Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Board and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast. The you Know when it's time to go. Addition, as we look ahead to Sunday's season opener against the New England Patriots, coming up, my one on one conversation with T Higgins, who says he's on a mission. In twenty twenty four, Dave Lapham joins me to discuss Jamar Chase, Joe Burrow and the latest Bengals news.
And in our Noha Faux segment, ESPN's Mike Reese tells us how the Patriots are looking as they begin life without Belichick. 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, and by Kettering Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals.
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 good sprinkler. For years, I've been watering my lawn with a crappy plastic sprinkler. Did
I mention it was crappy? For example, the little knob that determined the direction of the water was defective, So I would start out watering my front yard, go inside for a few minutes, and then discover that I was watering my neighbor's driveway. Well, mister cheap finally went out and purchased a Melnor brand sprinkler with a metal base, and now all I want to do is water my yard. It's durable, it's light, and the controls are great for
adjusting the water flow and direction. So here's to buying a decent sprinkler. If my front yard could speak, it would say it's about time. Now let's get to football. When the Bengals exercise their franchise tag rights with t Higgins in February, giving him a salary of nearly twenty two million dollars this year, there was speculation in the national media that he might skip training camp. Instead, t signed the tag early and reported for duty on day one.
Since being selected with the first pick in the second round, back in twenty twenty, the same year the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow. T has been a great Bengal, averaging more than nine hundred yards per season and catching a pair of touchdown passes in Super Bowl fifty six. We sat down this week to discuss the upcoming season. T. I asked your wide receivers coach Troy Walters about you recently. He said the following. You can tell that T is
on a mission. Is that true? And if so, what is the mission?
Uh?
Yeah, for sure, man.
Mission number one is to you know, help my team win games. You know, That's that's obviously mission umber one. MISSI number two. You know, for my self, CAAs I want to be the best version of myself that I have been in the past few years. You know what I'm saying. So, uh, that's that's really my main mission. Team.
Nobody other than the I R S knows what I make for a living, and I like it that way. In your case, for the last couple of years, somebody's probably asked you about your contract every day. If they don't ask you about it, you hear other people talking about it every day. How difficult is that?
Is? It?
Uncomfortable at first, you know, before I signed the tag, Yeah, I mean, you know, it was it was I kept getting caused, what you're gonna do, what you're gonna do, You're gonna do this, You're gonna do that. And then when I requested the trade, obviously there's even more calls like who you think you're gonna go to? Who you think go trade for you? This and that. But you know, it was just really just any one or out the other most of the time. And then once I signed
the tag, you know, put me. I know, I looked at it as in like puting position to know, be successful in life. You know, even if ball stop after this year, you know what I'm saying. So that's how I looked at it and didn't really think nothing that's of it. I'm here for another year, so guarantee you another year. So that's just what I'm focused on, is just finishing this season out and hopefully, you know, finish a strong so well.
One of the ways that you are going to do that is by having a healthy season. And let's talk about that, because last year he had to miss five games two years, two games with a broken rib, three games with a sore ham string. There's not much you can do about a rib, but with the hammy. Have you done anything in your off season training in hopes of avoiding that again?
Yeah, man, a lot of you know, soft tissue things. Just working on my mobility, you know, just just strengthening my handstrings the best way I can, just so I can avoid those injuries. You know, last year missed what you say, five games. That's the most games I ever missed ever in my entire life. And I don't look I don't look forward to doing that again. I like being in the field like my guys, you know, I'
competing with my gods, having them guys get wins. And man, just looking forward to to a healthy season this year because I know how big of a season this is for me.
You're hoping your quarterback has a healthy season as well. He went through training camp healthy, which is the first time since you've been together that he's had a normal training camp. Did you see his throws get better and better as camp went along, because he said early in camp they're going where I want them to, but not necessarily spinning the way I would like them to.
Yeah. I can agree with him on that, you know, I've been with him for you know, going on five years now, so I know when the ball is spinning from him, you know what I'm saying. So uh, definitely was getting there where he wanted to go, but it just wasn't you know, spinning how you wanted, like he said. But now man as as camp is as we've been going through camp and it's just you can see it.
He's getting better and better each and every day. And you know, he finished camp out this year, so looking forward to what the scenes that brings for him and get it going from there.
Yeah, we're chatting to t Higgins for the past few years. Tyler has been the vet in your room now at age twenty five, Are you that guy?
