Bengals Booth Podcast: Turn Up The Lights

you'll get to know Bengals defensive back Trey Flowers. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. With more than one hundred twenty care facilities and fifteen hundred care providers, Kettering Health is committed to guiding you to your best health. Visit Kettering health dot org to learn more. Now, here's a quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer

by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since a Visit from the Commissioner. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was in Cincinnati for the game and dropped by the broadcast booth for a pregame show interview. He said great things about the city and about Katie and Elizabeth Blackburn, and took the time to pose for a picture with

Dave Lapham and me. As far as I'm concerned, the man uttered the most beautiful words in the English language from his basement a few years ago when he said, with the first pick in the twenty twenty NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals select Joe Burrow. Now, let's get to the radio replays from Thursday's white out win in front of a record crowd of sixty seven thousand, two hundred and sixty at pay Horse Stadium. Burrow takes the staff add it to mix Night's inside for the first down

the end zone. Get the touchdown. Joe Nixon takes it in from five yards out, his first touchdown of the year and for the second consecutive week. But Bengals take the ball to begin the game and go seventy five yards to take the lead to a wants to throw. He's gonna fire high and deep down field for Tyreek Hill intercept dead picked up by the Bengals at the twenty eight yard line by von bell a fake a run to the right, two of bootlegs to the left.

Wants to throw deep. Nobody open. He'll be sacked Josh Tupo with his sack. Who is hurt. He threw him down. He hit his head on the turf. This will be a fifty two yard field goal try for Jason Sanders. Trying to give Miami the lead to snap the put down. The swing of the legg it's blocked. That is blocked, and it will bounce into the end zone and roll through the back and the Bengals will have the ball at their own forty two yard line as a result. Brow on third and eleven, we'll look to pass. He

throws it deep down the sideline and he's caught. Tee Higgins puts the tackle. He's at the ten. The five touchdowns. Xavian Howard in coverage. Te Higgins made the catch, broke out of an ankle tackle, and took it in for the long touchdown. Pass. On third down and eleven, Tyreek Hill goes in motion. Teddy Bridge with the shovel pass Edmonds spinning toward the goal line. He is in from Miami touchdown with nine seconds left in the half. What a design on that play. Miami trying to take the lead.

Here comes the short field goal try. It is good and the sixty five yard pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Tyreek Hill helps Miami pull in front for the first time all night. It's fifteen fourteen Miami, late third quarter with two forty to go. Second out in six to begin the fourth quarter at the Dolphins forty nine burrowing the shotgun, catches the ball, fakes a handoff to Mix

and rolls out to the right. Burrow's gonna fire deep down field for Boyd over the shoulder catches the fifteen Tackled inside the ten, He's brought down at the sixth at a Midas snaps it to Huber. Here comes the kick and the Bengals have the lead with twelve minutes left. As Money Mac makes it seventeen fifteen Cincinnati. Huber ready to hold at a Midas will snap. The rookie is ready, fires it back. The ball is down. Here comes the kick.

It has the distance. It is yeah, yeah money Mac Money indeed a fifty seven yard field goal to give Cincinnati a five point lead. Second and ten. Bridgewater fires a quick pass and a second at the nine yard line, holding the ball back now to the twenty twenty five thirty bond Bell to the forty five, the fifty and the Dolphins forty five yard line. Bon Bells second interception of the game gives the Bengals the ball back in Miami territory with three minutes and five seconds to go,

third down and goal from the two. They still have a sixth offensive lineman in Burrow wants to throw. He's passed, taught by hers, easy touchdown n sangals and that should be coffin nails, damn bam bam. Joe Burrow through for two hundred eighty seven yards with two touchdowns, no picks, and a passer rating of one fifteen point nine. His top target was t Higgins, who spoke to Dave Lapham after the game. Seven catches one hundred and twenty four yards,

including a fifty nine yard touchdown catch. You've got in one on one coverage against the pro bowler. Joe saw you, Joseph, I'm going there. Yeah, man, you know we knew he was gonna get that, you know, coming and set his game, and you know it was my job to you know, that win. He wants something, but you know, that's that's that's the that's the good of this this game. You know, you win something, loose something, and you know I was able to win. Everybody talked about their two receivers and

