Bengals Booth Podcast: Time Flies

Hi, get everybody on danboard and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. Nah gotta watch the time because it's flying right. By addition, as the Bengals look to finish the year with a winning record, as they end the season against the Cleveland Browns. Coming up, I'll talk to DJ Reader about his injury and his status going forward.

Yeah?

Pretty good? I mean as good as it's gonna get.

I think I generally have pretty pretty good attitude about these type of things, So you know, it's.

Going good and moving around around the guys, so he's always a good time.

How does this compare to the previous time he suffered a similar.

Introg We're in the middle of COVID last time, so it's like, you know, you get used to the isolation.

And you down it's kind of a little bit more depressive this time. You know, the world's a little bit more open.

Families around, so it's lie easier to make adjustments, get things done. And I kind of like the fact that I got to stay here this time. This is the place I'm comfortable with coming in, working with the staffs, those people, you know what I'm saying. So it's always awesome to have like people that you're comfortable with now, Like at first year, we're un comfortable with everybody, so you know, I have to go back to send the dude the center, third.

And Blazer Buckley. It's just a lot of moving around.

Make me feel great at the beginning, So this time, you know, it's been it's been awesome.

The fact that you came back and were as good or better than ever, does that give you a lot of confidence that you are going to be the same player next year.

I'll be better. It'll be better than I was.

That's that's a year the progression that I take mestally anyway, I don't I don't have any doubt that I prepare and you know, be that from a mental and physical standpoint, just Lord will and just how fast that process goes, I don't know. And I'm gonna push it every day and do my best to get better every day and taking a step to do the right things put myself in advantage. But I still think I'll be a better player next year.

For visiting with DJ Reader, I don't know how much stock you put in PFF rankings, but you are the bengals highest graded defensive player this year, even a little bit ahead of Trey Hendricksonho's obviously had a great season. Did you feel like you were playing as well as you've played.

I feel like I was playing some goodball, you know, Yeah, those games where you feel obviously feel better than others. I felt like I was doing a really good job, and though I didn't not really the numbers I wanted pass rust while I feel like I.

Got a lot of pressures and won a lot of one on.

One reps especially, so I was pretty excited about just what I had done. You know, the numbers they'll come and whatever they are, and I just felt like I put a good resume on it. It kind of suck that we weren't just get on team on defense and certain things, and I really take pride in those things. But I also know that, you know, there's other people out there, and those people have to grow and with growth will come more team.

Success than those type of undy spots. So but you know, I can do better.

I can't play things better and do a whole lot of stuff better, So there's so much room for growth and improvement in my game. And from a team aspect, I think that these young guys are only going to get better just.

Another year in the system.

We played a lot of year one or two year players out there, especially in the back end. Those fits will only get better. So I was excited. I felt like, yeah, so I felt like I was playing goodball and it was good to you know, have the room with did and just play around the way we deal with the group.

That I had felt over very fiery and a lot of moments.

For a layman like me, the struggles in the run defense are hard to understand because most of the Front seven was back. It seemed like this was a group that was among the NFL's best last year and yet this year, from the very beginning, it was a struggle.

Yeah, but there's also other parts to fit and run like it.

Teams who run the ball well aren't just gonna let you play it with your five seven are You're gonna make every player.

And your team tackle and every player on the team and.

Just see the fits. You know what I'm saying, and you lose what you did. This veteran play just understanding of the game and just for our defense acts fits so little dad, So you gotta figure it out. You're thinking a little bit more. And it is what it is. There's nobody's fault. It's just the growth and growing pains of will come with the game. And you couldn't say what you want about having it beyond specific guys.

We just got to better. We gotta do better up front.

Front seven has to do better to make it a little bit cleaner for these guys in the lifeing.

But you know, you also just gotta know that's gonna happened.

People are going to have two struggles when it comes to those type of things. And it also it all works hand in hand. You can't hard to stop it and just be dominant over all the time. If it's not what m I felt like at the end of the season. You know those games probably when I got hurt, I felt like we got a couple of games in a row. We have really figured out those fits and like understood what it takes on.

You know, that's what happens.

You have those right spots and then over time you make enough of those players you're like, all right, that's what it is.