It's crazy. We was just talking about it today, had teen pictures and I looked around the room like it's crazy.
I got me and t t. I has the most experience in the room and it you know, it's it's wild to even think about it like that, man, because for so long I've been you know, it's been TV, and so now that I have to step up into that vet role, me and Ti and obviously Jamar as well, you know, just kind of just you know, coach you guys and help them out with things like little things, especially the rookies Burn and Cole, you know, just teach them the little things with like things that go on
in the league and things like that. So it's been it's been a it's been an interesting thing that came about for me, but it's been it's been fun.
Yeah, for the past few years, we've been blessed to watch the Cincinnati three way jamar yourself and Tyler. Now that Tyler's gone, it seems like Andre Josi Vosh has kind of stepped up, at least to this stage, to be the logical quote unquote third receiver. What stood out to you about his growth from last year to this year?
To me, I think it's just he's way more confident, you know, with with coming in and out of his routes. You know, because Andre has a ton of speed. You know, I didn't feel like last year he didn't know how to control it. But this year you could tell he's he's really controlling that speed. No when to burst, no when to you know, go eighty percent in the route, no one to go one hundred percent in the route, and just him breaking down as tally'sazy like me, you know,
big guy, breaking down, getting out of routes. His releases has been tremendous. It's like skyrocketed up. Like you can just tell the difference between last year and this year with Andre And you know, I'm looking forward to seeing what he do this year. Happy for him because you know it's a big role he's stepping into, and you know, I'm happy for him to see what he do.
Man, we got a glimpse of Jermaine Burton's big play potential in the preseason. What would your advice to him be for his rookie year?
Head down, lock in and play your game. Don't worry about the outside. I know that's what people say. You know, you're gonna you're gonna have people criticize you, gonna people cheer for you. Man, just even when people to cheer for you. But don't don't get your head to high with things like that. You know, Just go in and and just be who you are at the end of the day and lock in and help the team win.
The first thing you see when you walk into the locker room this week is a mannequin with the new all orange uniform on it and it's your number on that mannequin, Number one. What do you think of the look? Number two? Any meaning to you that they chose your jersey to be the one that everybody sees when they walk in this week?
Yeah, number one jerseys look good, man. I love orangetan. I love the orange and orange. But the whole thing behind my jersey's being on there was if you go look at the Donnican, it's a black side and a white side, So black black cleak's black gloves or white cleat's white gloves. You know, we wanted to see through the guys in the locker room which side looks better with the uniform saying I said black. A lot of guys say white. But you'll see me with the black accessories on.
So we're getting a sneak peek by looking at that manneic.
Yeah, you get to see what side looks better. So I want you to go back in there and you tell me which side looks better than.
Let me know, all right, I will give you my review momentarily. Final thing. If this is it in Cincinnati, and certainly there's a very strong possibility that that could be the case, how do you want this season to go for you.
Personally, I just want to go out with a bang man, you know, not necessarily. I don't want to disappoint you know, obviously the Cimsey fans, because I grew a love for these fans here. Man, It's it's like no other man. I love it here. But no, just go out with a bang man and make these make the city proud, you know. That's that's my whole thing. I just want to make the city proud, no matter if we win or lose, I just want to go out and make
the city proude. No matter what. I don't want to go I want to leave in they want me to leave. You know what I'm saying. I want that. That's never That's never a good feeling. But yeah, man, at the end of the day, I just want to make make the city proud, make the organization proud. Yeah, I mean, it's it's been a drink on true man, playing for my favorite team that I grew up watching for years. So I mean this has been a drink on true.
Sure, we look forward to seeing you go out and do your thing this year. Thanks for the time, best of Lucky, I appreciate it. Now More on tea with my broadcast partner Dave Lappham. All right, lap, I did walk back into the locker room after that interview and check out the mannican. He chose wisely. I think the black accessories with the all orange uniform look better than the white.
I agree.
So he has contract like contract. All right, let's talk about his expectations and hopes for having a big season back to back one thousand yards three years ago and two years ago, and then last year due to the injuries, didn't quite get to seven hundred yards, although he did have a career high yards per catch average more than fifteen yards per catch. Does he look like a man on a mission to you?
