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 Mark Duffner's Locker Room cry. For much of this year, NFL experts have warned us that the second half of the season was going to be

tough for the Bengals because of their difficult schedule. So a few weeks ago, at a team meeting the night before a road game at Tennessee, Zach Taylor told his players that it was their opponents that should be worried because they have to play Cincinnati. After the Bengals beat the Titans, that came up in the locker room celebration ule a guy with a high pitched boys who yelled, they've got to play us was sixty nine year old assistant coach Mark Duffner, who's in his forty eighth year

in coaching. So last week, after the Bengals beat the Chiefs, Zach Taylor requested a repeat performance by the coach universally known as duff A heavyway battle right there. Okay, you guys went toe to toe, he came out on top. It took everybody in this locker room. What do we say, Dolf? It has become the slogan for this year's team, and it was the first thing brought up in the locker

room after Sunday's win over Cleveland. Dufner began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Ohio State under Woody Hayes. On Thursday, I talked to him about becoming a social media sensation all the credit ghost of the head coach, Zach Taylor. Zach had that as a theme, uh the night before we played Tennessee and uh so, uh, you know, of course, after we won that ball game, everybody was excited in the locker room and we you know, we

just carried that theme on a little bit. So it's the the originator and the inventor, if you will, is Zach Taylor. I just had to be a you know, a small piece of it. The first time it sounded like you just kind of blurted it out naturally. The second time it was a pond request. Yeah, that's exactly right, he did, you know, he just said Duff And I kind of thought that was a cute maybe, and so I've fired it out again. But no, he's uh, yeah, I've blurted it out just to kind of keep well.

Everybody was excited, and so I was trying to add to the excitement. The players seem to love it, Are you aware? I'm not aware of that, but that's if they do, then that's awesome. We appreciate that. Do you think that this theme is appropriate for kind of what this team has gone through in terms of everybody's worried about how hard the schedule is going to be and forgetting that this team was minutes away from winning a

Super Bowl? Yeah, I think, well, I think this. I think, you know, the focus for sure is that we're playing, you know, one game at a time, and you've got to be ready for that. But this is a confident team. This is a team that cares a lot about itself, about each other, and about about the team, and so that they're all, you know, I think, dialed into that, and they're anxious to prove that we are a good football team and we're trying to get better each and

every week. Do you want to give me one, not at the top of your lungs, but at a regular volume. They've got to play us. Now, let's get to the highlights from Sunday's thirteen point win in the Battle of Ohio first and ten. At the fifteen of Cleveland nine fifty left in the second quarter, Burrow extends the hands, catches a high snap from the pocket throws for the end Chase hasn't touchdown Bengals has Chase does the gritty. I'm the back line of the end zone. M the

Bengals score first. When I was a dark between two defensive backs. Joe Burrow just threw a scene right between Denzel Ward and the safety John Johnson. First and goal at the six shotgun snap, Burrow hands it to p Rhyan Samante Price to tackle head runs into the end zone. Want to run by some much a p Ryan. He was completely stacked up at the line of scrimmage. Somehow escaped like he got out of a straight jacket and read it into the end zone for the Bengals touchdown.

The reason why this guy stayed on their blocks nobody could grab them. The offensive lineman sustained contact and that smaj A p Rhyan is not gonna stop the engine. First and ten at the Cleveland forty five yard line, Burrow catches a high snap. Now it's a flea flicker. God's gonna throw it too. He's got a man open over the shoulder catch Trenton Irwin half the six touchdown

down eight Bengals to flee. Flicker executed to perfection. As Burrow gave it to Mix and he flipped it back to Joe and Joey Franchise launched it perfectly down the middle of the field for the touchdown strike to Trenton Irwin. Watson fakes to Chubb screen pass caught by the Joku. He's at the ten the five times for the pylon, extends the ball in his right, huts and specks the pylon for a TD Burrows under center. Irwin goes in

jet motion. They pitch in the opposite direction. Mixon running to the thirty jobs forty down the sideline fifty the Browns forty. Hen he gets toppled around the Cleveland thirty five by safety John Johnson. A forty yard run for Joe Mixon. Watson fakes looking to throw fires down field, intercepted, it's picked off by Jesse Backs hen he goes out of bounds at the forty two yard line. He will run down to the opposite end zone for the pose with his defensive teammates. It is fourth and four. This

could be their last chance. Down by thirteen. Nick Chubb checks back in and running back Watson catches the shotgun snap Pump fakes throws in the late hen that should be coffin now Bam bam. Six fourth down opportunities the Bengals stopped on three. Each team has a takeaway, but those are equivalent to turnovers. They have three fourth down stops, which is a big reason they're up two scores. The twenty three to ten win means that Joe Burrow can

cross another thing off of his checklist. When the AFC North check go to the super Bowl check and finally beat the Cleveland Browns check. Well, we're still wanting four against him, so we still got some work to do. But today was a good start. The win ended a five game losing streak against Cleveland, and it came despite