The timing of your injury was brutal, late in a contract here. I know that really bummed out your teammates and your coaches. How tough was that for you emotionally?

Oh, you know, it's tough, especially at the beginning of the emotional Then you got to kind of like process it as it is what it is. You never know what happened, how it shakes out, So it's.

Not really something that's in my control. Now. You know, ta put some good film out there.

Play football, and you always want to be able to finish the season healthy and be able to have all those cards in your hand, but like some still pretty good cards and feel really good about where I'm at, my chance.

To recover and be better. Like I said, so.

You know now to be on me and them and to figure it out and or you know, whatever it is, and.

You know it sucks you miss out on some personal things that you may want.

But you know, other than that, it was just as Minnis, I feel like, you know, I come back, I know what I'm supposed to do out.

I'll figure all the other part out. You'll be thirty in July.

It doesn't seem like there's any doubt in your mind that you aren't going to be playing in the NFL next year and beyond.

Yeah, no, it's not.

I watching guys play at like thirty four to thirty five playing goodball. Shoot, the quarterbacks seem like they're getting younger though, order they get these guys out there, especially like Stafford. You look at that guy. I'm crazy, but you know, you know you got I played a lot of good balls. Still feel young, Like you said, I'll just just be turning thirty in July, so I still got some good time ahead of me.

You know. I'm just so excited to play.

I feel like I started out some of my best years to leg but you know, only Thomas heard that.

It was a really strange year. Everybody expected the Bengals to be one of the top two or three teams in the NFL. Joe gets hurt on the second day of training camp, and it just seemed like it was a scramble to try to get where you wanted to be from the very beginning.

Yeah, and that's just the way the ball rover sometimes, you know, I think that's just it. And you come in with certain expectations and you need adversity, and you never know what that adversity is going to be. It's just got overcoming and I'm telling you know we are already overcoming. Then some things you just can't overcome exactly. But you know, stuff all like, we give ourself a chance play some goodball. Jake came in there and tore it up. Dies when your gung guys came in there

There's only a.

Certain my team may pops on the body. You always want to be nacking, but that's just the way it could crumble.

Sometimes, Man, you have been an awesome Bengal, one of the best free agents the franchise as has ever signed. And from a selfish perspective, I hope there's another Cincinnati contract to come.

Best of luck and rehabit. I appreciate the time, man, me too, I appreciate it.

Bro. I'm not alone and hoping that DJ will return to the Bengals. Here's defensive coordinator lou Anarumo.

I'd love to have DJ back, you know, love everything about him. He's such a big influence in the locker room. He's such a big influence on our defense and has done so many great things for the city, the community, and our team. You know, would really like to get him back if we can.

I mentioned DJ's high grades from Pro Football Focus. His overall grade is eighty two point two and for sake of comparison, all Pro Chris Jones of the Chiefs is at eighty two point eight. The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider by Alta Fiber future Proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level by Kettering Health the best care

Yeah, obviously we expected to be here playing for seeding, playing for the playoffs, but that's not how it worked out, and it's unfortunate. You know, we put in the work, we fought hard for a long season, and we came up short. But we still got one more game left to finish with the winning season, and that's important to us, it's important to the fans.

So we're gonna go out there and fight hard.

How about trying to get an AFC North win.

Yeah, we want that too. That's huge for us, especially against arrival like the Browns. So you know, it's a great opportunity to finish season on the high note. I know we finished in twenty nineteen with the home win against the Browns and we went two and fourteen that year. But that was really good momentum going in the off season.

A strange year.

Expectations were so high and from the very beginning it just didn't seem like things are going to fall you away.

Yeah, it was.

It was a difference, was stranger, like you said, from Joe going down early in training camp, all types of stuff happening. You know, you just name all the things that happen. It seems like it's just crazy. But that's the life in the NFL. That's every year is going to go, not how you draw it up, how you expect it, and that's what we signed up for.

Guys always leave at the end of the year, whether it's free agency, whatever. Is there a feeling of this might be the last time this group of guys gets to play together.

I think everyone knows now that it's there's no playoffs, this last week together, so we're gonna enjoy each other to.

The locker room.

We have the time we have because no matter what things are gonna change next year, every year it's a totally different team.

That's just how it goes.

