Bengals Booth Podcast: Thriller

room interviews and analysis from my broadcast partner Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's fun Facts segment, I'll talk to team president Mike Brown about Zach Taylor's leadership, his first ever meeting with Joe Burrow, and swapping books with Ted Carriss. 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. 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 a Biscoff cookie dipped in coffee. If you've been on an airplane in the last twenty years or so, chances are you've had a biscoff cookie. It's that small, rectangular, crunchy cookie that's served up by flight attendants as a free snack. Now

here's where I stand on the biscoff. If you just eat it out of the package, it's nothing special. But if you dip it in coffee, it becomes magnificent. I've only recently learned that the word biscoff is a combination of biscuit and coffee. So if you haven't tried it already, the next time you're on an early morning flight, try the biscoff dipped in coffee. Trust me, it's vastly superior to stale pretzels. Now, let's get to the highlights of

a Sunday night thriller in the Jungle. This will be a thirty nine field goal attempt from the left hash for Evan McPherson out of the hold of Drew Chrisman cal Adamitas ready to snap it back. McPherson is set to snap the placement the right footed kick, a high spinning end over end get right down the middle. Evan McPherson picks up where he left off in the playoffs last year when he was a perfect fourteen for fourteen. The Bengals take more than six and a half minutes

off the clock and taken early three nothing lead. Hutley in the gun, He'll to his right, four down lineman for Cincinnati. He'll goes in motion out to the right. Hutley throws in the traffic, intercepted Hogan. Wilson on his feet blunting it back. Make that a Keem Davis Caither with the pick and he gets tackled at the forty five yard line of Baltimore. About that Burrow in the gun, mixing back on the field, Burrow extends the hands he has the ball, drops back from the fourteen throws get

hot by Chaff touchdown goal. He caught it at the one, spun around and charged into the end zone for the Bengals first touchdown of the night. And I'll tell you the Bengals are saying, Mr Chase, instead of working on the edges, We're gonna put you between the hash marks from the numbers. You're gonna do damage in the middle of the football field. You're too big and strong for the Baltimore Ravens third and goal from the two. Huntly

to throw swing the gold to the right. Tobbins extending the ball and he gets the edge over the goal line for a Baltimore touchdown. Man. That was a good play by him, just to get that ball extended before his knee hit the ground. Three receivers right, two to the left, shotgun snap to Joe Burrow. It's a four man rush deep drop. Burrows scrambling to the right, his throw caught by hers running to the forty forty five. Oh ball comes out ball. The Ravens have started celebrating.

They think they have it at the Cincinnati forty four yard line, twenty two yards from the right hash. His kick is on the way and it is good to give the Ravens a one point lead with seven seconds left in the half. So the Ravens are going to stack the defense right over the ball to try to take away the quarterback sneak. Joe Burrow with five touchdown runs this year, including one against Baltimore. He tries to quarterback sneaks, he gets pushed in behind. There's a penalty

flag down. It is a touchdown for Burrow. We'll see if it stands. Let's see if the Ravens crowded the line of scrimmage too much and lined up off sides because the flag came up after the snap of the ball. If it was a movement on the offense, would have blown it. Deaf Yeah, defense up in the neutral zone. Then vote for the plays. There's a touchdown. Yeah, So one yard touchdown for Joe Burrow and the Bengals have the lead with five or two left here in the

third quarter. The ball is on the left hash a lot of room to roll to the right for Burrow if he wanted to try that p ride in the backfield. Wilcox goes in motion, Burrow drops back to throw. Now he rolls right, gestures toward the end zone. Burrow throws caught by te Higgins. He ran away from Marcus Peters heavy makes the catch for the two point conversion. Second down and ten at the Cincinnati forty one. Cobbins back in at running back. Two receivers to each side of

the formation. Single high safety has Huntley pump fakes. Now he'll throw it to Marcus Robinson wide open. He makes the catch and runs it into the end zone. Wow, boy, that time Eli Apple and Jesse Bates. Somebody blew the coverage obviously. I mean it was a double move down the football field, all biased, lonesome third down and goal from the one. Huntley sticks the ball out. The Bengals

have the ball. They are running it back Sam Hubbard, who had blockers behind him, Hobbard of the Ravens forty, the thirty, the twenty, the ten, the four touched Bengals. Tyler Huntley tried to extend the ball over the goal line. It got poked away. Sam Hubbard scooped it up and ran the length of the field for a go ahead Bengals touchdown. He tried to pull a Trevor Lawrence and the Bengal said no. They slapped it out of there.