the absence of three key offensive weapons. Hayden Hurst has ruled out early in the week with a calf injury, and Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd were sidelined early on Sunday, in Tea's case with a sore hamstring in boyd case with a dislocated finger. Here's Zach Taylor, you know we really lost Tea and warm ups. We lost TB on the second play of the game offensively, and and guys just stepped up, knew what to do. There had to be a lot of modifications, but but we settled in

and found a way to move the ball. And that's really because our defense allowed us to. You know, they gave us the time by lemonton to points off the board to let our offense find a way, you know, to take that lead there. So really just good team effort finding a way to win. In December in a Visional game, even though Higgins and Boyd were out, the Browns couldn't cover Jamar Chase. Joe Burrow only completed eighteen passes,

and Chase caught more than half of them. He finished with ten catches for one hundred nineteen yards and did it by lining up all over the place. You gotta have a smart player, first of all, because if he's able to handle he really played all three positions, really, X, F and Z. Maybe he wasn't always called that, that's where we'd put him. He's got all sorts of motions, he's got a lot of things. He's going to remember which side he's on, to remember what part of the

concept he's involved in. But that allows us to just have so much freedom to move him around and find ways to get him the ball. Because because of his understanding of what we're trying to accomplish in his communication with Joe. More from Zach Taylor in a bit. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you 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 and by pay Corps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust paycre to help them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycorps dot com. With an injury ravaged receiving cords, the Bengals leaned heavily on the running game and finished with one hundred thirty six yards on the ground After missing two games due to a concussion. Joe Mixon led the way and he talked to Dave Lapham after the game. Joe fourteen carries ninety six yards

rushing on the day. One more carry to get that century, Mark Man, I mean that was a hell of a performance, yeah, man, just really locking in and dialing into the game plan. Pilot was, you know, dialing up the runs and Zach and them guys on the perimeter, tight ends and even

a lineman running out there. Man, they did a hell of a job blocking the day, and me and p Ryan was personate enough to make plays behind him, so you know, me and him was breaking tackles and that second uh, you know, the second contact, you know, it was leading us to getting autumn yards. So he just gotta keep on doing that, Joe, I thought, Okay, which

tandem is gonna gonna have the better day? Chubb and Hunt and they had forty yards on a combined eighteen carries a little over two yards to carry and you and p Ryan had a combined one hundred and eighteen on eighteen carriages. Case closed. You know, man, p Ryan, they got a great tandem over there. But man, p Ryan, we've been doing this for eight years now, bro, so we know what we bring to the table. We know we could be elite, the one two punch, of course.

So we just gonna keep on coming, coming to work, you know, getting better, keep on pushing each other to be the best, uh, to be the best player that we know we could be. And we just gonna keep on trying to get better. Man, keep on stacking these wins because that's all that matter. And you know, made the best come so without cursed without boy, without Higgins. Did you know that the running game even had to take on the bigger burden of responsibility a little bit um?

You know, we know that other guys, receivers and tight ends can fill in as well, though. We got it. That's what That's one thing about our deep our offense. Really, we got a lot of depth. And you know, fortunately, fortunately enough, man, we got guys I could just fill in and come in and actually contribute. And you know, that's one thing We've been fortunate enough, and we just gotta keep on having people step up. We don't know

where had happened, you know what I'm saying. So he's gotta keep on having them guys come in ready and stepping up. And everybody's been able to do that. Joe. Five in a row, seven out of Bate football teams playing their best football the most opportunity time again. Yeah, yeah, most definitely, man. I mean, we started that streak and we gotta keep on building. I mean, it's a long season and we know we know what the task at

hand is. We just gotta keep on getting better, keep on building, keep on showing up to work optimistic on well, you know what the task is at him, Man, and just keep keep on dialing into the game plan and keep on moving forward, keep on stocking the wins, keep going one and all. That's what it's all about. For sure. Definitely appreciate you. That's a lot. Defensively, the Bengals held Nick Chubb to thirty four yards two weeks after they

held Derrick Henry to thirty eight. Teams simply can't run against the Bengals when a healthy DJ Reader is on the field. Man, we had a good job on defense. We gave him that big runner early and guys kind of looked in the mirror check themself, knew what we need to do and settle down. And that's just what team defense is. Man. We knew they were gonna run the bar at least try and they weren't gonna stop until we got some points on offense. So we had to really go in there and really stop it. So

the guys they bought in. Man, just is gonna be so proud of the guys and the group of guys I worked with every days. Happy to be a part of this group. Logan Wilson had seventeen tackles in the game. I think fourteen Solos. What you think of his performance? Man, he was out there playing good ball, just running around, flying around. It's a great game. You know. I trusted

him and Jermaine so much back there behind me. I know if I could clean up some pitchers for him, they gonna go in there like he's seeking missus Moga tackle. So they did a great job with it. And Man, seventeen, you're out there moving. It's a lot of tackles. When you've played this year, opponents or averaging about three point six yards to carry. I believe in the games that you've missed, it's like a one yard difference. Obviously, your impact in defending the run is huge for this team up.