So I think guys understand that are gonna, you know, take this time to enjoy each other and work hard together.

I think there was a five game stretch where Joe was fully healthy beat some of the best teams in the NFL. Do you leave the season feeling okay when he's back, this is still one of the NFL's best teams.

Yeah, no doubt.

Like like you said, that stretch, we were playing some really, really good football in the middle of the year, and you know, it's all about playing the best football at the right time of the year. This year, we played it in the middle of the season when we need to be playing it at the end of the year. And yeah, we have all the all the confidence in the world and the guys we have in this locker room when we're all together, So getting him back is

What we all drew up.

And for me, this offseason, I'm gonna be thinking I was trying to get back to where we were the last two years and finishing the job. So I think a lot of guys have them mine set too.

To put the twenty twenty three season in perspective. I caught up with the greatest Bengal of all time this week, Hall of Famer Anthony Munos. What do you think they're playing for against Cleveland on Sunday.

Well, let's put it this way, interstate rivalry, pride, and just to have a positive filling in your mouth when you head into the offseason to get ready. You know, it's that last game is always the one that's going to give you a sour taste or say, hey, we finished on a good note, let's build on it.

There have been positives this year, and one of the biggest is that they know definitively that they have a good backup quarterback. And Jake Browning, what did he show you in the last month and a half.

He wasn't rattled, you know, And I like that with the young guy when you come in and you know you're filling in some big shoes and you just aren't rattled. And he showed me his smarts and being able to just play within the system. And that was a good thing about it. You know, you talk about a backup, and that's always nice to have, especially when you have someone the caliber of Joe. You never know what's going to happen, and you get Jake coming in and he does pretty well.

So I was happy to see that.

So many things have to go right for a team to win a Super Bowl, and for this season for the Bengals, the adversity started on day two of training camp when Joe Burrow strained his calf. How difficult is that for professional football player when you're riding that roller coaster all season long.

I think it makes it even more difficult when it's the most important player on your team.

You know, Joe Burrow is a man. I'll tell you what you know.

And I'm sure when that happened, you know, I talked about it earlier.

When that happened, it.

Was kind of like, oh, even though you knew it's going to be back, you just hate to see that at the beginning of the season with such high expectations. And first of all, you know, for me, in my humble opinion, you know things are going to get started slowly anyway, because of just the nature of the Beast not playing any preseason. You have to work your way into it. Now you have, you know, Joe not there,

As we take stock of this season and look ahead to twenty twenty four, what are some areas that you would like to prioritize for this team to reach its potential going forward.

Well, first of all, if we can just talk about back up again. You know, you talk about Jake Brown, and let's talk about Chase Brown. I mean the kid, and I you know, I tell people you can see somewhat of a guys can do in the preseason, but the way he played, I thought that was great, not only for the team, but I thought it was excellent for Joe Mixon.

You know, having someone nipping at his heels. They're doing pretty well.

So, you know, again, you talk about Jake being a backup, and I was impressed with Chase Brown. Where you know, we look look for in the you know, in the offseason, as far as the team. You know, I think maybe again it's an area that was overhauled. I think we still need to continue to work on that offensive line. I think to really and for me, it's more consistency.

Let me follow up on that big left tackle Orlando Brown Junior, because you two had a memorable zoom chat prior to the season, and I know he considers it an honor to play your former position. What did you think of Orlando in his first year in a Bengals uniform.

I enjoyed watching them, you know.

If there's and I always looking, I love to give all the positives, so I love watching. If there's just one area where I would say, you know, again as an offensive line, is just pad level a little lower for big You know, he's a big man, and I understand when you're six ' eight it's tougher to get low compared to a guy that's sixty three six four sixty five.

But if there's.

Anything that I would say, is just pad level a little lower. But I enjoyed watching them, you know, I thought the enthusiasm he played with was contagious. I love what we have up front is just again, I can't say it enough. The word that stuck is stuck in my mind right now is consistency. Not overhauled the whole thing, but just getting a little more consistent.

So, Anthony, the season ends against the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals are zero to five against the AFC North. They're eight and three against everybody else. They didn't have a healthy Joe Burrow for four quarters in any of those AFC North games. Is it that simple or were there other things about the games against Cleveland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh that stood out to you?