Logan Wilson punched the ball out of the hands of Tyler Huntley and right into the hands of Sam Hubbard. And boy the Logan Wilson, others. Everybody was swatting it at that football and Sam Hubbard says, I'll take it to the house. Huntley surveys the defense too deep safeties for the Bengals. Huntley from the pocket he sacked brought down at the thirty nine yard line. By b Jay Hill big time, and I'll tell you Logan Wilson was involved again. Logan Wilson's having a hell of a second half.

Huntley in the gun, Justice Hill in the backfield with him eight seconds to go, the Bengals up by seven, shotgun snap, Hutley back to throw Hendricks and rushing. He floated toward the end zone into a crowd, batted down head gun player the cocket zero and the Bengals are heading the Buffalo unbelievable. You know, you know these division battles are gonna come down to the last play, and that's exactly what happened. Came down to the final snap.

Unbelievable football game. Again, a defensive score wins the game. James pro she had a shot at that tip ball in the end zone, but it hit the turf and that is coffin nails. Bam bam on to Buffalo, and boy, you talk about a game that's gonna have a bunch of storylines. Man of hivits Bengals and Buffalo Bills. After what happened here in Cincinnati on Monday night. Goodness gracious,

the whole world will be watching that one. There are Cincinnati Sports fans who proudly say I was there the night Tom Browning through his perfect game, or the night Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb's record, or I survived the Freezer Bowl. Well, in this case, more than sixty six thousand people can say I was there the night Hubbard took it to the house. His ninety eight yard touchdown is the longest fumble recovery score in NFL playoff history.

And he spoke to Dave Lapham after the game, Sam, congratulations, history. Ninety eight yard from will return touchdown, longest in NFL history. And you do it in a playoff game on national television. You're an international celebrity. Al right, place right, Tom, That's really all it was Logan Wilson making a hell of a play. The ball fell right in my lap, that's all you know. Going back even before that, Jesse to hustle and make the tackles two yard line instead of saying,

you know, I cheez, you know it's a touchdown. Just never given up on a play, and then you guys, never given up on the goal line sequence. That just defines this football team, doesn't it. Yeah, you put it in a nutshell, you know, that's our mentality across the front, the back end, linebackers. That's why I love going to war with these guys. Everybody just has that mentality that we're gonna scratch, call and do whatever. We can, never give up a yard anything free, and uh, you know

you can. You can go pretty far with a couple of guys like that. Last year in the three game playoff winning streak, you guys had a turnover to finish to close out the football game every single game and then yours wins the football game in the fourth quarter. There's six straight games. Now you guys have had a defensive takeaway in the fourth quarter that we're instrumental in winning football games. What's what's the reason for that for

you think? I think we got a lot of you know, amazing players on offense, but as a defense, we consider ourselves a heart and soul of this team. And you know, whenever they're we're in a bond, we put it on us to make a play. And uh, you know whoever it is, von Bell, Jesse, Logan ord lion Um, you know that's on us. And we call ourselves a clean up clue for a reason. Any fire that's on the field, we put it out and we don't bat a eye. Have you been a part of a smarter football team?

You guys do so much defensively and so many position less players that can do so many things. Have you ever been associated with a smarter group defense? No, it was a big challenge for us to play the Ravens back to back. You know, they do so much schematically. That's schematically to give us problems and we are problems solving on the field. Um talking to our coaches working together. Uh, you know that's chemistry from just a million reps together. Oh.