the explosives to their two receivers. You had a fifty nine yard touchdown catch, Jamar Chase had a thirty six yard reception and a twenty three yard reception. Tyler Boyd had a forty three yard reception. You guys had plenty of explosives yourself. I mean, so the trio out did the duo look like? To me? You gotta defense contained Waddle, But all three of you guys at some point in time during the course of the game made big plays. I mean yeah, I mean that's that's what we're here

to do. You know. Um, you know we got that firepower. You know, we got Joe Mix in the back backfield, so you know, I mean, um, we just you know, we just play off each other. You know, when one is not doing when one's getting double, you know, we got another. When the others getting double, we got another. So um, you know, we just you got to continue to play off each other and keep building each other up and hopefully we can keep it going. And then Hayden Hurst has three catches, uh, and he has a

touchdown reception as well. A big touchdown reception is a nineteen yard catch his first catch of the game. So, I mean, when they're paying all attention to you guys, tinam is gonna eat a little bit too right for sure, for sure, And um, Hayden's one of those guys, even Mitch, you know, Mitch had a nice, nice catch and run. Yeah.

So I mean, um, you know, I'm proud of those guys just because I mean, you know, just because what they've been doing, how they've been been working, you know lately, and um, I mean, man, we got a lot of firepower. Now they've got in their DNA to blitz to play zero coverage. Didn't look like they wanted to do that. Did they play more covered two and deep safety coverage? And you guys had thought, did you guys have to

make any adjustments in that area? So what we was getting, Um, you know, we realized real early that you know, they was doubling U TV and Chase and it was zero with me, um, you know, man and man with uh, you know, Howard one of the best corners in the league. Um, you know we're talking on the sideline that I was gonna have to win and a big game for me, and you know I delivered. I'm sure didn't. So now the team starts minus five in the turnover department. Now

you're plus one tonight. The offense did not have a giveaway. That's a big goal. Obviously, you guys succeeded there and had two takeaways plus two on tonight's action to make you plus one on the season. That's gonna win your football games, isn't it. Yeah? Man, you know we preached that.

You know, we want our defense to go out there and you you know, get turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, turnovers, And you know we preached on offense, don't turn the ball over, you know, hold onto the ball and you know, protect it. So and you know we was able to do that, you know, this week and over and keep it going. What does it feel like to knock off the last undefeated team in the AFC. Honestly, I didn't even know

they was the last undefeated team in AFC. Man, we were just attacked at one to know each week, and you know we was able to do that this week. Gratulations on a big night. Thank you Teacot. One of Joe Burrows touchdown passes, hayden Hurst caught the other to clench the victory. With one fifty two remaining, we are at a very happy Bengals locker with tight end hayden Hurst, who caught his first touch down passing a Bengal uniform

tonight the clincher. Those are always fun, aren't thing. Absolutely, that was a really good feeling pack house and it's just surreal. Honestly, I'm just couldn't be more excited to be a Bengal, couldn't be more excited to be here and help this team. Quite a difference five days can make when you win two games in a five day period and go from owen two to write back in the thick of things at two and two. Absolutely we

needed that one. We need to go into this kind of long weekend with two and two even things up. It's great for our confidence and as we can tell right now, it seems it seems a confident bunch. And when we get rolling watch out. You alluded to the atmosphere, the white out. Everybody's excited about the tiger stripe uniforms. How would you describe the atmosphere out there tonight, absolutely electric.

I feed off stuff like that. You know, my first catch, I kind of got going and the crowd was rocking, and it just helps a team roll. And that's kind of what I bring the table every Sunday. You know, I'm I'm a madman out there, and that's what I'll do, you know, every Sunday. I'll never let up. That first catch came on third and one. You guys converted a bunch of third downs early, and obviously that was a

key to building a lead and ultimately winning the game. Absolutely, man, if you can just you know, put drives together, get out of our own way and just piece these things together. This is an incredible offense. I mean, we've got playmakers all over the place. We just gotta get open for Joe and you know, he feeds us the ball and we get this thing rolling. Like I said, it's going to be pretty pretty scary. And grats on the touchdown