He does? I mean just today talk to him on the practice field and I said, man, you had a good camp tea? Do you think so? I mean, he's so humble, you know, I mean he really is. He's he's a great guy man and just an unbelievable teammate. And he goes, you know, I feel like I could have done some things better and and I'm like, you know what, that's what makes uh, you know, the good ones, great tea, and you're gonna you're you're a great player,
because he's never satisfied. That's the thing, you know, It's like, oh, I've arrived, I'm satisfied. But I mean I thought he had. He had a very solid camp. I mean he high
pointed everything. With that big body and long arms that he has, he can uh, he's I think he's deceptive with his with his speed, and like he talked about Yosie, he's starting to figure out okay in this phase of the route, but roke it down to eighty here and then all of a sudden, when you burst to one hundred, you know, they're like wow, they can't backpedal and flip their hips fast enough. And that change of speed stuff is very very important in your route running. And he's
got all that down. I think he's one hell of a player, and the community loves him, and he loves the community. I mean, there's a lot of things that are pointing in the right direction for t Higgins to go out there and light it up, and I think he very easily could.
And then there's Tea's running mate and good friend Jamar Chase. Jamar hasn't practiced much during camp as contract negotiations have been going on, but he was on the field Wednesday and Thursday, which is obviously encouraging with the season opener just a few days away. So how did he look? Here was Joe Burrow after Wednesday's practice.
I saw him out there today. You know, he looks fast, strong, like he always does. No, I know he's been doing what he needs to do to stay ready if he needs to be ready. So I'm confident that if he does go out there on Sunday, then he'll be the jama we all know.
I think that might be true in limited doses. I can't imagine that Jamar Chase would be able to go out there and give the Bengals the kind of volume in terms of snaps that were accustomed to see.
Yeah, I mean, he is somebody that runs through contact and he is a very strong runner after the reception of the football. But let's face it, when you're in training camp and you've gone through the grind of practices that they had this year at training camp, or you haven't, I should say, and you haven't been part of the joint practices, and those were pretty intense. We saw how physical those were, all those routes that weren't run And
I'm not saying he wasn't running. He's probably run a lot of routes as well, but not an equipment, not with defensive backs trying to reroute him and everything that goes along with that. So we've always talked about there's you know, football conditioning, and it's different. It definitely is. And the number of routes that he would have he's missed miles of route running, not consecutively, but you add up all the routes and the reps that you know
he would have taken. It's in football conditioning. So you have to make sure that you don't overdo it, you know, with him in that first game and again, hopefully the Bengals have the ball for a ton of plays, Hopefully they have twenty twenty five more snaps than the Patriots do, and then that would be a good problem to have. Geez, how many do we put Jamar out there for? Better not be twenty twenty twenty five plays less than the Patriots.
That would not be a good situation, and Jamar would probably be out there for a lot of those because the Bengals would be trying to you know, probably win a football game at that point. If you're if you're in the in the hole by twenty twenty five snaps. Usually that's not a good sign. So I think it's all played by year, you know. I think see how he responds. You know, he's he's going to be in practice for the first time today and tomorrow and he'll have,
you know, a Friday situational practice. He'll have Saturday walkthrough and that won't be much. So it will be interesting to see, you know, how many snaps Jamar Chase does take against the New England Patriots. I want to, you know, will he be on a pitch count as such or will it be something that will be decided during the course of the flow of the game. You know, it's just how many how many reps have you taken, how
much rest have you gotten between drives? All all those things I think will play a little bit of a factor.
Do they need much out of Jamar Chase to beat the New England Patriots in Week one?
I mean, I think he makes things so different, you know, offensively, just just the fact that if he's out there just being a threat that he is is significant. I think theoretically, would they need Jamar Chase to take every offensive snap to beat the Patriots. I would hope not. I would hope that wouldn't be the case. But I do think that I would like to see him take a reasonable number of snaps because the next game is the son of a gun, there you go. And I mean, you know,
Kansas City, you need him. And and he's the kind of guy. He's different. I mean, he's even more different than most football players. He is a genetic marvel, There's no doubt. I mean, he's he's definitely, you know, a unique human being in terms of his physical makeup. And I would think, you know, if he got quite a few snaps under his belt against the Patriots, that would bode well for him to participate pretty fully, if not
totally fully against the Kansas City Chiefs. So I think the Patriots might be a ramp up game for him, but I hope he ramps up quickly, as do we all.