I know my grandson Cam, he loves you. He went to your foot fault camp and I know he's probably in bed at this time, but he is gonna go nuts when he sees the highlight of this hero. Sam Hubbard too, I ain't seen it. It's unbelievable. I think you're running probably a four to five US. Yeah, well they knocked me for that four nine of the combine, but yes, it doesn't matter now. Sure doves and congratulations man.

The Bengals Booth podcast dis 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. The thrilling went over Baltimore came with a cost, as Cincinnati lost left tackle Jonah Williams due to a left knee injury late in the second quarter. No word on the severity yet, but twenty two year old Jackson Carmen finished the game in

his place. Last week, right guard Alex Kappa went down, and two weeks before that it was right tackle l Collins. The only starters left on the offensive line right now, our rookie Cordell Volson and center Ted carriss I. Talked to Ted after the game, let's playoff football. Things are never easy, and you guys managed to do what you had to do to move on. Yes, we did. And you know, that's a great defense, that's a great team.

You know we had to play. We had to beat a good team twice in a row, and that's hard to do. So a lot of guys stepped up, a lot of guys played really well, good enough to win. I'd love to put it out a little bit earlier on offense, but our defense has been making plays like that for us all years. So when it counted the most they came through. Since the fifteenth game of the year. You've lost three fifths of the starting offensive line, but

haven't lost a game. Talk about what the other guys have done and how you guys have managed to pull it out. We'll shout out to Max Sharpings first start as a Bengal played great. A team is playing a mazing and Jackson Carmen had come in and spot us

at left tackle and did a fantastic job. I think it's a testament to how hard the guys work and pay attention in our room and our unit, the way that Frank and Derek Frazier developed guys, and you know how everyone is bought in and willing to go as hard as they can for the cause, and our cause is winning. Were you watching the Sam Hubbard run back or were you, you know, meeting with a fellow offensive lineman and getting ready for the next series. We were

getting ready, we were talking about a specific look. I looked up when Sam was at our own ten. What a fantastic play, probably one of the best plays of franchise history. So unbelievable, What a what a night. Get to go to high Mark Stadium here in a week play. The Buffalo bill is excited. What do you think of the atmosphere here tonight? Electric, unbelievable, the fans here. I'm so glad we could deliver them a win. They've been an advantage all season and looking forward to potentially another

game here. But if not, what a fantastic season at pay Corps. We might have to be road dogs to make it all the way, at least for one week. You will. Congratulations on the winner, Thank you so much. As it is possible that the Bengals could have one more home game if they win at Buffalo next week and Jacksonville upsets Kansas City, the Bengals would host the Jags in the AFC Championship game. With their battered offensive line, it was tough to move the ball against the Ravens

outstanding defense. Joe Burrow finished with two hundred nine passing yards, including eighty four on nine catches for Jamar Chase, but the Bengals really struggle to run the ball, finishing with fifty one yards on eighteen carries. That's two point eight yards per attempt. I caught up with Joe Mixon second straight year with a playoff win that had never done before in this franchise's history. How does it feel tonight? Feel great? Man? You gotta always enjoy the Dubs, especially

playoff wins. It's hard to come by, you know, It's hard to win in this league, especially let alone in the playoffs. But I thought our crowd did a hell of a job showing up and showing out, supporting us and our whole team delivering the best way we can. So it's a blessing and on to the next round we go. What's your heart jumping out of your chest? As Sam Hubberd started running down the field, No, I was just like, go, go, go, But I mean, hey, you can take them how you get him, and anybody

would take him how to get it. So, like I said, it's a it's a. It's a great feeling for Sam, and I'm happy for him, and he's gotta keep on pushing through. We got a big one next week. They only get bigger, so he's gotta keep on keeping on. The offensive line has lost three of its Vibe starters since week fifteen, But you guys haven't lost the game. What do you think of the job that those guys

are doing under tough circumstances? Yeah, man, the best thing, like I said, keep saying, the best thing we have is death. I mean, I hate to say it, but at the same time, like, um, you know, people that's been getting in, they've been delivering in a big way. Man. So everybody got their work cut out. Everybody gotta do what they can to study film or be able to jail together. But we just gotta keep on doing our thing. But it's gonna be tough, but we just gotta keep on.