and the wind he sir, thank you so much. Before we turn to the defense, here's a quick reminder that the Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps more than twenty nine thousand customers trust pay Corps to help them recruit, pay, engage, and retain employees. Learn more at paycort dot com. The Dolphins had eleven possessions on Thursday and only scored one touchdown. That means the Bengals defense is only surrendered one td the last thirty

one times the other team has had the ball. Von Bell picked off two passes and Logan Wilson had a key third down stop in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were only up by two. I talked to Logan about that in front of his locker. We're in the locker room with Logan Wilson. One of the big defensive plays in this game. Early in the fourth quarter. You guys are clinging to a two point lead. It's third and one. It seemed like the Dolphins had momentum. He

made a huge stop for one yard loss. Described the play and how big you think thought it was. You know, I was gonna shoot the I was gonna shoot the V gap on the right side to tight and stayed over there. But as soon as emotion my gap responsibility changed. And as soon as that happened, I knew that they were going to run into that other side. And I just tried to shoot my shot and make sure he couldn't get the first nun. Did you have the feeling after that stop that you know, it was a big

momentum changer. I mean it felt pretty big. Crowd was rowing, pretty pretty loud, Our guys were hyping me out pretty good. It was, it was fun, I was, it was awesome. We're visiting with Logan Wilson. What did you think of the atmosphere tonight? Unbelievable when coach Taylor just said it was the largest home crowd we've ever had. I mean,

we can't do what we do without that. You know how many I don't know how many like issues they had on offense because they couldn't hear hear, hear themselves and communicate, and um, it creates issues for opposing offenses. And we love it, we really do. It helps us a lot. Yeah, when they burned those two quick time outs keeping their own territory early, you could tell it was the crowd. Yes, absolutely, I mean they were trying

to talk. You saw him trying to talk and communicate, but they couldn't hear each other and they're like what what? So it's great. We love our crowds and they're they're they're really right. They're the best fans in the world right now. So early in this season, the turnover ratio was obviously bad and the season opener against Pittsburgh. Now you guys are positive for the season after two picks by vond tonight. Yeah, that's quite a turnaround in a

short period of time. Yeah, you just got a weather this swarm. Keep keep. We're gonna keep at it. And I think that's what we did. What a difference five days makes? Right? Two wins. You're two and two with the two victories in a five day period. Field. Every week's a new week. You know, we gotta put we could you know, just because we started off on when two, um sky wasn't falling. You know, we still knew what we were capable of, and um we still had a lot of a lot of work ahead of us. But um,

these are two good victories. It's enjoy it, join them any buy congrats? Well, thank here some of the Bengals are back to five hundred at two and two laps been a few minutes after the game with Zach Taylor. We know how hard it is to win in the National Football League. When you get two of them in five days, that's like anniversary birthday all wrapped in one. It is. You know, it's nice to create a momentum for ourselves going into a big divisional game, as we

all know. So probably the way these guys responded to a a short week, played really strong in the second half and that says a lot about the character of this team. So you're didn't give the football away offensively, you have two takeaways, Von Bell has his first multiple career interception game. You were minus five after week one. Now you're plus one, and here you are, even Stephen at a two and two record, kind of close hand in hand, done it, shocker.

You win the turn bottle and you got a great chance to win the game, you know. And that's the percentages tell you. If you can be plus two, it's it's, you know, above eighty percent going to win the game. And our guys take that to heart. They work like crazy on it. I think the offense has done a really good job securing in the football, making good decisions by Joe, and defensively, those guys are doing everything they

can to get the ball way. I've been in situations where the opposing team has an injury like two a head and not only does it affect his teammates, it does affect the other team. I mean, nobody wants to see that kind of thing. How proud of you the way that your team kind of compartmentalized it because nobody likes to see that and then responded and play the way they did. Yeah, that's the unfortunate part of football. You know, you gotta be able to respond after an

injury like that. Certainly, we're all thinking about him because that's that's not what you want to see. He's a great kid and we hope for the best. So let's see a couple of your your guys that had big days. Tee Higgins, they decided, okay, we'll put Howard on T and you're going to double the other guys and you just said T go win anyone. I mean Tee Higgins had seven catches one hundred and twenty four yards, including that that big touchdown reception of fifty nine. Yeah, I

mean that was we got. We got a lot of weapons. And so when you're gonna double double TB and double Jamar and put one of the top corners in the league on T, we're expecting t to step up and win, and he did. And then Hayden hurst that nineteen yard reception early in the game, short ball and then run after catch and uh, you know, he ends up with three catches for twenty seven yards that were all big as well. He had the two yard touchdown catch. Oh, those were huge. You know. He had that one at

the beginning of the game. That got us a lot of energy. He had a big play action and started drive in traffic with a great catch in any of the touchdown I really put the game away. So Hayden's been a tremendous weapon and asset for us and plays with a lot of emotion, which is a good thing. How beneficial was the crowd, coach, I mean it was it was like off the hook, wasn't it. Yeah, it was.

