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let's get it go on on this Monday night. It's Bengals Line. We're
on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network at seven hundred WLW. Glance Pacallister,
Dave Lapple. We've got three hours to sort through tonight. Man,
We've got a lot to deal with. We'll hear from coaches, players and
more current players former players. Let's get to it. I'm Lance Pacallister,
He's Dave Lappwham and Dave, let's reset. Since last week talked and you
go back to Thursday night and I think when everybody saw Joe Winz on the
sidelines with a throw attempt, everybody had that feeling in their stomach like,
uh oh, this is not good and we've since learned it it's not.
But it's the reality is it's life in the NFL. There's still seven games
to go, and this, no matter how you slice it, this is
still a damn good roster. It is. It's a good football team.
And I think Jeff Browning is a guy that understands what his role is in
bottom line, it's don't screw it up. I mean, that's the thing.
I think a quarterback in his situation, the biggest challenge for him is
going to be all right, make sure I take advantage of opportunities to present
themselves, but don't put the ball in jeopardy. And there's a fine line
there, there's a balancing act there. You know, you don't want to
cost your team a possession, you don't want to give any extra possessions to
the opponent. But it's like, if you're too hesitant in that regard,
now you're not aggressively making plays that you feel like you can normally make.
And I think that Jake Browning has a good feel for where that line is
already. I really believe that. I think he's played a lot of football
and he's played at a high level and a very successful level. At a
high level. I mean he was, you know, the man in high
school. He still gut records that that he's set in the high school level.
And he was player of the year, you know, in high school
as junior and senior year in that state of California. I mean the guy.
He was six in the Heisman Trophy voting as a sophomore in college.
This guy, this guy put up ridiculous numbers. He knows how to play
the game of football at the quarterback position. And I think I think he's
got his teammates trust and confidence. I really do. And as for Joe,
we'll hear from Joe Burrow a little bit later on. We'll hear from
Brian Callahan and talk more about it coming up in later on in this hour.
But it'd be impossible not to feel for Joe Burrow for what he's already
had to come through and to get into that groove coming out of the calf
and they win four straight and now it's back to more rehab and the challenges
that come with that mentally and physically. And you know what impressed me when
it happened and when I thought about it, and then the next day when
I thought about it again, he knew, I mean he felt and heard
the pop. He knew it was bad. He couldn't grip the football,
he couldn't throw the football, so he knew. What did he do?
Did he cry in his beer? Did he bow his head on the sideline?
Did it was like poor me, let's have a pity party for Joe
Burrow? Hell no, just the opposite. So he showed me the character
that I know he has, and he showed it in spades. How he
handled that whole thing. I mean, his poise in that total scenario was
remarkable, remarkable, And you know, he went in and had pictures,
you know, and he knew what the outcome was going to be. I'll
guarantee you he knew. I mean, he knows his body better than anybody,
and the fact that he could go back in that football game was killing
him. But when you look in his face, it's a poker face.
Man. He never showed any different look, no matter what emotion he's experiencing.
And I think that's one of the big things that makes him the player
he is. He handles every single situation, whether it be adversity, whether
it be success, whether it be whatever it is, even keel steady Eddie,
and he just his preparation is that way, his execution is that way.
I mean he is behind in that regard big time. He has over
the course of his career made plays and lifted this team up when they needed
it. Now fifty plus guys have to rally and lift up Jake Browning when
they need I love it what Joe Mixon. And there's a reason Joe Mixon
is a captain and so respected. He talked to the team and it kind
of rallied him. Well, he wasn't willing to talk publicly about what he
said, and we understand that. But I just like the fact that guys
realize moments and stuff up and say, hey, we're going to we're going
to take care of this, We're going to rally around this. And that's
exactly the mentality you need. Yeah, I mean, it's like, we
know what Brownie can do, we know the kind of guy he is.
He's been around here for three years. This offense gone has gone through some
evolution process, some changes. He's been a part of that entire process.