That's it. Guys are heading to Buffalo next week because it kind of feels like you got these two teams were meant to play in the postseason. I don't know. I mean, at the end of the day, we knew at some point who was gonna have to play. You know, some team that was tough and they're a tough, alass team and so was the Ravens, you know what I'm saying. So, like I said, we're gonna we're gonna enjoy this one the night and tomorrow we're gonna get on the Buffalo.

But I'm gonna enjoy this one the night for sure. Congrats hating to win, Yes, I appreciate it. Bengos Booth Podcast hast is brought to you by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health.

Visit Kettering health dot org to learn more. With four postseason wins in the last two years, Zach Taylor now has the most playoff wins of eddie coach in Bengals history. Sam White had three. Coach Taylor spent a few minutes with Dave Lapham after the game. We'll take it, you know, And these playoff games are never easy. It's always a worthy opponent. You blend in the AFC North with a playoff game, and you're going to get a pretty ugly, messy game at times. But our guys figured out a way.

You get it done. Man, When Sam Hubbard first of all three things, Jesse hustles his tail off and makes the tackle's two yard, there's a fourteen point tackle, keeps them out of the end zone, and ultimately gives you a defensive score for the second week in a row. Logan will send football Aware, Sam Hubbard, Football Aware, what was going through your mind with Sam was hucking and bucking down to the field. Let's go, you know, get

someone blocked for him, because I could see. I think it was Mark Andrews, you know, was closing ground pretty good. But but Sam found a way to make one of the biggest plays in Cincinnati Bengals history, you know, in a home playoff game like that, the hometown kid, that's a special way to do it. It really is. Ninety eight yard fumble return touchdown, longest in NFL history. He'll be an icon and a legend forever. About two weeks in a row, your defense scores touchdowns. Hadn't happened for

him all year. But the one thing about him, they never quit on a play. I mean, these guys just stay after it, no matter what it may seem like, oh boy, that forget that it doesn't have They just never quit on it. Now, they never quit, you know, And that's that's what's made this defense so special. The second half defense this year. I think it's a perfect example of happening in the playoffs. It's been happening all

year and so um this is no different. They were ready for the stage and they made some big plays where you needed the Baltimore Raven defense. There's no joke. I mean that's you can go through every defense statistic and they're in the top five and a ton of them, top three and a ton of them. What were they doing today? Were they making adjustments? Were they just executing well? Was it a combination? It said, you know, that's a challenge. You're not gonna give up explosive poise. They try to

do enough to keep everything underneath. Our guys made enough poise to get us the points on the board. You know, late in the game, we had a sack and hold and some things that put us put us back a little bit, but our guys kept fighting. You called it, you said, it's gonna be one of those games. We're gonna get very few possessions. I mean, neither team is going to have, you know, multiple possessions during the course of the football game. And it unfolded pretty much exactly

the way you anticipated, didn't it It does? You know, every time you play them, you already know what the script is going to be. And you gotta win the turner battle, and we won it two to one, and so you win by one possession, and there's no secret sauce to this. That's just the way it goes. So what about I know it's obviously early and probably unfair to ask, but from an injury standpoint, how severe do

you think it is to Jonah? Hard to tell, you know, I really don't know yet, So we'll just have to see where it's at tomorrow. Football can be cruel. I mean, you go through a good part of the season, your entire offensive line plays every snap together, then bam, bam bam, three of them, and I mean it's a tribute to Frank and getting everybody else ready and those guys stepping up and doing the best they possibly can. Yeah, that's

just the way it goes, you know. And so we got to have these guys ready at all times, and they're gonna be called upon to play against some good players and some good defenses, and that's why they're here. So final question, I appreciate you giving us this opportunity. You're going to ball to Buffalo beat Baltimore going to Buffalo obviously, I mean, it wasn't that long ago where it was trauma for everybody, and the way you handled