You know, you saw the two timeouts they had to take there in the first half, and that's that's We even had problems sometimes with the noise because of the response after turnover. We had a hard time communicating to play, you know. And it's a special special stadium, special crowd and really happy to see the turnout we had and I was expected. So you had five straight third and

one conversions. But then you know, the fourth and one was painful for you, and then the low red zone had to be an issue that you you know, as you look back, it's not a good memory. Still, get some work to do there. Yeah, you know, down especially on the goal one. You know, we got to finish the seven points. We can't settle for three. I think, you know. In the field short yardage, I know the fourth and one are always going to stand out. But our guys have done a good job in short yardage overall.

It's just those key situations. We've got to be better, help them, to call help them, you know. With with the execution, we've got to be better. But but but the low red zone, we do need to do a better job for sure. Congratulations, got a long weekend, other players off for three days. Coach, what do you what do you do with the players? Let himself, I heard a lot. I heard a big yelling here and there. Must have given them some good news there. Yeah, these short weeks

are taxing on you, and so they deserve it. So we're gonna see these guys on Monday and get ready for a big divisional game. Mixed today, And finally I thought one of the big keys to the game to go out in that first drive in Miami's defense, you know, ninety snaps and the heat, you guys ground him up a little bit and made life tough for him at the very early stage. It's a football game. I think that was a factor. Yeah, there's the start we were

looking for. Or again, our offense has a lot of a lot of confidence, so to get the ball first, they know that there's a lot of pressure to go down there seven points of the board, and two weeks in a row they've done it. Congratulations, appreciate your time. Awesome. Thanks. So it was a great win and the atmosphere was electric, but it also featured the frightening site of Dolphins quarterback to A Tongo Va Looa being taken off the field on a stretcher after suffering head and neck injuries that

sent him to the hospital. It marked the second straight week that Tua was forced out of a game after hitting his head on the ground. Although he was designated with a back injury last week, Miami head coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that Tua is in concussion protocol this time around. Here's Bengal safety Von Bell You never want to see that. Guys going to walk for each other and each team John Winn and put that team in the best edition to win. Lets you know want to see injured like that.

Fresquats to him and his family. That's a scary sight to see in this game. You never want to see that. So you know it's tough. You felt the energy shift a little bit, but you gotta still in a beckiet of mind, cute the task at hand. After being evaluated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Tungo Va Loa was released from the hospital and traveled back to Miami

with the team. The Bengals Booth Podcast is presented by Alta Fiber future proof fiber Internet capable of delivering multi gigabit speeds designed to take your home, business, and community to a new level. Elevate your connection with Alta Fiber. Now time for postgame analysis and this week's radio guys recap, Well lapped. I vaguely remember when the Bengals were oh and two and everybody was worried. Now they're two and two, They've knocked off an undefeated team and in a five

day period they're back on track. Yeah, I mean lose the first two games by three points and then win two by double digit scores, by two scores or more. That's a that's pretty good recovery, pretty good rebound, pretty good bounce back, whatever you want to call it. Now they find themselves, you know, two and two. Best record in the AFC is three and one. They're right squarely back in the hunt. And you know, they start the season off minus five as while they lose to Pittsburgh.