It's not like you're you're bringing in a guy off the street who has to
unlearn and re learn terminology and and go out there and and and try to,
you know, piece it together and figure it out. This guy has
been there from Jump Street. So I think I think they're fortunate, you
know, in that regard, and I and I think he is gonna take
this opportunity and as a backup. It's it's a very very dicey position to
be in because you don't wish the wish injury on a starter who's one of
your best friends. And when that does happen, you know, you feel
sorry for him, but you can't wallow in it. You've got to go
play. And now your opportunity presents itself, Opportunity knocks and and honestly,
he can set up his career for the next decade. I mean, Jake
Browning plays well in this stretch of seven football games, not just the Bengals
watching, it's thirty one other teams that are watching, and you know,
he can make a huge statement and honestly, it can really change the ark
and the pathway of his career. There is a lot of outside noise obviously
that looks at this situation and says they're done, They're finished. All I
know is this, There's seven weeks left in the season. Is the schedule
ahead difficult, Yes, but they are a game back of the seventh playoff
spot right now, and that seventh spot is held by the team the Bengals
are playing at home this weekend in the Pittsburgh Steelers. There are opportunities.
Are there potholes along the way? Absolutely, But I'm saying this is no
disrespect to a team like the Carolina Panthers at one to nine. This team's
not the Carolina Panthers. Absolutely, And you look at it. The remaining
schedule is the toughest in the NFL. There's not one team that has a
losing record on that schedule. But look at the quarterback play Pittsburgh. Are
they quarterback dependent? Hell no. Can Jake Browning play as well as as
the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steels, Hell yes, they play him twice?
Jacksonville can't be great, and he has. He has moments of inconsistency,
There's no question about it. Which one are you gonna get? But if
he's playing at his top, at his highest level, he is unbelievable.
He's a specimen. Indianapolis, come on, you can compete with them at
the quarterback position. Minnesota, I mean they're going through it, oh Man
Dobbs, it can it can it can even out Kansas City. Yeah,
they got a pretty good player, Patrick Mahomes. I mean Cleveland. Honestly,
it's not I think Jake Browning. If if I'm coaching or I'm a
team and I'm like Jake, you know, just give us as good a
quarterback plays as the opponent's providing for us, and let us do the rest.
Don't try to do too much be Jake Browning, because that's good enough.
The quarterbacks were going against. You can play as well as those quarterbacks.
Let us go out there and and and perform at a higher level as
an offensive line, as a defensive line. And we talked about it last
week. If you're going with a mindset, they get paid two. But
if I win more of my one on one battles than the guy I'm going
against, and everybody in your group does, now sitting your unit wins and
you start going unify unit, everybody starts winning, and all of a sudden,
if you get an even Stephen play at the quarterback position, You're fine,
You're gonna win football games. You can't put it all on Jake Browni's
shoulders. Absolutely not. But you know, if everybody does a little,
nobody has to do a lot. As the old saying goes Taby. Yesterday,
the Browns won with Dorian Thompson Robinson. The Giants one with Tommy DeVito.
Last week the Bears won with Tyson Badgent who's won twice now. Gardner
Minshew the Colts has three wins this year. Josh Dobbs of the Vikings has
won. Aidan O'Connell a the Raiders has won twice. Will Levis won a
game coming off the backup role for the Titans. Zach Wilson's won three games
with the Jets. There's a smattering and a dotting on the landscape of backup
quarterbacks who have won this year. It's not impossible. Well, and the
way it is in the NFL, I think it's forty four quarterbacks have already
started games, forty four and there's you know, over a third of the
season's left. So man, I mean that's you have. You have twelve
teams that have had or I guess probably some teams have had some teams have
had as many as three quarterbacks already play this season, but I mean forty
four quarterbacks. It's just a statement on the insecurity of that job. How
difficult it can be to stay healthy on a week to week basis. And
you gotta you gotta have somebody, You gotta have somebody else. And I
think the Bengals feel comfortable with Jake Brown and they feel like he can play.
And I really believe that he can. Going to Baltimore in that environment
and going into the football game in that situation, you couldn't be thrown into
a tougher scenario. You just couldn't. It's impossible. And how did he
do? He stepped up? I mean he played, He played solid,
solid well. He rushed for forty yards, he threw for over sixty,
He had his first NFL touchdown pass. I mean, he didn't turn the
football over. All those things are very positive scenarios. I'll guarantee you it's
going to be a lot easier environment for him at pay Corps than it was
over Baltimore. Man, where the crab cakes are flying. All right,
hangtig We've only just begun. We've got so much to get to tonight.