yourself again was just extraordinary. What goes through your mind as you start to think about preparing for the Buffalo Bills in this playoff game, well, you know, it felt like we started to play them obviously, and uh, there's a lot of things. Obviously we're prepared for it. It'll be interesting. We've never been in a situation like that where you only play half a quarter and then you got to watch these last two games they played and see what adjustments you gotta make. But it's it's a

very worthy opponent. You know, they've had a great year, they're well coached, they've got great players. We got a lot of respect for them, and we know it's going to be a battle when we go out there. And I guess I lied one last question. I mean the crowd tonight was phenomenal. Again, I mean it was extraordinary. And to have that advantage of that twelve thirteen, fourteenth man or whatever at home. Now you have to go to Buffalo, where you know you got the mafia up there.

It's going to be crazy and you've got, you know, some young offensive linemen, some inexperienced offensive lineman deal and crowd noise and all that. And I'm not telling you anything, you don't know it. I mean, these are these are major challenges, aren't they. Yeah, we'll have to make do, and but we do appreciate our fans. You know, they really turned out tonight. We're glad that we were able to get another playoff win in front of them, just like we've against the Raiders two years in a row.

You know, they were a big part of why we are able to play the way we played today. I'm glad they get to celebrate this tonight and then maybe some of them can make the trip up to Buffalo for us. So it's onto Buffalo where the Bengals are an early four point underdog. That game will be played next Sunday afternoon at three. Now time for the radio

guys recap lap. We witnessed one of the great defensive plays en franchise history, Hubbard to the house ninety eight yards on a fumble recovery, essentially to win the game. I'm still amazed by how this game turned on one play. It is. It is almost incomprehensible really when you think about it, and it does. Though. There was a sequence Jesse Bates had a fourteen point tackle. I mean he tracks down at the two yard line and instead of

allowing it to go on and score. He makes a play and then you know that's set up the goal line stand and set up the possibility for Logan Wilson to make the play that he made. Um, you know you had trying to u do it capture his inner or Lawrence and up and over and stretched the football and he just smacks it out of there and then off to the races go Sam Hubbard ninety eight yards NFL record. I mean, he's an icon forever. I mean he is a legend of Cincinnati, legend, local boy, Muller

High School, Ohio State, Cincinnati Bengals. Couldn't happen to a better human being and uh, you know, a better representative of Cincinnati, the city of Cincinnati, and the organization of the Cincinnati Bengals. You had to pick a guy to say, who would you like to be on the placard on the wall for the you know, the greatest, the most memorable play in playoff history. You'd be that dude, you know.

And he was saying he was kidding about you know, you know that four nine forty I ran at the combine, he goes. I said, Sam, you looked like you were going about a four or five there, man, And he was a little worried about Andrews Mark Andrews catching him, and that was the one that had to be blocked, and they got they shielded enough for Sam to serpentine and zigzag his way in there to score. So that that was massive. I mean, it's just as we've seen

all year long with this defense. Then they've made plays were never give play of forty five yard completion, ripped the ball out of his hands. You know, when you had to have a play in the red zone to preserve a victory, strip it out of there in the low red zone. This play in the lowest of low red zone. I mean it's there's multiple, you know, game after game, example after example of this defensive football team

saying not going to give up. Yeah, the Patriots game on Christmas Eve, New England's driving in, they get the strip inside the ten yard line. You go back to the playoffs last year, interceptions on the last defensive play of all three playoff wins. That's what it takes in the postseason. Somebody's got to step up and make a defensive play. Now, they're usually not punches out at the goal line in ninety eight yard tds, but you get the point right and two straight games now against Baltimore.