That's what they brought me here for. Man, you know, I take pride in it, and the guys around me stay proud in it. So that's what I'm here for. Man. I enjoy it. I didn't go there inside of the games, no matter what kind of run game it is, tone gap, if you didn't get out the ball, run stretch, whatever it is, I'm into. I just love those type of players.

Do whatever I can do healthy team game Balls went to reader and fellow defensive tackle bj Hill for stuffing to run, Logan Wilson for his seventeen tackles, Jesse Bates for his interception, and rookie Cam Taylor Brett, who came up with some key pass breakups in the fourth quarter. Cam made his first NFL start in that loss to Cleveland on Halloween Night. You described earlier in the week how facing Amari Cooper the first time around it's a bit of an eye opener. In the NFL second time around,

it obviously went considerably better. Yes, sir, Like I said, man that first time, you know, I was getting my feet with They had Cam early. I've played you know, numerous of games. Now they're just staying a lot. It's a copycat league, so you're gonna see a lot of

the same stuff. And I knew, you know, what they got me on the first game, So just wanted to hold in on that and make sure, you know, while I'm pressing other trying to get hands on uh, you know, just play top down really, so in the zones they were catching little hitches and curls and stuff. You know, I just wanted to play top down, no deep shots. Well I'm a fourth down fade. That kind of clenched it. Did you figure I'm the rookie, I'm lined up against Cooper.

It's coming my way. Look at the time on the club, looked at the outside. You see a Mark Cooper, savvy vet versus a rookie corner, and who wouldn't come to me? So I wanted it, you know, I wanted to. I wanted to get the pick. You know, I see it really but you know I got the PVU and then you know, uh, he just turned into the defender at that point and just you know, trying to help come and help my arm. I trying to catch it. But yeah,

that's how I went. You guys should wear the tea and then the tea and Tyler weren't playing, Yes, sir, we found out out early man, so we knew it was on this to you know, win this game. It was a defensive game. We know that for sure, so we had to be the better defense. You tackle Chubb in space a couple of times. The team held him to thirty four rushing yards in the game. How'd you do it? You gotta put a hat on them. You're

not gonna go down if you don't. We had the game tacle, and you know, just tackle our way, Man heavy hard with that running back, you have to finish Man and Rapp and role. You got to bring a lot of people to the party to get him. The DJ readers pressing in the middle. It seems like anytime he's out in the field, the opponent is not gonna run the ball. Most definitely, who you can't stop him. I don't see anybody stopping him. Man, Well, I'm so

glad that we got him back. He just look at our d line, man, They're they're very physical and fast, you know, especially on our outside, but in that middle, I don't see anybody to get through those gaps. Man. DJ just moves him around, and you know it just made plays. Man. We can't ask anything else for him. Man, there's something too beating a team that had beaten you a couple of times in the last couple of years. I know you weren't here they beating you earlier in

the season. Is there a lifting factor to that when you guys do eventually beat that team. Oh yeah, most definitely was. And then how I look at it, You know, from my perspective, I wasn't here the years before, but I was here when we lost, you know, on Halloween, and it feels great to me to get this win. Man, that was my first start, you know, I finally got to beat these guys, you know, and I'm playing to do that, you know, while I'm here at this old time.

You know, once we play our ball, we allow him feel we could be stopped. You mentioned that was your first start. How much different do you feel from then to now? A lot different? You can see it in my game. I live just very comfortable out there, not you know, a real jittery man, play on loose man, having fun with the guys. Did you get the sense from the guys who have been for three and four years how nice it felt to beat a team that's

given them so much trouble? Yes? You can see it in their eyes, man, you know, just a glisten when they seen the cloud going down. It has been a minute, I see, and I'm just glad out. I'm here to be a part of it to help out. Congrats on the win. Thank you. That's Cam Taylor Brett. 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. Elevate

your connection with ALTA fiber. Zach Taylor's Bengals are nine and four and tied for first in the AFC North. He spent a few minutes with Lap after the game. It was easy to be flustered in pregame and early in the game losing two starting receivers. But the sense of calm because you know you've got great coaching staff that's going to get those players right. And we have really smart players and that's why they're here on the roster, and they're able to adjust and adapt, and you know,

they made the most of their opportunities. Hurst was down obviously before the game started. But te Higgins had a hamstring that was bothering him during the week and obviously it flared up very early in that football game, and Tyler Boyd looked like it was a finger injury. Is there any further information to give us on Tyler's injury. We thought he dislocated his finger, and we'll find out more information. Yeah, So sometimes with dislocations that can be

breaks and all that kind of stuff. You got to make sure about about all that. But you're down all those weapons, what were you thinking. I mean, when you guys were talking about how to proceed, you know, when you're communicating with all your coaches on the sideline offensively, what were those conversations like problem solving them? You know? And it is you know, in the past game started with with Brian Pitch and Troy Walters making sure we

had the right pieces in place. James Casey had dealt with that all week, with dealing with two tight ends. Justin Hill has done a great job three four running backs at a time, you know, and obviously Frank and Derek Fraser getting those guys up front going. So again, we just got such a great coaching staff that puts these guys in the right spot. That brings a sense of calm for me to be able to call the plays. No one that guys are going to know what to do.