Over the course at three hours, we'll talk with coaches, we'll talk with
former Bengals as well. We're adding it to the mix tonight. Very excited
all of that to make our way through over the next three of Bengals Line.
We're on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.
Let's keep moving along on this Monday night. Thanks for being with us and
hanging out for three hours at Bengals Discussion. The show is Bengals Line.
We do it on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.
I'm Lancemcallister. He is Dave Lapham and Lance's time to make the Right
Call. Brought to you by Blake Maslin. It's the feature presented by law
officers of Blake Maslan and I thought a brilliant call was the very first play
for Jake Browning comes into the football game first and ten on the Bengals twenty
five yard line in the second quarter, and they go with two tight ends,
load up the formation like it's going to be a big power run look,
and it worked. They ran like an outside zone to the right side
the entire defense and all the linebackers flowed that way and out on a naked
boot leg comes Jake Browning. Now, the defensive end did a pretty good
job at containing Jake Browning, though I had plenty of time and plenty of
space to throw a completion down the football field to Trenton Roamin for twelve yards.
So not only was it a great call, but I thought it sent
a very positive message to the Bengals. We're staying aggressive. The very first
play that Jake brown is in there, we're moving, changing the launch point,
getting out of Parker. We're throwing the football down the football field,
telling your football team and telling the Baltimore Ravens defensive football team, We're not
going to curl up in a ball and run the ball to death and say
you know so much for this football game. We're still coming after you.
And I thought that that was a great move by Zach Taylor. Zach kicked
off the week earlier today meeting with the media talking about Joe Burrow and Jake
Browning and injuries in the Steelers. Here, Zach Taylor surgery. You'll have
a date second, Zach, Is there a way? I mean, I
know you guys are still gathering information. But say you guys were able to
make make it to the postseason, would he be able to come back in
the postseason? I would not think so. Are y'all still as a kind
of information gat the process on record? Yes? How much have you seen
down here days today? I mean players weren't in this weekend, but today
I saw him on everything we did from routing against Baltimore that you founds particularly
encouratious. Well, the first one is a tough one. You know,
it's a naked to your left the throat to Trenton Irwin. That was good,
good awareness. You know, even even the third down one to Trenton
Irwin that they ended up overrolling. I thought it was a really good throw.
They're in the two minute drive at the end of the first half,
So those were some oppressive plays that he made, some of the scrambles he
made to extend some plays. So I was very encouraged with how he played.
Obviously, the job at the quarterback has to go win the game for
us, But I know that everybody's got a lot of confidence in Jake and
excited watch him play as he developed. You know, what has even than
what we being except for him, Well, I think he's just always prepared
himself. You know, the things that happened during the week, the protection
meetings, all that kind of stuff. That's there's always more to playing quarterback
than just completing the ball. And that's one thing I've I've certainly had a
lot of confidence in Jake as you just watch him prepare to be the starter
all week. The calmness, the confidence in him. Again I mentioned this
earlier, just to go on the road on a Thursday night, short week,
tough environment and have the poise that he had show is that that you
know, we can have that confidence in him because he was ready for that
moment. Like his arm strength, people might undergrade a little bit and then
as Steve from Linebackers Latin to danglesus who Jake ran right behin him, I
mean a little bit faster and they might think, yeah, he's got good
game speed. You know, it's I don't know what his forty time is,
but some guys just have that that awareness of that knack for making plays
out there with their legs, and you saw that from Jake Cotton the preseason.
Those were really the opportunities he got. You saw it show up the
other night the quarterback's job is to get the ball in the end zone and
move the team, and and I thought Jake, Jake's got that ability to
do that for us. A big part of it, Zach also is commanding
the offense, commanding teammates. When you were in the huddle and cut,
some of the guys inside said, that's what you know has really really impressed
them in the preseason when he asked, no question. You know, he's
been here a long time. He knows all the ends and ask the quarterback
as well as as well as all the other guys we've ever had come through
here, and so excited to watch him get out there and compete. I'm
sorry just to quick follow, what is the key to command in offense?