Now they're plus one, so they've done a good job of remedying that issue. And they go from minus five in their first game at home too, plus two in this game and not turn it over a lick, turn it over five times and don't get a takeaway, just the opposite. You know, they get two takeaways, we're high, two interceptions by von Bell and don't turn it over

at all. It's pretty good record. Crowd in attendance, and these guys, based on the ones I talked you seem genuinely appreciative of the noise level, the fact that they were throwing the Dolphins off early in the game. They were confused, they were forced to burn a couple of time outs. You've been out there as a player. I mean, what does that mean when the crowd is behind you

that way. Yeah, it's it's significant, There's no question. I've been on both sides of it, you know, and it's it's it's a real joy when it's in your favor, and it is brutally difficult when it's not. I mean, you know it just if I think if you've never experienced TONIGHTUS whatever they call it, that's what it sounds. It sounds like you have TONIGHTUS. It's like your brain is just there's a constant hum. You can't hear anything, you can't really think. I mean, it's it's really brutal.

It makes you very hesitant, and it's tough to operate. They were going crazy on the takeaways on the two interceptions. It was hard to communicate. Zach was saying that they had a hard time getting the play call in and communicating it because the crowd was so pumped up and

geeked up after the takeaway. So, uh, they were in full throat, as we like to say, from start to finish tonight, and it was it was really good to see and like we thought, Dan, it was a huge factor in the outcome of the football game, and I thought the way the Bengals started the game, you know, take the football, go up against that dolphin defense had played ninety snaps in that heat and humidity, and grind

on him a little bit. I think that had a little bit of effect as the game came to a conclusion, particularly when they went down a couple of scores, they didn't really have much fight left. So the Bengals offensive line got ripped and roasted the first couple of weeks of the season. Last week, they surrendered two sacks in the win over the Jets. Tonight it was one sack, so it's obviously trending up. And tonight only three quarterback hits.

Last week against the Jets, Joe still got hit nine times, but tonight he rarely hit the ground. I thought he had a lot of very good pockets where you know, there was nobody within five yards of him, and he had an unimpeded view. I mean, he had big throwing lanes that there were no bodies in front of him.

And to me, you know, that's when you're really protecting well when you give the quarterback not only time but space and and so all three of those components tonight he did have time and for the most party had space to operate and then vision to see the field. And you can't say that, you know, necessarily, particularly in the first two weeks. It got better last week and it improved this week. So the graph's going in the

right direction. A gigantic game for te Higgins seven catches one hundred and twenty four yards, including the fifty nine yard touchdown. Jamar Chase had four catches for eighty one yards. I think most people look at this team, as you know, Chase is the number one receiver and Higgins is a very good number two. It's probably time to throw that aside. It's one and one a. If you go back to the playoffs last year, te Higgins made just as many

big plays down the stretch as Jamar Chase. They truly have two number one receivers and probably two of the top ten or fifteen in the NFL. Agreed, you know, and every one of the receivers. The Trio had a massive play fifty nine yard touchdown, forty three yard reception by Tyler Boyd, twenty a thirty six yard completion to Mark Our twenty three yard completion de mar Chase, and he had another thirty six yard reception from Joe Burrow. So they got, you know, four plays of twenty yards

and more from you know, three different guys. So and then the other one like we thought, Okay, which tight end's going to step up? Hayden Hurst gave me a lot of energy on that nineteen yard catch. It got the crowd going. He got it going, He got his teammates going. Three yard passed for sixteen run after catch for sixteen yards. The two yard touchdown reception was huge. He had a massive contribution. You know, you think, oh, you know, you know what, three catches for twenty seven yards.

Sometimes you have to look at the entirety of in the scope of what those catches when they occurred, how important they were. They were big. They were big plays by Hayden Hurst. So I thought he made a major contribution as well, a lot of big plays on the defensive end. Tonight, Von Bell with his first two interception game out only in the NFL, but his first since high school. He never had two in a game at

Ohio State. Logan Wilson with a huge stop on third and one in the fourth quarter when the Bengals were clinging to a two point lead. I'll group this in on defense, rookie Jeffrey Gunter blocking that fifty two yard field goal try, Josh Tupo with the first sack of his NFL career. Unfortunately, it was the play that knocked to a Tungo Vloa out of the game. But it was a big defensive play at the time, a lot of defensive heroes. In summary, there was Dan and you

know they had their duo. The Bengals had the trio, and we talked about each one of them coming up with a big play, an explosive play. Everybody was like, oh man, you know, this is the Olympic caliber speed for these guys. And well, Hill had his moments. Obviously, ten catches one hundred and sixty yards. A bunch of him came on a sixty four yard completion, though I