I guess it must be something about the ravens on the helmets or something. They've gotten defensive scores against them when they didn't have them get anybody else. You know, all season long, they won the turnover battle two to one, but that one of those two was a record, you know, I mean it was. It was a actually game winner in every sense of the word. So you look at

it over the last couple of weeks. They won turnover battle by three in the last regular season game, and then they won this one again by one, and in the playoffs, that's you have to You have to win the turnover battle. If you lose the turnover battle, you are shovel and stand against the tide. You know, it's an uphill battle. There's no question. They've lost their right tackle, they've lost their right guard. Tonight they lose their left tackle.

Jonah Williams. Jackson Carmen has to finish up. They haven't lost any games yet, but man, the timing is unbelievably unfortunate. It is because now you know, the crowd was phenomenal. I mean, the adrenaline that the crowd generated for this football team had to be you know, if you're able to measure, it might have been a record there too.

The adrenaline was pumping through everybody. But now you have to go on the road and you have to go to Buffalo and the mafia and Buffalo and that crowd noise, and now you have an offensive line that's sixty percent of it is different. And now the right side has a game under their belt, but it was at home. They haven't experienced the din of working together in a place like Buffalo. So it is definitely an uphill swim, swimming against the tide a little bit because it's going

to be very difficult. Buffalo has a great defensive football team there. I think second and points allowed, they're good in the red zone, they're good not giving up points. It's going to be a challenge to handle their talent coupled with the crowd noise. That makes it even more difficult because when they're at home with the crowd noise, it seems like they're faster, and they are faster because they're getting off. Your only advantage is gone. You know,

you can't you can't hear this nap count. You almost have to look in and move when they move, and usually they're a little quicker, better athletes and all that sort of thing. So it's gonna be a it's gonna be a monstrous undertaking for Frank Pollock and the Bengals offensive line to cobble something together and put together a game plan. Um, you know, they're gonna have to go out there and compete. But Miami, I mean it was all turnovers. Miami won the turnover battle and um almost

won the game as a result of it. That's what the Bengals is gonna have to do. They're gonna have to somehow create more possessions for themselves and fewer for Buffalo because Buffalo will probably take advantage of most of them. Were you surprised at all that it was Jackson Carmen getting the call as opposed to Deante Smith, Yeah, a little bit. I mean, I don't, I don't know what the deal is with with Deonte Smith. I mean I

think I think Deante. I know, I know he's he's had some asthmatic problems U and he was dealing with some COVID so he was having breathing issues there for a while. And I mean, I don't no, I don't. I don't know if there's a lingering effect to that, or if others just kind of passed him buy as a result of him missing you know, that time. But you know, Jackson Carmen, he did some good things and had his struggles as you would imagine in a game

like that. But man, like I said, going into that environment in Buffalo, that's going to be a much much more interesting dynamic. And I just did see Jonah leaving the locker room on crutches with a brace on that left knee, and I just yelled over to him. I said, you're all right, and he shook his head, but it didn't look like he was gonna be all right for next week's game. I mean, you know, you never know.

I mean, guys bounced back, and the treatments and all that stuff are incredible today, and these athletes are such rare specimens. And but to think that he might be able to make that dance out there in Buffalo, I think would be a stretch. This is the year three JB. As in Joe Burrow. All the old history doesn't matter anymore, playoff droughts, anything like that. The Bengals have now put together playoff victories and back to back seasons for the

first time in franchise history. Last year was the first time they had one road playoff games. Now they'rey'll try to do it again in Buffalo. Yeah, and you look at it the last two years, four and one in the playoffs, you know, I mean it's pretty good. I mean, that's that's starting to starting to make some some significant noise. There no, no, no two ways about it. So they believe, I mean, there is a there is a unification in that locker room that is special. I mean, these guys

are they just they don't think about anything negative. All they think about is the positive outcome. And they truly believe that's the way it's going to be. And they have big belief in number nine. There's no two ways about that. Um and somebody, it's it's amazing you think, all right, who's gonna make the play? Somebody's gonna Remember when we were on runs and roles as a football team, you look around in the huddling and you look at each other like, all right, well, who's the guy. Who's