Well, full ownership and what you're doing, you know, first of all,
So if you're in there and guys got to feel that you don't maybe
have full command over what's being asked to you, then it's hard for them
to to respond maybe when you're asking some of them. So what Jake has
got is a full command of what we wanted this offense, the intent of
everything we're doing, full command at his position. And so then when he
needs to talk to guys and ask for more. They know that he's he's
one hundred percent certain of what he's doing, then so guys will rally behind
that. And Jake certainly has those qualities. But I mean, yes,
I thank you. Uh, there's a lot of quarterbacks around here. That
there's a lot of quarterbacks around there. And I know it's only high school
when you guys have to look at his numbers and what he did at high
school. Absolutely yeah, I love looking at that kind of stuff, you
know, and certainly always been aware of that. The prolific high school career
he had, was was aware of him, you know, during his time
at Washington, and so yeah, it's I mean, those are things as
a as a kid who grew up playing quarterback, I was always searching every
website I could back in the late nineties, early two thousands of you know,
all those guys that set all those records, the Booty Brothers, the
Mocks, all of those got Chris Leek, all those guys. You're always
aware of those records setting and guys, and Jake is certainly in that category
of having a perfect clear over there in California. Know, each game tells
a different story, and let's how you guys are gay as coaches, But
did the long weekend allow you guys to maybe evaluate what's been going on in
terms of allowing as many explosive plays as we have in the last few games.
So it's certainly something we got to shore up. And sometimes that happens
with plays down the field, you're in one on one situations, and it's
it's not something that we want to have happen. I think our guys are
eager to kind of hit the reset, but not not necessarily hit the reset
button, but get refocused here as we played Pittsburgh, and it was good
to have that three day rest, extra three days for guys to get healthy
and respond the right way. And I love the attitude that we've had from
the guys in the building, the energy, and so I'm excited to watch
this team compete this week. How much of that also, Zach, is
you know we take for granted maybe that some of these young guys have gotten
thrown into the next like a DJ Turner, back Sales Cam Taylor Brett.
They're still relatively young secondary and sometimes they're growing thangs still. As that part
of it right now, well, I mean it's it's not everybody at this
point, you know, we're we're over the halfway point the season, so
everyone's expected to be up to the standard right now. And and again it's
we played played some really talented quarterbacks, some guys that are playing really hot
right now, you know, and and they had some explosives c. J.
Stroud and Lamar and those guys will test you. But it's up to
our guys respond and obviously on as a as an entire team. Right now,
these last two week especially, we haven't played up to the standard that
we've held ourselves to and so it'd be good good to get back to that
this week. Speaking of those young guys back there, did we see a
changing of a guard last week with Jordan Battle and coming in and just kind
of taking a nut job. I thought he made the most of his opportunities,
you know, And so we're going to continue to rely on everybody moving
forward. But Jordan did a great job. You saw him play a lot
of snaps in this game. That's going to continue as we go forward.
So again, it's all about grabbing the opportunity that's in front of you,
and I think Jordan's done a good job of that. He's got to continue
to be consistent going forward. Zach meeting earlier today with the media hangtight,
there's more to get to. Brian callahand Bengals OC joins us next on Bengals
Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio network in seven hundred WLW. Let's
keep it rolling on this Monday night. It's Bengals Line. We're on the
first Star Logistics Bengals Radio network and seven hundred WLW. Lance butcallister, Dave
Blapham, Dave, welcome in. Our next guest. Our next guest,
Brian Callahan, Offensive coordinator, Cincinnati Bengals. Big challenge, no question about
it. I got to work with Jake Browning. I'm sure you guys have
been attached to the hip. We'll we'll talk about that. But if there's
anybody that I would choose to get a guy ready for his first NFL start
at the quarterback position, read this man right here. Brian Callahan, Thanks
Lapping seriously. I would no doubt he's been here for this organization for parts
of three seasons. You guys like him, obviously, What do you like
about him? He is a really intense competitor. First and foremost, he's
got a lot of pride in his craft. He's he's really done a nice
job growing over his time here. We've obviously invested time in him, and
I think that will be rewarded. You know, that's sort of the idea.
You know, he was a good college football player, and he's done
some really good things for us in limited action. I thought he came in
the game and did a nice job, truthfully, you know, and in
tough circumstances. And the biggest thing that I think you take away from a
moment like that when you're just trying to find traits, and you know,
guys walk in the huddle and players know whether or not, very very quickly,
whether or not a guy's up to the task. And I think the
minute he walked in the huddle, he's got the guys looked at him are
like, oh yeah, he's ready, Like there's no there was no waiver
he was. He's incredibly confident in his abilities. And I think that that
goes a long way. Just as you walk in the huddle the first time
in a game, everyone's looking at you how you're going to handle it?