mean that that was a big play. Obviously he had another one for twenty six so you know there's there's over half of it on those two steps they shot waddled down, you know, two catches for thirty nine yards. I mean, they did a good job. If you can't let both of them hurt you, and that's what had happened in the past in some of the games that Dolphins played in, and they had a package where you know, they were going to make both those guys work and

earn their catches and their plays. And it worked out because they Waddle Waddle could not could not support what Hill was doing, and the Bengals had a support system. You know, Higgins had the big numbers, he was getting the one on one coverage. You know they were saying, okay, how just you eliminate him, You'll race him one on one. We're gonna double Boyd in the sawt and we're gonna

double Jamar Chase. And every time Joe Joe Burrow saw that man coverage, they were including the obviously the big play for the touchdown that was huge, just a great route and a great catch. But they have an answer for everything, which is which is great and uh Louiana Rumo his defensive football team. They're on a roll right now. I mean the the touchdown not not scoring a touchdown streak end there at twenty four possessions, but they're starting

another one as we'll go, another twenty possessions act. They've only given up four touchdowns on the season, four touchdowns now five because you know, the pick six, but four defensive touchdowns in four football games. It's gonna win you a lot of football games. And the other thing, Miami's two for ten on third down, two for ten. I mean, that's that's gonna win you a lot of football games

as well. You're talking you know, money downs and we're talking about you know, they drive to start it at the ten and went all the way to the two and then they have to settle the field goal the ultimate ben. But don't break. And you know, as the old saying goes, yards are for losers. Winners worry about points. You know, points on the board is what the key thing is. And they're they're amongst the league leaders points allowed, there's no doubt. I guess the only negative was the

running game. They tried at twenty four carries for Joe Mix and he did score a five yard touchdown. He also had four catches, but there's twenty four rushing attempts only produced sixty one yards. Just have not been able to really get him rolling yet. Yeah, I mean, you know, they did a decent job out in the field, got to third and ones and converted. You know, they probably through it was probably five times. It was probably three and two running the past, but you know, the low

red zone, uh, failures were bothersome. You got to get it done. In order to be a very good finishing football team, you have to be able to run the ball in the red zone, in particular in the low red zone because the field so compressed and you have to impose yourself, you know, in those kind of close situations somewhere somehow. So they got they still have work to do. They're far from a finished product, and you know, that's the encouraging thing. I think. I think Miami is

a solid football team. I think they're gonna I think they're gonna win their share of games. I think that's a pretty good group. And I think their head coach has got it going on, and they believe in him and he believes in them, and you know that two way trust can be a powerful thing. I think I think they're gonna be a snootfral for a lot of people.

So the Bengals have faced Mitchell Trubisky, Cooper Rush, Joe Flacco, they get a little more than a half where they face Teddy Bridgewater about to get more challenging in the next game, assuming that Lamar Jackson is Okay when Baltimore plays this weekend Sunday night football in Baltimore against the guy who's off to an incredible start, Yeah he is. I mean, he's a guy that's betting on himself. He's putting all the chips in the middle of the table.

He's got a lot of incentive. And I mean he's responsible in the first three games for twelve touchdowns, ten passing, too rushing. There's only one team in the NFL that's scored more touchdowns than he hasn't as an individual. I mean, it's crazy the stuff he's doing. So, you know, but I will say I believe in lou Louis had some good game plans and the versatility and the positionless players

that he has to use his chess pieces. I just wonder what the next move is going to be to try to, you know, at least check if not checkmate Lamar Jackson, because that's a that's a handful right now, the way he's playing. But if they can, if they can just minimize the production of Chase that that defensive

football team is not the same. I mean, they're a struggling at this point in time, So you got to hope that Joe Burrow in the Bengals offense continue to grow and improve and that might be able to throw up a lot of points on the board because at some point they're going to have to win the football game. The defense has been the story in the first four games so the season. They've been the consistent thread. The offense has had their ups and down. Special teams has contributed.