The Bengals looking to win their season open for the first time in three years. They've only done it once in Zach Taylor's five year tenure. That was a home game against the Vikings in overtime a few years ago. The Super Bowl years had turned out, but in fairness to Zach, it hasn't all been his fault. Obviously, Joe Burrow's status the last couple of years was a major
reason why the Bengals started slowly. He was a shell of himself in Week one each of the last two years, first because of the g app and decomy two years ago and then because of the calf injury last year. So when you've got a quarterback who isn't even close to being himself, it's hard to win. Having said all that, Zach Taylor has changed things a little bit in training camp this year and hopes of getting off to a faster start, And he said today he thinks his team is good to go for Week one.
We had a great training camp. This team's ready to go. We're ready to play. You know. I'm happy we've got these last three days of work to get in there. But I think this team's really chomping up a bit to go out there and play against a real opponent in a real game. We're as prepared as we're going to be, and so I'm just excited watching these guys. Let it lose your pay.
Training camp wasn't the Gulag. It wasn't like when you played lap with you know, two practices a day in pads, full contact, but it was tougher, more challenging. They had a pair of dual practices obviously with the Chicago Bears in the Indianapolis Colts where it's very physical and long.
Yep.
I do think they are more battle tested than they've been.
And there's no doubt that Joe Borrow got more throws in this training camp for the reasons you just talked about. Their practices on a daily basis were a lot of situational football and you know, two minute drill backed up things of that nature. He got a lot of significant reps and he was very very accurate with the football. I mean a lot of times the ball wasn't in the ground very much. And it brought me back to you know, early years man Kenny Anderson throwing the football.
When is this guy gonna have an incompletion? And it's just remarkable how how these guys complete passes at such a high high percent eighty percent plus during the course of training camp, and you know, their action in preseason and these joint practices. I thought Joe was very, very good. I thought he had an outstanding training camp. I really did and I think he's probably feels like he's more ready than he's ever been to start an NFL season, I think rightfully, so he should feel that way.
So how is Joe Burrow feeling heading into Sunday season opener against the Patriots.
I feel great. This is the best I felt going into week one, you know, since my rookie season. So that's exciting for me to be able to get these reps in training camp and you know, bank all those and continue to get better throughout this time as opposed to just trying to get back to baseline.
I'm remembering last year's opener. What a miserable day that was. The weather sucked in Cleveland. Yep, Joe looked terrible. He was the statue of liberty back there. It's going to be fun to see a much more normal looking Joe Burrow in action this week.
It will and Joe Burrow on the injury report, people are going to be like, oh my gosh, it's right wrist is on the injury report. Full participation, you know. I think, honestly, I'm not sure that Joe Burrow officially is out of every phase of rehab. I mean, he's still technically a rehab patient as such from from the injury. So I think by NFL rule, he has to be put on the injury report if he's getting that kind
of you know, treatment from trainers. So it's it's everybody was kind of like, oh my gosh, Joe Burrow, you know on the injury report. I mean, it's it's it's obviously is it perfect, No, it's not. But is it is he fully cleared to play? Hell? Yeah, He's been fully cleared to practice forever and he's fully cleared to play. And so I would not I would not be wang chunged as such about Joe Burrow being on the injury report with the right wrist, because his participation is full.
We've seen him make every type of throw in training camp, deep, intermediate, tight, wind, tight windows, any throw he has to make, we saw him make at some point during camp.
Absolutely and and uh and with velocity and pinpoint accuracy. I mean he he threw the ball well not again, you're in your interview with t in the beginning, you know, he wasn't happy with how it was was going, but in terms of the spin on the football, but that came back quickly, you know, And uh, you have to. You have to maybe make a little bit of an adjustment in your grip and the way you release it
and whatever it might be. That's that's what you do that when you have injuries, you have to compensate in some way, shape or form to be able to still perform an extremely high level with with that particular injury, whatever it may be. And I mean professional athletes have to do it all the time in every sport.
Well. For the last four years, the Bengals have had the best trio of wide receivers in the NFL, Jamar Chase T. Higgins and Tyler Boyd, the so called Cincinnati three way. Now, Boyd is a member of the Tennessee Titans, and the guy in line to take over that spot at least to begin the season is the second year pro out of Princeton Andre yo Si Vash. Earlier today, I asked offensive cordner Dan Pitcher if it is fair to call Yo see Vash Tyler Boyd's primary replacement. I think that's fair.