So your defense has to step up in that situation, and they did obviously. Joe Mixon rushed for ninety six yards on fourteen carries during the course of the football game, the exact same number of carries for Chubb fourteen carries, thirty four yards. You really controlled Chubb and Hunt. Hunt had six yards on four carries, so eighteen carries forty yards out of those running backs to help a job by your defense. Yeah, that's that's a recipe for success

right there. And again it allowed us to get our feet under eight tests on offense because the defense was keeping points off the board, making them go the length of the field, not giving up the supposed to plays, and that was a key reason why we won the game today. You were very persistent staying with that running game. Joe busted one for forty that looked like it might have a chance to chance to go. How did your offensive line handle things up front today? Have another pretty

good day overall first glance, they did a nice job. Again, they're putting more hats in there than sometimes you can account for. And we knew losing two receivers. We were just gonna have to live with that and find ways to find the explosives on flee flickers and such and also grind out some runs, knowing that if you can just stick with it and have the lead, that at some point something's going to break. And that's what happened with the Joe Mixon run. So when did you start

thinking about the flee flicker? Give me take me through the evolution of the flee flicker and the final decision to call that bad boy. Well, I mean that's something that's that's been up for us several games this year and just felt right, the right moments call it. We need to be on the correct hash, and so it

just everything played into our hand. They had some substitutions with their defensive ends that we're out, which is always helpful on a long play like that, and it just so happened we got the right coverage and hit it man and then your defense, your defensive line. DJ Reader is a full grown and and DJ played so well. Logan Wilson had a zillion tackles. I mean, it was unbelievable to watch what was going on up front. It

was awesome, you know. And in credits to DJ Reader, he shows up every day coming to work, whether he's banged up, feeling great, same guy every day leading charge there. That's why he's voted to captain. And he helps those around him play really well too. Nine and four and you know, I don't want to go back, but I mean, nine more points, coach, he's thirteen and one. Man are doing twelve and one. You're twelve and one because you're

nine and four. We learned from our losses, and I don't know that we'd be the same team had we not lost some of those early games. And of course you'd love them, so you could have already won all the things that come with that. But sometimes it's it's necessary evil we try to win every game. I don't want to lose, but we certainly learned a lot from those early season losses that have helped us be the

team that we are today. And finally, this game up and when you played them up in Cleveland, it was a you know, cold water in the face. It was kind of what it was seemed to be a wake up call, and everybody responded the way. I'm sure you've hooked. You've won five in a row since five and a row up and out of eight, what is it? Nine out of eleven now, I mean, it's crazy. You're on a nice run. It's a confident team that's playing with right edge and preparing with the right edge, and I

believe that we won't lose. That our guys are focused on how to do things the right way, and I'll be ready to go on the road next week against Tampa. Bengals remain tied for first with Baltimore, as the Ravens managed to win in Pittsburgh sixteen fourteen despite having their third string quarterback on the field for most of the second half. Lamar Jackson missed the game of a knee injury and Tyler Huntley suffered a concussion, meaning the Ravens

had to turn to undrafted rookie Anthony Brown. It will be interesting to see who plays quarterback for Baltimore next week at Cleveland. Now time for the radio guys recap. The Bengals are off the schneide. Their five game losing streak head to head against the Cleveland Browns is over in convincing fashion, twenty three to ten. Where should we begin. How about the running games? Cincinnati one thirty six yards

on the ground, Cleveland seventy one. I wonder how many times the Browns have essentially been doubled up in the running game and the Kevin Stefanski era. I mean, you look at the first game. Cleveland ran the ball forty four times. The Bengals ran at ten. I mean, in this football game, the exact same number of carries. Chubb fourteen carries, thirty four yards. He had a thirteen yard rush and a seven yard rush, So on two of his carries he had twenty of the yards. The other

twelve carries fourteen yards. What that's unbelievable. DJ Reader, full grown man, unbelievable. What he does, makes plays himself. I mean he'll make tackles, but to keep people off of his teammates and linebackers like he does. I mean, Logan Wilson had a day at halftime, he ends up with fourteen unassisted tackles, seventeen total tackles on the day. Amazing. That's just that's unbelievable. And it's all about DJ Reader

two pow. I mean, not having those guys in that game proved to be a big, big difference obviously, and I thought, I thought that was a huge difference in the football game. And I mean Deshaun Watson, he does add a little quarterback run package that's going to be I think, a very tough thing to defend, you know,

complimenting a supplementing job. But the Bengals had the answers today and it was just an unbelievable defensive performance because when you look at all the starter, all the skill guys going down Dan defensively, they knew we have to step up. I mean, our offense is in a little bit of trouble here, and in the early stages it was you know, stuttering, sputtering along, and defense carried the day. Tee Higgins dealt with a sore hamstring on Thursday and