You know, I mean the complimentary football aspect of it, but you know, defensively, that phase of this football team has been the most consistent on a week to week basis by far. Enjoy your many by weekend, you do the same, sir, have the best weekend you ever had. The Bengals exercise some demons last year when they ended the long playoff drought and finally one our road play off game. Next week, they'll try to exercise another demon

when they faced the Ravens on Sunday Night Football. The Bengals all time record in Sunday Night games on NBC is one and twelve. This podcast is presented 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. Finally, it's time for this week's fun Facts interview, where we get to know the person under the pads. Time for some fun facts with Bengals cornerback trade Flowers

from Converse, Texas near San Antonio. Describe your hometown a little bit and what were some of the things you enjoy doing as a kid. Typical Texas high school football town. We all set down to go to the games. Some things I enjoy growing up was just football the whole town. That's what we played. We played every chance we got, so that was always your number one sport, always, always, Never. I was taught everybody wanted me to play basketball, but I knew in my heart I was gonna play football.

You have an uncle that played in the NFL. Correct, Eric Flowers, first round pick two thousand drafts to the Buffalo Bills. And did he helped create that desire for this to become a profession if you could make it? Definitely, just seeing it. I was there when he got drafted. We were all at my grandma's house, and I remember that day like yesterday. I don't care how long ago it was, and just knowing what football did for our family, so as I saw all I wanted to do. We're

doing fun facts with Trey Flowers. Being in Cincinnati is not the first time you've worn orange and black. You went to Oklahoma State. Why did you choose Oklahoma State and what did you enjoy most about your college experience. Why I trod Oklahoma State. It was a family atmosphere, a lot like here, close to home. My mom liked it. That had my major. I was real big on academics, and it just worked out. I loved everything about Oakleam State my time there. I read shared it one year.

That's probably my toughest year not playing football, but I started four years after that and we won a lot of games. You were drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round in twenty eighteen. Describe your draft experience. Typical draft experience. Wanted to go earlier, but very grateful to go in the fifth round. Got the call and they taught me I was switching positions on the phone for the draft, so on top of being anxious and excited, it was just a lot of emotions that I really

can't even explain. I was just ready to get up there and get my best put my best foot forward from safety in college immediately to cornerback in the NFL. What was the most difficult part about that switch? The eyes part, I would say just being disciplined at corner. You know, they say you're on the island the whole time. Just knowing that and being able to use both eyes on the field. Being in the middle of the field that safety is it's very different. So that was one

of the things. The footwork, of course, just and learning concepts from a different perspective. But it helped my football knowledge, Like through the roof, I could see it through everybody's eyes. Now for visiting the trade Flowers, you joined the Bengals last year in mid October after you were claimed off waivers. You hopped on the Red Eye, took the overnight flight to Cincinnati, and showed up at practice the next morning.

Why the rush. I wanted to show the thing since Seattle didn't go is I wanted it, and I wanted to show that I was ready. I wanted to show that any team could put me anywhere, I could play anywhere, and just to believe in me. So it was just a test to me, Like I just I wasn't backing off at all. When that situation didn't work out, I knew something was gonna come in my favor, and it did. I got here and it was a blessing. In a very short period of time, it felt like you had

been here for like three years. What was it about your teammates or the coaching staff or whatever that allowed you to fit in so quickly and so well. It was so I remember couch Rob from the combine. He liked me at Oklahoma State, so just that familiar familiarity. Me and Jesse came out the same year, so we talked at the combine a lot, and then just seeing how serious guys were about football. It was no outside distractions when they came to work. They came to work.

I always do a lot of extra stuff, like I always lift and do that, and everybody was in there with me, like we didn't plan it, and it was just they saw me working, I saw them working it. It just made us closer as a team, and they were already close when I got here. I loved it, so I just wanted to fit in. So you joined the Bengals and go to the Super Bowl your first year with this team. There's a great picture of you on the internet. I think it's from your hometown newspaper

of you with your dad after the FC Championship. You've just put the AFC Championship hat on his head. You two are embracing. Can you describe that moment? Man, It was just a lot of you say fun facts. My dad was in a motorcycle accident my junior year of college. I never thought. I didn't think he was gonna make it, you know, shattered his pelvis, ruptured a lot of organs and whatnot. He didn't walk. He was an ICU for like fifty days. So he kind of gave me another

motivation to just keep going, keep going. And seeing him after that game, you know, all the emotions coming and it just felt so good that everything paid off. How's he doing now? Great? You know, see him now, you wouldn't even know. He's a little slower in a step, but very grateful for life. Works out, goes to work. I love it. That's great. We're visiting the Trey Flowers.