And and I thought he passed that that initial test really well, So Jake's
really intelligent. He's got a great grasp of our system. And I think
that there's the silver lining is you're excited for a guy like him. You
know, you root for him, and you hope that you can put him
in great positions to be successful because he's he's earned that opportunity, UH to
be the guy that's kind to take over for Joe, And you know it's
up to us, offensively myself included, to to make sure that we put
him in the spot to have success. But man, just you look at
his story and how he's worked and grinded to get to this moment. I
think you'd be hard pressed if anybody who wouldn't be rooting for him to have
success. So I'm I'm excited about it. I'm excited about his opportunity and
excited to help him have some success. You're you couldn't be more right.
I mean, I remember being in huddles where quarterback comes into the huddle and
it's like, you know, hard boiled egg's eyes and apprehensive is probably being
kind, and you know, you see we kind of look at each other
like crap, you know, and then and then in comes Turk shown another
example, Kenny goes down the year we go to the Super Bowl, Kenny
goes down, uh in the early in the season and Uh Turk comes in.
Guys, let's go, man, We're good, We're gonna win this
game. We're like, let's go, you know. I mean, it's
it's like night and day that way. And you do you start, you
get a feel right away for if a guy is up to the task,
like Paul Brown used to say, son, that's a little too big for
you, or if it's not too big for you, that's you know,
that's what you wanted to hear from him, obviously. But I mean,
this this guy at every level. I mean, and when he's a senior
in high school through ninety one touchdown passes in the season, joined in twenty
nine in a career in high school, what the heck? And then you
know, he goes to he goes to Washington thirty nine and fifteen to start,
he rushes for sixteen touchdowns. And that's the thing that impressed me.
As soon as he saw guys with their backs turned and man coverage, he's
he's running going for nineteen, going for I mean, you rush for forty
yards as the lineman. I'm like, he's my guy. Yeah, I
mean he's he's got a great feel as with the ball in his hands,
he's it's a sneaky scrambler. Yeah, he's He's always had that part of
his game. And you go back to watching him in Washington, he's you
know, he's made a lot of plays with his legs and that's going to
be a critical factor in playing quarterback in on any team in the NFL,
but certainly for us, that's going to be an added element. You know,
as as we saw when Joe got healthy, how much that makes it
kind of a first down or two. I was sure picked up that fourth
down in the last drive, and that's a huge part of playing NFL quarterback,
and he has that ability to do that. Do you have, have
you had or will you have conversations with him in terms of playbook wise,
what do you like, what do you not like, What are you comfortable
with? What should we throw out? What do we keep? Yeah,
you always do that with whoever's playing that game. And you know, I
think that the beauty of it for us is that he does play very similar
to Joe. Their style is similar, and I think he's over the years
that they've come to like a lot of the same things. There is definitely
a little like, you know, during the game even you know, you
go to him to go, hey, what do you like And sometimes guys
don't like that because they feel like you're baby in them or you're you know,
and Jake's response when you know, I think pictures asking a couple of
times, but he go, just call it, you know, just call
it, I got it, Just call it, And that's what you want
to hear. And then obviously over the course of the week you tailored the
likes and dislikes as you get to the game. But you know, Jake,
Jake prepares really well and he felt confident in the moment and that was,
you know, truthfully a good thing to see when he goes, no,
just I got it, just call it. I'll do I'll do it,
I got it. Don't worry about me, and and that's a that's
a good thing, that's a good trait to have. So yeah, we'll
tell her the game plan to his likes and we'll have we'll find ways to
to make sure he feels comfortable. But and then at the same time,
he's going to probably say the same thing. Like you guys, call what
you think needs to work, and I'll make it work. So that's a
good, good trait to have this quarterback. So I have Zach In the
post game, I said, did you have to do any shrinkage of game
plan, you know, because of the fact that hasn't had a whole lot
of snaps. No. No, he's responsible with the entire game plan.