I mean, that's part of it.

But again, I'm going to get back to the physicality of football games. I really believe when we played those games, it appeared that those teams are a little more physical than we were. They might have not necessarily, wasn't a fact, but it appeared watching that they might wanted it a little more.

And I think it's apparent.

And this is one of the parts of the games that I do not like, and being a former offensive football player, it appears that happens more on defense.

I'm not profiling or I'm.

Not generalized, but there's a little shove now and then after plays, and it comes more from the defense. I think there was a little more of that, and I think you have to put a stop to that, not to get a penalty, because as we know, the second guy's always caught, but you can't allow a team to do that. To me, it appears that those three divisional teams have a tendency to do that and we got

So beginning next week, everybody's attention is going to turn to the draft and free agency. Is there something at the top of the wish list the dynamic tight end, somebody on the offensive or defensive line. Is there a position group or something along those lines that you would love to see them address?

You know what, I think it's something that uh and I know we have some pretty good tight end, but I want a dominant guy that that you have to be able to say, Okay, we're concerned about this stud tight end. He's a factor in this game. And I think when you look at teams that have that impactful tight end, it gives the other guys an opportunity, you know, to go one on one or to pick your poison

You've got your Hall of Fame sweatshirt on. Bengals fans are thrilled this past offseason when Ken Riley joined you in Canton. Now, Willy Anderson is a semi finalist for the third year in a row. What do you think of Big Willy's chances of becoming a Hall of Famer.

I think it's an excellent chance, especially with the percentages when you've become a finalist, and I know he's been a finalist, so I'm just I'm playing for more Bengal strifes. Willie Anderson, Kenny Anderson, you know, because I want to buy more.

You know.

One of the first things I did, I got my Kenny Riley hat. I got my Kenny Riley shirt. I want to get my seventy one jersey. I want to get my fourteen Well I already have my fourteen jersey, just put.

It back on. But I think he's got an excellent chance of going in.

I look at the list, the career he had, and again the percentages of those that have been finalists.

Of going in. I think he has an excellent chance.

So maybe we have another bust or two it up to Canton and August this summer.

That would obviously be awesome. Last thing for Anthony Munoz. Last year, Joe Burrow famously said the Super Bowl window is my entire career, and now he's signed with the Bengals through twenty twenty nine at least hopefully many years beyond that. In your mind, do they go right back to being one of the top Super Bowl contenders next year when Joe's healthy?

I think so. I think.

You know, again, I've not looked closely on the free agents or who they are going to might lose, but what they have on the roster. I really believe they're very talented and I think that they still are one of the contenders. I think he comes back healthy, they get rolling, things go well in the offseason. I can't believe that they wouldn't be with who they have on

Always great to pick your brain. Happy New Year, thanks for joining us.

Hey, Dan, always a pleasure to be with you. Happy New Year, and August will come quickly.

Finally, it's time for this week's Know the Faux segment. The Cleveland Browns opened the season with a twenty four to three win over the Bengals on a rainy day in Cleveland that saw Cincinnati finish with one hundred and forty two yards of offense and a total of six first downs. I said after that game that the Browns defense was so good that if Cleveland got decent quarterback play,

Yeah, I have covered him, I think before Dave Lapham was even drafted that long. Interviewed him at the combine. Yes, yes, yes, Yeah, it's been a blast because it's it's been uh you know, kind of the drama has been on the field this year as opposed to off the field, and and they've gotten better with every piece of adversity. And now that Joe Flackup's story is just unbelievable. What's going on. So yeah,

Tony, This this is nuts to me that the Browns have thirty five giveaways, dead last in the NFL. Yeah, twenty more giveaways in the Bengals. The Bengals have fifteen giveaways, tied for third fewest. The Browns have had six return touchdowns against them, most in the NFL. Four pick sixes, tied to most.

In the NFL.

How the hell did they have eleven wins. You'd think they'd be five and eleven instead of eleven and five.