Friday wounded up playing one snap. I believe Tyler Boyd got hurt on the second offensive play. So you alluded to it. Two of your best pass catchers weapons in the offensive game weren't available. They managed to score three touchdowns against a pretty good defense, no, no question. And you know, I thought that other guys stepped up and made plays just like they have, you know, all season long. I mean, the flea flicker was called at just the

most opportune time that it could have been called. I mean, Trent Norwin has a forty five yard reception where he's opened by ten yards and he said that he can't remember being that open at any level of football. Just a tremendous, tremendous call. Because they were bringing people to stop the run. They were bringing eleven guys and the safeties were hitting. I mean, there's no question about that. And Trent Norwyn said, you know, he and Johnson had

had a few collisions. He knew when they called it. When he came flying down like he did, all he had to do was bluff that block and was off to the races, and that's exactly what took place. Deshaun Watson a lot better in Game two than he was in Game one. He threw for two hundred and seventy six yards a touchdown, one pack passer rating of seventy nine point one. Should the rest of the AFC North

be worried about Deshaun Watson eventually? Yeah, I mean I think his skill set is, you know, kind of jumps off the you know, the field at He's he's a gifted guy. But um, like we were talking about during the game, loui Ana Rumo has been masterful at confusing quarterbacks that have played at a pretty high level for the you know, not just this year, but I mean seven hundred days, he hadn't played a game. They played a lot of games in seven hundred days, and lou

Louiana Rumo had them confounded a little bit. So I'm sure the shot Watson was like on the pressure packages the coverages was like, WHOA, what's going on here? What am I looking at um so. I do think that lou and Rumo continues to be a factor, and his players are definitely responded to. I mean, they're they're believing in everything that he's saying. They're buying what he's selling, let's put it that way. And he's selling a lot and they're buying a lot. Man, They've got an unlimited budget.

The players, they are just um. The amount of inventory that they have to draw from pressures and coverages and everything else is pretty pretty staggering. And to have guys and have the confidence not one of them is going to make a mistake is very, very impressive. We said. One of the things the Bengals had to do to end this streak of five straight losses to Cleveland, don't beat yourself. Don't have a bunch of giveaways. They only had one giveaway on a deflected pass that was intercepted.

Don't have a bunch of penalties. Well, that was very much in their favor. Nine penalties ninety eight yards for Cleveland, four penalties thirty six yards for Cincinnati, and on the Bengals first touchdown drive after they had sputtered coming out of the gate on their first three diet drives. They were gifted four penalties fifty eight yards, including a roughing the punter that kept the drive alive, a thirty three yard pass interference penalty that helped the Bengals get the

ball rolling. And once they had the league, you never really had the feeling that they were going to give it up. Yeah, I agreed, Dan, I mean, they had total control of the football game, and the self destruction was significant, not by turnover like you said, just one, but hoball on four down to the Bengals. Cleveland's three for six on fourth down. So those three stops on fourth down or equivalent to turnovers, it's like, you know, a fumble that you don't there's no yardage shift or anything,

but you lose possession on the football. Three times the Cleveland Browns ended up possession without a kick, without a punt, extra pointer, field goal. That's huge. So in my mind, the Bengals were plus three in that football game in terms of, you know, the one takeaway and then the three fourth down stops the Bengals they weren't involved in any fourth down action that way, they had the one giveaway.

And the other thing was in the first game Cleveland went four for five in the red zone five trips, four touchdowns today one for three, major difference. The Bengals went two for three, got their three times scored twice, and they were one for one in the low red zone and the gold situation, Cleveland was over in that goal to goost situation. That was one of the fourth

down stops. So, I mean, that's impressive. I thought that, you know, this game was going to come down to again who was more physical at the line of scrimmage in particular, and I thought the Bengals won the let the line of scrimmage again, I really do. I thought they controlled things up front and it's it's impressive to watch it. And the Bengals, you know, they did have a little bit of a boy I got to navigate this ship back on course when you know, some key

players go down. Tyler Boyd. I asked Zach in the post game the extent of the injury, and he said that there was a dislocation, but they, you know, want to make sure there's nothing more than that. And you know, obviously as a receiver that's a real problem. So I wonder how much time, if any, he's gonna miss I mean, if they get it put back in place and there's no fracture. But if there's some soft tissue damage, you know,

what do you do? Do you splint them together? There's there's ways to go ahead and go out there and playing. He's a tough guy. I think he's probably gonna try to play if he possibly can, particularly with the football teams playing five straight wins, seven out of eight, you know, nine out of eleven, they're on a run. There's no question. Do you have a theory for me on what Kevin Stefanski was thinking on the opening drive. They marched down the field eight plays, fifty one yards. It's fourth and

one at the Bengals twenty five. They decide to go for it. They take to Shaun Watson out, they put Jacoby Brissette in. He's under center. I'm thinking, well, maybe they think he's better at the quarterback sneak or something like that. He drops back and throws it into the end zone incomplete, his only play of the day. What on godscreen earth were they doing? I have no idea. I really don't. I mean I cannot. That one is mind boggling. I'm thinking, well, maybe he's that much better