You know, I think that qualifying word is important, and you know, primary can mean fifty percent, you know, it can mean nine. I don't know where that's going to fall.
I and maybe.
Maybe that word is not appropriate two weeks from now. I don't know, but I think he's done enough to warrant opportunity as as the primary one of our options to kind of fill that void left by Tyler. But there's other players that have that have definitely shown that they deserve opportunity.
As well, and we intend to use all those guys lapping The Bengals drafted Andrea Yosi Vash last year. I don't think anybody envisioned him as a slot receiver. Maybe if he developed the long term replacement on the outside for t Higgins, But here he is is Tyler Boyd's replacement.
Yeah, and and honestly a tip of the cap to Troy Walters. I mean he has everybody learning every position interchangeable. And you know you've seen Jamar Chase in the slot with tremendous results. Yo, Si, I think is going to be a darn good slot receiver. I think he's he's a big, strong, fast. I mean he's gotten bigger and stronger. It's all been good weight. It hasn't affected his speed. I think he might even be a half a step faster. I mean he is, he is really done a heck
of a job. I think he and Joe Burrow on the offensive side of the football have done more to improve their bodies in the offseason than anybody probably. And and I know a lot of the offensive lineman Orlando Brown worked hard, He redid his Alex Kappa, you know, really really worked hard. I mean noticeable differences in their bodies. And I think that's the thing that has encouraged me about this football team. It didn't start, you know, in training camp and OTAs. It started in the off season
getting ready for OTAs in training camp. And Yosi is one of those guys that put a lot of time and effort into improving his physicality. He's always been smart, and he's a smart football player, but he's he's advanced. I mean, he's he's definitely you know, as sending as a football player, there's no question in my mind.
I'll give you one on defense as well. Zach Carter, Oh yeah, Zach Carter is.
Huge, buff man. He is, He's a big boy.
He is.
He's done and quietly, you know, I mean, a lot of no big fanfare with any of this. It's just guys decided, Okay, Joey Joey. Let's say, obviously, the Bengals strength and conditioning coach, here's what I want to do, and they put together a program to get it done with respected diet and weight training and conditioning and everything
goes along with it. And I'm telling you this is the off season is when you lay the foundation to have a great year, and a lot of guys worked really hard to lay some good bricks to that foundation.
Man, I think andre Yosi Vosh is going to have a big year as the so called third receiver alongside Jamar Chase and t Higgins. Tyler Boyd averaged sixty eight catches for seven hundred and seventy five yards over the last four years. I would not be the least bit
surprised if andre puts up similar numbers. The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, 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 healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now tem for this
week's know the faux segment. ESPN's Mike Reese has been covering the Patriots for various news outlets for roughly twenty five years, and he joined Lapping Me this week on the Bengals Game Plan Show. I started our conversation by asking Mike just how different the vibe in New England is now that Bill Belichick is gone and thirty eight year old Girod Mayo is the head coach.
Well, Dan and Dave, it's great to be with you, looking forward to the trip out, you know, Cincinnati, and I would say the difference is extreme. And I mean, that's that's probably the short the short answer. I'm gonna just try to give you like two examples to just you know that reflect it. The first is one of their players started a podcast this week and the first guest or was Gerrod Mayo.
Wow, And I.
Thought, and I thought to myself, would Bill Belichick ever
be a podcast guest for one of his players? So so that you know, but I and the reason I mentioned it, guys is I think it's just reflect of one of the reasons they made the change, and it's just that they felt like they're so appreciative and I'm talking about ownership, the Craft family of what Bill Belichick did for their franchise, just the feeling of maybe it had just run its course, you know, and that the systems of the in the league have changed, where the
players coming in have changed, and they were looking for a leader that connected with the players before they really demanded from the players. And I think I don't know if I made sense with that example, but I think it's reflective of the change. And you could go on and on, but hopefully that sort of gives a little flavor to it.
Mike, do you sense a youthful energy? I mean, the GM's forty two, the head coach is thirty eight years old, and any new ideas that you've noticed. Is there a collaboration more so than a dictatorship as such? What's it like that way?