I know, I mean, this is one for the This season is defying all analytics that keep harping about, you know, turnovers, and they keep on turning it over and they keep on winning. Right, and Placo in five games has thrown those two pick sixes. He hasn't had an interception free games yet, and yet he looks like he's, you know, in the prime of his career. He's gunning the ball down the field. I don't know how to explain any

So Kevin Stefanski has made it abundantly clear he's going to try to rest as many key players as he can, understandably going into the postseason. Here's my question, though, why Jeff Driscoll and not PJ. Walker.

I think he might have been nailed down Coach of the Year by winning a game with a fifth That's only been done as far as we can tell, in the strike season of nineteen eighty seven. But New England won with five quarterbacks, one with Doug Flutey who crossed the ticket line to get a cheap win. Another one was one of their strike replacement players. I think what it is is it's an opportunity for them to see if he's better than PJ. Walker. They're a little uncomfortable

Right, Okay, so the injury report comes out, seventeen players are on it. Eight offense, seven defense, and both your kickers, your place kicker and here punter. Foreshadowing you know what's going to be coming. How many people do you think they're going to elevate from the practice squad? Do you think that anybody will get a couple of series before they're yanked or what do you think is going to happen?

Well, first of all, the punter will be back, Beharcas he had a quad injury, missed the Jets game, but they cut the practice squad punter, So I talked to Corey.

He'll be back.

Okay.

The kicker is still not ready so they one elevation will go to the to the practice squad. Kicker Riley Patterson, he's going to have to kick. I think now Skofanski would not specify who's playing and who's not, other than we know Flacco's not playing. But I think he's going to clear the decks to the most of the familiar names. Yeah, it's not like pre season. We have ninety players and you could you could start all your second at third string, right,

Tony Grossi is our guest. Both of these franchises, Tony have quarterbacks who have among the biggest contracts in the NFL. When does the Deshaun Watson deal make it difficult for the Browns from a cap perspective.

Every year, because what's unique about his deal being totally guaranteed, there are no shortcuts like Mahomes, you know. I think Burrow has certain years where you can where you can allocate resources differently. That's not the case with this one. They've redid them this year, which means they push money forward. So he's got a sixty eight million dollar cap hit next year. I don't know if they could support that

It, Tony Jim Schwartz has just done an unbelievable job. I mean, the defenses is just suffocating him. I mean they are playing at such a high level.

Yeah, is he Is.

There any buzz about him in the loop for a head coaching opportunity? They say there's going to be potentially you know, half a dozen, seven or eight.

Well, the day they hired him, I said he'd have the most impact of any new face in the building. And he made me look good because he has. He has done that. He transformed their culture on defense. I don't know, you know, he's in our age group a little bit there. Yees over fifty and the trend still looks like it's going to be offensive coaches. Who knows if he gets you know, if they get a long ride into the playoffs, he might get a look. There

And final question, and thanks for your time. As always, you're always gracious and we appreciate that. Kevin Stefanski, is he Coach of the Year, and is Jim Schwartz assistant Coach.

Of the Year.

Well, the second question, you know, the secret to this team is Bill Callahan. There's no doubt about it. I mean, on their third left tackled or the third right tackle, there's second left tackle. They've had to play with another center. They the only one who hasn't miss the game that is the right guard, Wyatt Teller, And they haven't missed the beat. So I don't want to be remiss in not mentioning him now coach of the Year. Uh, it's

I went in that.

Division for the first time in thirty years. I don't want you know that's not a small accomplishment. They should have an AFC and an NFC Coach of the Year. But I'll tell you if I were voting, I would vote for Stefante because I lived through this thing. He won games with p J Walker, DeShawn Watson, Dori and Thompson Robinson in the rookie one might have been the biggest game when they played Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh, because you know what those division games mean and they needed that game,

It's crazy.

There's an excellent point about Bill Callahan though, and I do think Bill needs to spend more time with his son and his grandkids.

You know.

Yeah, he's been awesome. I mean that line has been a secret to everything, you know, and even mentioned they haven't had Nick Chubb since week two, so and yet they reached what everyone you know, even the most optimistic prognosticators, maybe since I think they could get to eleven wins, I didn't, but that considering what they've gone through, it's remarkable and it's made them stronger. It's one of those things that you couldn't predict.

All right, thanks to Tony Grossi and that's going to do it for this episode of the Bengals Booth Podcast, brought to you by pay Core, Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business and community to a new level, and by kettering health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official