So the Super Bowl obviously featured a heartbreaking ending for the Bengals, but it's experience that every player dreams of reaching at some point in their career. Hopefully more than once in your case. But what was the Super Bowl experience like for you? It was it was surreal. It was like a dream, you know, just going there and all the activities and stuff. It was a little different, you know. But at the end of the day, we

were just playing football. And that's what I love to do, is a little bigger crowd, a little more celebrities in the crowd. But it was just playing football. And it sucks we came up a little short, but we'll be all right. I'll right some wildcard topics. Now, for tray flowers, you are not the only trade flowers in the NFL. You are t R There's t R e Y with the Miami Dolphins. Do you ever get confused for the other tray flowers? Now, my grandma is a big Google person.

Now that's what she does. She says, there and Google. She's so mad that his name comes up before mine. His picture comes up. But now that's that's about it. I've been watching him since Arkansas. I found out about him before he even got drafted. I used to Google myself too when I was a kid, So seeing him, I just, you know, I supported him. Family along the way. I don't know maybe a long time ago now. In your case, Trey is short for trade quill or trey quill,

tray kill, tray kill traquille. So like Shaquille O'Neill. A lot of people don't know Shacks from San Antonio. I was a real big baby. My family ran with it. The doctors came up with it. It was they just took it and go. You made it to sixty three, not seventeen. Man file sevento. I might have picked a different sport. I suspect you would have. We're visiting the tray flowers. You have described your offseason job as dad. What do you love about being a father? What do

I love about it? It doesn't matter what type of day I'm having, or what type of game I had, or I'm real hard on myself. You know, like every other football player, that you want to play the perfect game. And she doesn't see any of that, she doesn't care about any of that. She sees me. She's happy, energetic, she gives me life, she gives me love, and I just see her, I have no chance about to smile. She's so happy to see me as I gotta go. It just gives me a motivation do you have any

hidden talents. Hidden talents? Uh, I can cook pretty good. I can cook a little bit. My dad likes when I cook, So that's my When she tells me it is good, that like really done something to me, I would say, that's my hidden talent, my go to dish. I'm from Texas, I'm from San Antonio, so I can make enchiladas and she really likes them so and it makes me feel like that that feeling that makes me feel real good that she says that, what do you like to splurge on with your money? But my money.

I was a real type person. That's what my parents always said growing up. I never really I just bought my car this year, first car ever. Five years in the league, never had a car. So I had a couple of marketing deals in Seattle, and then when I went home, I used my parents car. They had extra I paid off their cars, so you got let me use one if I paid it off. So that was it. I never really I splured on my daughter and my fiance. They get they got so much clothes and whatnot. But

I'm a simple guy. Since you're from the San Antonio area, Is the Alamo overrated? Is a tourist destination. Now, I would never say that. I would think people would want to go learn the history. And Texas history is a thing, so I always push Texas history on a lot of people. But I mean, other people have other opinions. You'll never hear that from me. And the Riverwalk is truly awesome, truly, I think so just if you're from there, of course you get tired of it. I can see that from

some people, but I'm sitting the people there. If you go, if you've never been to San Antonio, you gotta go see it one time at least. Totally agree. Final fun fact for Trey Flowers, This one's kind of deep. If you could meet anybody in history, athlete, actor, statesman, whoever it might be, who would that person be. That's always hard for me because I'm a real big perspective person. I would want to see like my someone in my family.

I won't say who, just younger and they get to see me like this, and I get to see them how they were, and I want to see if there's any similarities, you know, just I always I used to talk to my grandma. I talk to my grandma every day, and my other grandparents passed away. Sadly. They were a little older, but we were a lot alike. We agreed a lot, and even as a young kid, they always would say they see me in them, and I would

just want to do that. I wouldn't want I can't pick somebody specifically, but I just want to go back in time and pick their brain. See, you want to like me like this. You want a time machine as I want a time machine. I don't want to talk to one person. I want a time machine just for a couple of days. I'll come back. It's a very good answer. I appreciate your time. This was fun. Best about the rest of the year. Thank you, Thank you for having me. That's going to do it for this

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