the guy that's gonna make play? Lineman? We when but we'd be looking at our skill guys like, which one of these guys is going to do something that will be spectacular, And then you'd watch your defense out there. Somebody's gonna make a play. Who's gonna make the play. It's happening every week. Who's gonna be there, who's gonna do it this time? And that stuff just it gets

so contagious it's unbelievable. I would think that playing somebody other than a division rival is helpful when you're dealing with offensive line issues. At least they don't know what's coming to the same extent as the Ravens do. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I don't think anybody was surprised and how this game unfolded. Everybody knows each other cold, you know, and they muck it up. It's like, you're not going to get anything easy against this AFC North.

I mean, all the division games seem to be that way. I mean, you know, the Bengals lost their first three division games, then won the last three. The Ravens won the first three division games, then lost the last three, and you knew that it was going to be a struggle, a fight, and it was going to come down to a play here or a play there, and that's exactly

I don't think. I don't think anybody in that locker room, player or coach surprised that you're gonna have to strain and stress as much as you had to to win that football game. You ready to go eat some wings next week? Let's set those famous Buffalo wings. They are good and no question about that. If you make the trip to Buffalo and want some great wings, my recommendation is a place called Gabriel's Gate. The Bengals Booth podcast

is brought to you by Paycorps. More than twenty nine thousand customers trust pay Corps to help them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycorps dot com. Finally, it's time for this week's fun Facts interview and an episode I am sure you will enjoy. Time for a new round of fun Facts of Bengals President Mike Around. Mike, I think all of us were impressed by how Zach Taylor conducted himself and the compassion that he showed after

DeMar Hamlin collapsed. Did you see those qualities in him from the very beginning? And is it among the reasons why you hired him? We had different reasons for hiring him. One of the reasons was that he was intelligent. He's highly intelligent, he's smart, he does the right things, and he's also well versed in the past offense. Those were two of the critical things. Because we hired a young coach who hadn't had a chance to lead a team or show that he could perform at a high level.

We took a risk, but it certainly has paid off. He's a splendid coach. He's a wonderful person, and I thought it was on display to everyone in the stands and everyone that was watching went down at the event in the Buffalo game. Honest to god, he did that stuff on his own, and he took in my mind, control of the situation, put in process the solution which was the right one, and led the proceeding more than

anybody else. And there were others involved, certainly the Buffalo coach and the players got involved, and he helped get them involved, and they came up with the right answer too, and I give them great credit. Joe Burrow was one of those players. He showed great leadership and leading the captains to the buff Low locker room to meet with the Bill's players. Joe just turned twenty six last month. Do you already consider him to be one of the

best leaders this franchise has had. Boy, I think that's obvious. He is an exemplary leader. He's conscious of how to go about maintaining his position. He does a swell job of it, and everyone in this building is conscious of him and his role and how he handles it. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall the first time that you and the coaches and the front office staff met with Joe at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. The old saying is you never

get a second chance to make a first impression. What kind of first impression did Joe Burrow make on you that day? I remember that day for an odd reason. I said that Joe's trained to make him at ease. They said, Joe, you know, I used to go up to the Ohio State games and I would watch the warm ups before the game, and I thought, you really threw the ball. Well, I couldn't understand why they never played you. And he said, you couldn't understand, so he

was at ease. That's great. Many people say that a team's ideal Super Bowl window is when its quarterback is on his rookie contract. Joe was asked about that the other day and he said, the window is my whole career. Do you agree he's going to have a long career. We certainly want it to be here, and I think

his window will extend over his whole career. But there is the fact that when you don't have to pay the quarterback some jraordinary amount, that that leaves room to pay other players more, and therefore you can keep more players that are good players. That's what people are referring to there. But the homes and others of that like, they seem to make it go even after they have

gotten their paidding. We're visiting the Mike Brown. The players enjoyed victory cigars in the locker room after finishing twelve and four and winning the AFC North. Many of your fellow owners like to be in the middle of those postgame celebrations. You choose not to why. I think it's their thing and I have a role here, But it's in some sense is important, and in other ways, once the mission gets going it runs on its own. They deserve the credit. They're doing it. I'm not doing it.