So I think that's fair Dave to say, like, definitely more like traditional model, like you have the front office and you have the coaching staff, and the front office provides the players for the coaching staff. Bill Belichick was sort of everything right. And that's not to diminish what the personnel people like Scott Pioli and Nick Cassio did, because they did a lot, but I always felt like
ultimately the buck stopped with Bill. This is much more traditional model, And I think in terms of like, I don't say like youthful because honestly, like the offensive coordinator Alex van Pelt to me is a great story. I know you guys are familiar with him from his time with the Bengals. Like he's fifty four and he's getting his first shot to on a you know, call the
plays and run the show. So it's not like youthful as much as it is like former players connecting with the current players, if that makes sense.
Yeah, totally.
Yeah.
Ike Grease covers the Patriots for ESPN. Mike, I've been reading your stuff leading up to the game. I've been reading the Boston Globe as well. It seems like offensive line is a major concern for the Patriots going into the season. What's the status of that group, both in terms of talent and also in terms of health.
Yeah, major concern. I think anyone that watched that final preseason game of the NFL preseason on Sunday Night on NBC nationally televised, they got called for four penalties where they couldn't align properly. Yeah, you know, and so that starts with that, Like fundamentally, you figure they're going to get that part cleaned up if they If they don't,
they're in for a long, long season health wise. They're starting left tackle the Darien Lowe, who whether that's even good enough before we get to the health is a whole other conversation. He's been limited with uh, you know, chest oblique type injury. I'm sensing he won't be ready to go Sunday, but we'll see. And then they're left guard the starter city So a second year player, he didn't practice today, he's been out for the last week
or so. I'd be surprised if he plays. So it's the whole left side, you know, of the line that they're going down to already opening week, second layer. And when I look at the Bengals, to me, one of the strength of the defense looks like the ends. So I think that that looks to me like a favorable matchup for the Bengals.
I'm in total concert with you, Mike. I mean, I think that Hendrickson and Hubbard it's going to be a gonna be a tough matchup with the offensive line. We talked about alex Van Pelt, you know, coming on board first time calling the shots offensive coordinator. He and Jacoby Brissett have that common denominator. The twenty two season in
Cleveland eleven starts together. Was that a big reason. Was that a factor in bringing Alex van Pelt, the fact that he and Jacoby Brissett had a prior relationship that was a good one.
So it was a huge factor in them signing per set when they did, because they had hired Van Pelt before that, and I think so they knew they were going to run that system, that West Coast system, and then they get the free agency gave and they're like, let's get the veteran that's run it, that we know is going to be a great mentor to whatever quarterback
we draft, and we'll see where that leads. And I think that's worked out exactly the way they thought it would, and they want to give May the number three overall pick a little more time. And they feel like specifically Alex van Pelt and their quarterbacks coach TC McCartney, who is with the Browns as well. They love Jacoby Brissett. I mean, I think he had six in just six interceptions and those eleven starts. You know, coaches love don't
turn it over, give us a chance, yep. And I think that's what they hope he'll do for them, you know, until whenever Drake May ultimately takes over.
How did Drake May look?
Oh man, this was like the horse race where the horse is slow getting out of the gate and you're thinking to yourself, where what is this horse gonna contend? You know, like, and then all of a sudden they come down the home stretch and Jacoby brissets almost that I'm gonna say, he's almost at whatever the finish line would be in a horse race, and Drake May comes charging on the outside and it makes it like closer than you would have ever thought it would be, you know,
by the end of camp. So he sort of turned it on. Call it like the last week and a half two weeks of preseason training camp, and Gerrod Mayo is on record the head coach as saying that change happened when he stopped deferring to Jacoby Brissett as the veteran and guys, my take on it, just being around the team is like, this is a a plus kid, an individual. Drake May just turned twenty two, you know, within the last week, and I think he was so
concerned with fitting in and doing the right thing. So his heart, his intention is in the right place, but he almost took it too far to like acquiesce to Jacoby, and I think Girod Mayo was like, let's get this guy competing like we want to. We want him to know, like, hey, this is out there for you, go get it. And I think once he did that, you know, the performance took off a little bit.
Defensively, Mike. I mean, they they're obviously, I mean they've been phenomenal for the last five years. They've been a top ten defense and all of those years, Girod Mayo was a big part of that, and so was the newly named defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. Is it Bentley's show? Does he run the show? I mean, it looks like they only gave up a little over ninety three yards a game rushing last year in three point three a carry, which is outstanding. I mean, that's like lowest allowed since
the merger of nineteen seventy for crying out loud. Is Bentley that kind of guy?