in the hard count than Watson is. I'm thinking, maybe he's going to try to draw him, you know, and it's like, all right, well, maybe the fact that he's substituting a quarterback. Oh there's a special play that might get them amped up even more to jump offside. But you know, they held their water well, and I'm thinking, you know, why take a guy that quarterback sneak? He's better at quarterback run game, He's better at you know, you go to the perimeter with a two way go

with chubbing Watson. I mean, you know, there's there's so many other things you can think of that they might try to do on that fourth down play. Um, maybe even you know, some sort of a gadget play that they had in their playbook somewhere on the game plan. But to just just to run a street drop back and heave it to the corner of the end zone. I was like, Wow, I don't that that one is

mind bagging. I'm gonna be very interested here what Stefanski has to say on that explanation, because that one, that one was crazy. I'm thinking, first question in the Cleveland postgame news conference, I agree wholeheartedly. There's no doubt. You know, my first thought was maybe they were going wildcat and they just hadn't repped it with Watson, and obviously they didn't, but that was the first thing that came to mind for me. Yeah, I mean that that's another another potential out.

But then you would think, you know, they'd have hunt in chub in there, you know, both of their backs, and if you're wildcat, and because now you have got their quarterbacks out there, he's a waste, you know, he's just out there doing nothing, and they didn't do I mean, it was weird just the way though. He just run in the quarterbacks on and off the field, no other substitutions, Like,

what the hell? Crazy? All Right, So next week it's off to Tampa, probably the last warm weather game until the Bengals go to Arizona for the Super Bowl, he says, hopefully, but probably realistically and honestly, the one and only time that Joe Burrow and Tom Brady will go ahead to head. Yeah. And I think there's so many similarities between those two guys, I really do. I mean, not the way they came

into league. Obviously, you know, one came in as a sixth round pick, the other one came in as a Heisman Trophy, first pick of the draft kind of guy. But but the way they approached the game, what the game means to him, their protocol of preparation, it's, uh, you know, it's second to none. And I think there were more similarities to than than differences in what they think about the game, how they think about the game, how they play the game. There's just a lot of things. Obviously,

Joe's much more mobile than Tom. Tom is just he's from Jump Street, pocket quarterback. Only we saw again today. You know, Joe Burrow can hurt you with his feet and legs, there's no doubt. And I thought a big factor in the game today was going to be who when the first play is taken away, how do you create an extend on additional plays? Joe Barrow had an eight yard run on a scramble. He kept plays alive, you know, manipulating the pocket. So Tom Brady's not going

to do that stuff. Tom Brady is as good as there is ever though, in getting the ball out of his hand right now. I mean, he's an offensive lineman's best friend. It's like two point three five, you know, and it's out. I mean you can almost whiff and get beaten, and he's going to have the ball out at those kind of numbers, and Joe's very similar to that. Joe gets the ball out, but if he doesn't like it, you know, he can, you know, go to a second play and create a second play. Tom doesn't do that,

but nobody reads the field better than Tom Brady. Joe burrows right there though, and then makes a quick decision based on assimilating that information so rapidly, and it's nine point nine percent of the time the right decision. It's it's incredible to watch those two guys just see the field deliver. It's amazing. The AFC North is three and oz against Tom Brady. This year, Steelers, Ravens, Browns all beat Tampa Bay. We'll see if the Bengals can make

it four for four sweep. How about a divisional sweep? That would be big Man Tom Brady at forty nine ers on the road and then the Bengals come down to Tampa Bay Man and that, you know, it looked like they're gonna be a you know, a slam dunk playoff team. Now it's going to be very interesting depending on what happens in San Francisco here later today, is he playing for a playoff opportunity? I mean, will this be a must win situation for Tom Brady. That's a

tough opponent when you're in a must win situation. And Joe Burrow reminds me of Tom Brady two in the fact that when the game's on the line, fourth quarter, he's like otherworldly. Brady has been that way his whole career. I mean, Brady's got what forty four come from behind victories. I think it is ridiculous. Joe Burrow can do that kind of thing. I don't know if he's going to play a thousand years like Brady, but I mean he

can do the same thing. The great ones play their best at the most important times, the most necessary times to play their best. They realize it and step up and do it, and they do it at a high percentage of the time. And these two are two of the best ever doing it. Tampa Bay's game in San Francisco turned out to be a disaster. The bus got blown out thirty five to seven. Is Tom Brady threw a pair of interceptions. Tampa Bay is six and seven and yet still in first place in the NFC South,

one game ahead of Carolina ended Atlanta. The Bengals open as a three point favorite for next Sunday. Finally, time for this week's fun Facts interview, where we get to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts with Joe Bacchi from brook Park, Ohio, a little bit south of Cleveland. Your dad, Joe Senior, was a concrete worker and a football coach, and he says that he brainwashed you from an early age. What did you

learn from your dad? My dad saw me a lot in my life, him and my mom and my dad. He always pushed toughness, you know, mental toughness well as physical toughness, and kind of everything you do. We're a real blue collar family, kind of that whole hometown brook Park areas like that. And I think that's kind of how I play my game, and that's how I've tried to you know, my work ethic and how I approached

a lot of things. It's just you know, your mental toughness and just coming up with that blue collar mindset every day. It sounds like he coached you in just about everything. And it also sounds like he wasn't the type of guy that if you struck out three times, it was going to pat you on the back and say, that's okay, son, Yeah that I never really got the pad on the back, that's okay. I'll tell you that.