I'm just sitting there watching like all the other fans are, and they do it. And I don't smoke cigars. Well, I think I still smell like the cigars from last Sunday. It definitely lingers on your clothing. You've placed a lot of trust in Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin. What do you admire in respect about Duke and his ability to lead your scouting department and help draft and sign players. Oh, we're very close to Duke. He's almost like a family

member here. We have a huge regard for him and trust in him. We talk to him openly in every way, and I'd like to think that that's returned. He knows what he's doing. He has a sister them that he's created here. We depend on it and it's a good system. It's shown that it's worth, shown that it works, and he's responsible for so much of what goes on here. The player acquisition part is now ben and delegated to him,

and he does a great job with it. Your granddaughters, Elizabeth and Caroline, have taken on significant roles and have had a big impact on the team's off the field success in areas like the Ring of Honor and social media content. What do you think they've added? Oh, I think they're special. Obviously they're my granddaughters, so I need to be restrained here and the praise I'm going to dish out. But they're very great young women. They have come in and seen some areas that could be made better.

I listened to what their thoughts were and whether it's the indoor facility, the Ring of Honor, or some things that you will never hear about. They play a role both out front and behind the scenes. They're young executives, good workers, and I'm proud of them. I thought the atmosphere before the Monday night game against Buffalo was like

the Olympic opening ceremonies. It was spectacular. Do you get a kick out of the ruler of the jungle ceremony and some of the other things that have been done to enhance the game day presentation, Well, that again is one of the things my granddaughters put into action. I'm from the old days and bring on the kickoff thinking, but I agree that it makes for fun. People enjoy it. The people that participate in it especially have fun with it.

Who's Manzada's coming back this week? And I guess you'll be the King for a day or whatever you call this guy, but it'll be fun to have him back and have him involved. One of the newcomers on the team this year, Ted Carris is a very engaging sort and if I'm not mistaken, at some point this year he noticed that you were reading on one of the team planes and he gave you a book. Was that a first? It's a first for a player given me a book. I read it. It was a good book.

And I got a bunch of books there right behind you. They're up on top of my bookcase that I offered to him, and he took a handful of them with him. He's read one of them already and come back to me to say so. But he likes to read. I like to read, and when you're a reader, it's fun to talk to other people who are readers and understand ender here why they read what they read. And you don't ever come across someone or its seldom for me that I come across someone who reads the same type

of book that you like. But he likes history books. He's more into novels than I am. But it's fun just trading books with him, in part because that is at first, they've never done that with the player before. You've got a home playoff game coming up on Sunday night against Baltimore. You've attended nearly every game home and away in this team's fifty five year history. But one game that you had to miss was last year's playoff win over the Raiders. You're under the weather at the time.

How difficult was it to not be here for that game? Well, I had COVID, so I had to stay home, and that put anyone else at risk. And I sat in my den all alone and watched that game all by myself and found it a fascinating experience because you see some things on TV that you don't see in the stadium. And it was a great game, a very exciting game.

One thing I found was that when I'm sitting there alone like that, I might get excited or emotional, but since there's no one around, they don't say the wrong thing. Yeah that's good. But it was a good experience for me, and I hope I get to see as long as I'm able, all our games in person. That's what is best. Last thing for Mike Brown at last year Super Bowl run, Wetcher appetite to get back as soon as possible. Well, it made me something of a believer. My father's phrase

that winning makes believers of us all. It instilled some confidence in me that we can do this and let's see, maybe it'll happen again. I sure hope. So it's very exciting when you get that opportunity to have a long run and go to the Super Bowl. Appreciate your time as always. Bestifuck on Sunday night, Well, thank you, I'm looking forward to it. That's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth podcast presented by Kettering Health,

the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Buy Bengals picks and Ultimate Bengals. They're free to play with tickets and signed merchandise up for grabs by Paycorps, 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