You know, everything was on, everything was in play. We didn't we
didn't change anything. I did think though, that it was brilliant. The
first snap, you guys two tight ends, you know, play action,
naked boot, get him out of pocket. They bite, they flow,
they although you know, the contained guy did a decent job, made Jake
make a good throw, and Jake did. But I thought it was like
signal to Baltimore, we're staying aggressive. Signal to Jake, we're staying aggressive.
You know, execute that play. I thought it was a brilliant call.
I think that's where you have to land. I mean, we still
feel really good about our football team. Yeah, we have a really good
team. We have good players on offense and Jake's job is to get them
the ball. And I don't think you're gonna we won't shrink or shell up.
I mean, we're still going to be an aggressive football team because we
feel like we have the ability to be. What that looks like for Jake
maybe a little different than what it was for Joe, but I don't we
were not going to take our foot off. We feel like we have a
team that could compete, and we feel confident in Jake's ability to execute,
and so we're gonna let him go do that. And you know, I
don't think you'll see us get overly conservative or We're going to play football the
way that that we think is the best to win a football game. And
and we're gonna let Jake go play football the way that he that he's going
to need to. And yeah, you know, we're not just gonna,
you know, hand the ball off fifty times and just punt and play defense.
That We're still going to go attack people on offense. I think that
that that's the way you should approach that one element of this offense. It
really seems to be coming on. He's taking advantage of opportunities. Tanner Hudson
has eighteen catches on twenty two targets. Seems to just keep getting better.
Yeah, he's you know, tannern a veteran player that that's had a lot
of experience but hasn't had as much opportunity, and this is the system that
probably fits his past catching ability. Well. He's he's always shown a knack
for getting open, making plays on the ball. He's sure handed, he's
got his big bodied all the things that we liked about him coming out of
training camp. There's just always a trick with the roster spots at tight end
when you have to factor in the special teams, and there's the run blocking
portion, which he's actually done okay too, and you know, it's just
hard to get those numbers exactly right. But we knew he liked Tanner,
we knew he had ability to help us. Wasn't sure when that would come
up, And obviously he's he's taken a huge advantage of his opportunity and played
really well for us in some passing situations and made plays on the ball,
and he's he's doing everything that we saw him doing training camp, which is
which is good to see him translate those into the games. But I've been
really pleased with what he's brought for us in that position. At the tight
end position, done a really nice job. When I watch him, his
body language conveys two things to me, savviness and confidence. I mean,
he knows what the hell he's doing. I mean, he's just one of
those guys that's gonna he's gonna create a pick, even if the pick wasn't
supposed to be, you know, be created. He just seems to have
a knack for, Yeah, I can do this. I'm gonna do this
too, you know. And then he's very very confident in his abilities.
There's no question about that. Yeah, and he should be because he's played
He's played enough football in the NFL to earn some confidence. I And he's
played you know, he's been in a super Bowl. He's you know,
it's not like he's this is his first time doing it. And over the
years of experience, tight end is a position. I think over time,
it takes time to be get really comfortable doing all the things that tight ends
have to do. And so you see guys like him really start to grow
in that fourth, fifth, sixth year where they start to really become,
you know, more complete players. I think he's done a really nice job
taking all of his experiences he's had prior and then being able to help us
here, which has been been a good thing for our offense. So Pittsburgh's
defensive football team, I mean that that is where the rubber meets the road
with these guys'll run it. I mean they got they got a tandem of
running back so that they're like six yards apart, I think in their four
hundred ninety nine yards on the ground to four ninety three nine ninety two yards
rushing between those two guys. So they'll they'll hammer it, and uh,
they'll take their opportunities when they present themselves offensively, but they're certainly far from
a jargonnaut offensively, but defensively they are a snoopful. Are they doing anything
differently or as the typical Mike Tomlin stuff? They they don't. They don't
veer too far from their identity. And they always have a wrinkler too,
because I think Teryl Austin's a really good coach. Obviously a ton of respect
for what Mike Tomlin's done over his career. They are synonymous with Pittsburgh to
me, has always been synonymous with defense. It's just it's like them in
Baltimore. It feels like those are the they've they've had the same defense for
what feels like two decades, and they just are always good and they're always
disciplined and well coached, and the scheme is good and the players are even
better, and yeah, we gotta work it out for us. I mean,
it's a it's as good a front as any in football. I think
Alex Heismith has really come on as a as an edge rusher to compliment TJ.