He was definitely always a little harder. I mean, he was my coach in basketball, baseball, football from I would say six seven eight years old all the way through high school. He was always my coach. And by the time high school was ending, I was probably ready for it to be over with him being my coach. But you know, I wouldn't change anything about it, for sure.

So I read that as a junior in high school, you're playing linebacker and tight end and there's a game where the starting running back gets hurt in the pregame warm ups, so they throw you in there at running back. You didn't even really know the plays, right, I can remember it. We get we actually was right on the bus.

He goes, hey, I don't think our running back and go today, And I said, and I used to play it all the time, and I enjoyed playing running back for sure, and he just goes, all right, we just got no inside zone, right, we got no power, we got a no counter. I'm like, all right, that'll work. But yeah, that was definitely a fun game. It was a muddy game, and you know, the six touchdown game. It felt good for sure, playing a little running back again.

Five touchdown runs, one touchdown reception not bad, yep, I'll take it. I was. Yeah, I was kind of all over the place and offense back in high school. I thought I was an offensive guy. I always did. I never never really wanted to continue to play defense. But the smart decision was the transition to that linebacker and play linebacker for visiting with Joe Bacchi. So where you grew up near Cleveland is Ohio state country. Sounds like you would have loved to have been a Buckeye. It

didn't work out that way. How disappointing was that? Uh? It was? It was definitely disappointing for sure. Um, I loved everything about Michigan State, don't get me wrong at all. I m We went down for a junior day. You know, I knew a couple of guys down. There was me and my mom, my dad, and I think we drove two hours down, probably only stayed for about an hour and a half, turned around, drove two hours back. You know, once you know, they kind of had their mind made up.

They're going in a different direction, and you know, I got that message. It was, you know, it was time to move on. And once that happened, uh, you know, that was definitely motivation moving forward for the next four or five years and into college. And like I said, I love Michigan State though. That was a perfect spot for me. Just a hard nose old school coach d Antonio ken manny how they run everything there when I

was there, it was a perfect program for me. You had a great career, you were a two time captain. Folks around here no and love Mark D'Antonio from his time at the University of Cincinnati. What was the highlight of your Michigan State experience. I know this is kind of cliche, but I think it was just the guys, Like I had no complaints about any of my friends, you know, and it made go into the buildings so

much fun every day and we enjoyed it. And that's kind of what I get with this team a little bit. There's a lot of the guys are just you know, we're all friends, like we like to We enjoy being around each other, and that's what really makes football fun. And you know, in Michigan State, it was every day with me and my roommates were out there. He's starting defensive end, my other one's a safety, that that one was a quarterback the old line, and you know, it

was just a great experience there. Like I said, I wouldn't change any of it. You didn't get drafted after playing at Michigan State, but a lot of teams were interested in signing you as a college free agent. You started out with the Saints on their practice squad, then you got picked up by the Eagles, and you made your debut for Philly in December of twenty twenty. What do you remember about taking the field in that first game and knowing that you had made it to the NFL?

That was That was a weird week for me when they came and when they picked me up that Monday morning they claimed me off the practice squad and I get up there. It was weird because COVID I wasn't allowed to go into the building at all during Philly, so I didn't get to go meet anyone until Sunday when we were playing actually New Orleans, so I didn't go to the building one time. First time seeing everyone was actually in the stadium in the locker room on Sunday,

and I was like, all right, here you go. You're gonna kickoff return and punt return to start, and it was it was definitely sounding like I said, I'm not going to forget that because that it was just a wild experienced the whole COVID situation anyways, in twenty twenty as a whole. But yeah, that that's not how I pictured it happening, But you know, you'll take it anyway. At this point, what was your reaction to getting picked up by Cincinnati the next year? Like I said, I'm

from Cleveland, I was a Browns fan growing up. That kind of wore off one thing at the college. You know, there's a lot of Detroit games on. I was itchin state, and you know, I really just whatever team is gonna pick me. If I was the NFL wasn't be great and I didn't know what to expect it I came here.