So this is interesting, Dave. So I'm gonna get. I'm gonna start on a little bit of why I think it might not continue, and then why it might continue. So I think, first of all, you don't have Bill Belichick anymore. And Belichick didn't coordinate the defense, but I always felt like he was the guy that said, this is how we need to play to win the game this week. And I it's my belief that no one was better at him than doing that. Like you'd hear people say, he knew us our team almost as much
as well as we knew ourselves. It's not better, Dave, They don't. They don't have it anymore. So start with that. They traded Matthew Judan, their best pass rusher, which is a whole other story, you know, and that gets into where they are right now and building and and and contracts. And they lost Christian Barmore, who they felt was going to be a budding star at defensive tackle when he
was diagnosed with blood clots in the preseason. So that's to me, that's three hits before you've played your first game. That doesn't mean they can't be good again, and I think they will be good again, but I just sort of want to acknowledge, like those those to me are more than just like small dings. Those are big hits that they're taking.
Yep.
My final question from me. Patriots won four games last year, they drafted a quarterback third overall, they're slated to have the most cap room of any team in the NFL next year, so it kind of feels like a rebuilding year. I think that's probably a fair statement. But Lapp grew up in New England. I lived there for several years when I was doing the Patucket Red Sox games. Boston
fans are not known for their patients. How are they taking the notion of this Patriot team that was the team of the decade really facing an uphill climb.
It's so interesting. I turn on the local sports talk radio today, like the biggest drive time show, and the host is just killing them like you can't be the New England Patriots and say that you're gonna have a year that you just aren't competitive. And so that's the tenor to give you a feel for like what sports
radio is like. But my sense, to be honest guys, talking to fan season ticket members is there's a little bit of an understanding that as appreciative as everyone was for what Bill Belichick the Super Bowls that the last few years have been tough, you know, the a talent drain, you know, decisions on offense that just really didn't work out. That that there's almost an acknowledgment like the team that this regime is taking over was not stocked like it
and it's gonna take some time. And I think fans that have been around almost have used that first year that Bill Parcells came in in ninety three when they drafted Drew Bledsoe. You know, they were five and eleven that year, but by the end of the year, people were pumped, yeah, because they felt like a foundation had been created. And I think that's what the longtime fans, I believe, sort of have looked at and said that would make this a successful year.
Let me ask you an all important third phase question, Mike, and appreciate your time as always, you're so kind carving all this time. Special teams Jeremy Springer's group the Patriots are to the NFL lead since twenty fourteen with twenty two block kicks, ten field goals, blocked, three extra points, nine punts. I mean, are they going to be as aggressive on special teams as they have been and maybe even more so a special special teams in area where they say, you know, we got to win this phase.
So well said.
And first of all, I could talk to you guys all night. You're gonna you're gonna be the one to get me up the phone. I love tucking football. Have you guys are the bat like? I love the way you talk about it. So here's what to know about Patriots special teams. First of all, yes to what you said. They need bonus points right because they're still putting together offensive stuff right. And Marcus Jones was a twenty twenty two All Pro as a punt returner, like he was
the guy THEO. He was a rookie that year. People forget about him because he got hurt early last year. So he's gonna you're gonna see him Sunday returning punts, probably returning kickoffs. So they're they're hoping that they can be very explosive in that face of the game. Their coordinator is his name is Jeremy Springer. He's a first time coordinator, came from the Rams and there. Their assistant is Tom Quinn, who's a real veteran special teams coach.
Really came up through the Giants with Tom Coughlin, spent double digit years with the Giants, So sort of a combination of like new blood and energy with Jeremy Springer and the old sage coach with Tom Quinn. And and I'll actually they have a third coach, Kobe Tippett, the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer, So three layers
on the special teams coaching. So honestly, like, I don't know how aggressive they'll be, but I just sort of try to give you because I think that there's a lot of unknown for everyone with special teams this year with the new rules. But that's sort of the snapshot and I'm like fascinated to see how it unfolds. Starting Sunday, out your way thanks.
To Mike Reeve, one of the best the business. And here's a quick reminder to join lapping me for the Bengals pep Rally show on Friday from three to six on ESPN fifteen thirty And if you're not in the Cincinnati area, just search for ESPN fifteen thirty on the
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