I just knew this is already my third team and basically a year and a half and you know, I got to prove, you know that I'm willing to you know, I'm a guy that can play in this league and ever since I've been here, you know, I've enjoyed it more and more every day, and a lot of the guys in there just made it a lot easier for me to transition over here, for sure. So last year, you moved into the starting lineup during a stretch where Logan Wilson was hurt, and in your second game you

got hurt. You tore your ACL at Denver. It was on the same play where Teddy Bridgewater had to be carted off and a mobilized, so kind of the focus was on him, and obviously you were in pain as well. I watched the replay. I couldn't really tell how it happened. It wasn't like your knee collided or anything like that. That was a weird experience for me, just because I've never had a true serious like knee injury like that

knock on wood. But yeah, when that happened, I knew something was wrong, so I haven't had that feeling before. And it was just off a little plant. I kind of was baiting him in cutting back and I was hoping he was going to do that, so it was it happened. I put my left foot in the ground and I felt it and I put my shoulder on. I mean, it kind of going over top of me, but I knew it right away something was wrong. I walked off the field. I remember walking back into the

locker room. You know, I got up relatively quick cause I just was freaking out on the field. This goes back to my dad when I was younger and never been laying on the field. So when I was down, that's all I could think about, You gotta get off the field now. So I remember going back into the X ray room. I take a look up at the screen and Teddy was being carted off, and I'm like, what's going on. I had no idea he got hurt on the same play and they're like, no, it's still

the same play. I'm like, oh my god, this was That was a messbul play. But yeah, that's not a great feeling when that happened. What was the toughest part of rehab for you? The mental part of it for sure, and just being consistent. You know, how many times can you do these same exercises over and over and over again during the week, and you're doing the same type stuff four or five days a week, and you're really you gotta push it because you gotta get your muscles

all back and you get everything working again. But I said it was the mental part of it, and pushing through a lot of it taught me a lot about myself. All right, let's hit some wildcard categories now for Joe Bacci. Who is your all time favorite athlete in any sport? And why I got two? I was a big Peyton Manning fan growing up. That's what I alse thought I

was gonna play quarterback. But then being from Cleveland, I was always a Lebron fan and he was always like, you know, as a kid in Cleveland, you're playing basketball, you're being Lebron James out there in the backyard or whatever it is. And he was kind of a guy that I always, you know, enjoyed watching for sure. Were you able to attend Browns, Calves, Indians games things like that? Is kid? Uh, we didn't. I think that time we actually played in Cleveland this year is probably my third

time in that stadium ever, Like we never went. It was you know, you pay for parking, then you pay for me and my brother and my dad. It's I'm gonna get a drink and something. Just spending a couple hundred bucks there. You know, weird never knew that we were watching the game from the couch at home on Sundays. But I got to a couple of Indians games, a couple of Calves games, just from no one people and

having some connections there back home. When the Cavs finally won the NBA title, what did that mean to you as a Clevelander. I was actually in college. I enrolled early, left high school early, so all my buddies were just finishing up high school and they were all downtown sending me videos and everything that was going on. It was

chaos down there. I'm actually glad I wasn't down there and then for the parade and all that, but I aren't being at Michigan State and you know and watching with my roommates at the time, and I lost my mind when they wanted, you know, come back from three one like that, and for the city of Cleveland, that was awesome. Do you have any hidden talents? I don't, But I wish if I was talented anything. I wish I could sing. I do it enough where I should be better, but I'm just not. I just don't have

a singing voice. I would say in the shower, though, Are you belting it out when there are no witnesses? Yeah, I'm great in the shower and usually in the truck alone. I'm pretty good at it to singing some country songs, but other than that, I you know, maybe on the boat when everyone's singing, I'll be singing a little bit. But that's about it for me. What do you like to spend your money on? Really nothing. We are trying to save up right now, me and my girlfriend. But

I'm not a big designer brand anything. You know. I still got the same pair of shoes I kind of wear to the billity of the best two years. I don't really change my style much. If there's one thing that gets me every time I walk in there, every time I walk into Lulu Lemon, for some reason, I ended up grabbing a couple of things and it's a little pricey in there. Do you get annoyed when people

mispronounce your last name? It's happened my entire life, you know, Bacchi, Bacchi whatever you hear over there, and it's I'd like to know. At this point, I'm hoping people are starting to know my name by now that it's Joe Bacci. They should. I hope so, especially in college, and I have the wrong in college, but come on, I'm one of the better players. I think in the Big Ten. You got to know my name by now, but I hope they know it by now. All right, Final fun fact,

This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, actor, statesmen, whoever that person might be, who would you want to meet? I like to think of some historical figure, but then I always go back to, like I would really like to meet Mark Wahlberg. I think I feel like that'd be an interesting person to meet and sit down with. Um, maybe i've dinner, maybe have a drink with him and talk with him. See. I feel better now because when I think about this

question for myself, my guy is Steve Martin. I love Steve Martin, and I feel guilty like it should be George Washington. So I feel the same way, like I could. I could definitely do that, but I just for some reason that kind of always goes back to that, or you know someone else who I think would just be a good time. That's That's kind of where I'm going with this. I want to who would be a good time to sit down with and talking. I feel like

he'd be an interesting person. Mark Walburg. Yeah, Mark Walburg, there it is, Joe. I appreciate your time. Thank you very much. Best to look the rest of the year. Thank you. I appreciate it. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Pooth podcast, presented by Cattering 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 Paycord, 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