You know, the linebackers are physical, They got young you know,
Joey Putter Jr. Is a young corner, and they got the Vet on
the other side of Patrick Peterson. Obviously not having Mincup hurts their defense,
but Minca is a fantastic player. Yeah, they got they got people all
across the defense, and obviously the strength and the teeth of their defenses in
their front seven and their sharp teeth. They are you you know Joe you
know his makeup. I'll ask you what Zach was asking on Friday. Do
you have any worries about him dealing with the rehab and the injuries beating him
down mentally? You know, I don't. I just I think he's just
aware of That's the that's the position he plays, that's the that's part of
the sport. You know. I think he's you know, between injuries,
he's started fifty some games. It's not like you know, I mean,
he's it's unfortunate and and then the you have process mentally can be can be
grueling. Uh. This is a different style of rehab than say, like
an A. C. L. Sure, you know it's it's still it's
its own thing, but it's it's a different style. I mean, he'll
he'll be able to move and work out for the most part, I think
pretty quickly, and then he'll progress into the throwing part whenever that timeline gets
gets set up. But yeah, I mean you always are concerned about guys
that that are constantly having to rehab. But you know, Joe's just he's
so laser focused and he's so good at compartmentalizing everything and so that those are
that you don't worry about that part. He's just he takes it as it
comes and he goes to rehab and he'll be ready to go when it's time
to be ready to go, hopefully in the spring. So you know,
it is, it is what it is, and I think you you you
marvel at his mental toughness, and I do think he is different than a
lot of guys that have played the position. I think he's just he's an
exceptionally tough human being. And you always in the back your where there is
a mental part that can be a lot of weight. You feel the weight
at all. So but I don't worry about Joe in that regard. He
like I said, he's just one of the tougher guys you've ever I've ever
been around. So he just takes it as it comes and he moves on
to the next thing. It's it's pretty remarkable. I don't know if I
do voodoo or I don't know what I do, but i'd say, you
don't what football gods, somehow, I'm gonna intervene here with you. And
it's like there are there are guys that in the beginning of their career they
have a run where they're just gonna go get a bunch of injuries. The
other guys have a long career and then with a bunch of injuries at the
conclusion everything in between. I mean, it's just you can't you certainly can't
anticipate anything in that regard. He's going through a stretch though that Oh my
god, when are they gonna like let the I mean they've bitten in deep,
when they're gonna let the teeth go on? That? It's unbelievable.
Yeah, it's one of those things you don't you don't have any control over
and you do the best you can. But uh, you know, I
think a little bit back to that, how Matthew Stafford's career began. You
know, he he had a couple of injuries early on, and they you
know, he was questioned, is he is the injury prone? And then
he's you know, obviously he's one of the iron men at the position.
So I think those things just happen. Yeah, they're just there's their circumstances,
just sort of the fate of whatever the the football guys decide. And
like I said, it'd be nice for him to be a little more friendly
to us, but that is what it is, no doubt. It just
hit me. I'm a little bit slow, and there's you shaved. I
did, Yeah, I did, just any particular reason, it comes and
goes, it grows back quick, don't worry. It's uh yeah, fresh
start. You know, first seven weeks ago, ago and kind of get
got the weekend was good to reach arge and get a little bit of rest
and you know, wrap your mind around what the next seven weeks is going
to look like, and hopefully we can we can make a run out of
the plaoff because I still think we have a really good football team and and
we're going to play some good teams still. But you know, our expectations
is to go to go compete and win games. And that's I think that's
everybody in the locker room's expectation. And we're not going to let an injury
derail that. Those those thoughts and feelings and our confidence in the group.
So everyone's got to sort of pick up their slack whatever that is for them
and whatever position. And Jake's got to play well and put in the position
to play well, and we're gonna go out and compete and try to win
football games. I mean, you see there's backup quarterbacks all around the league
winning games, so we should be no different. That's the expectation. Everybody
step up to do a little bit more, that's all, you know,
everybody do a little bit more. Good scene. You appreciate your time as
always, of course, happy to be here. When I reach Fewardy,
I'm going to grow a beard like you, Brian Callahan with us, everybody,
it's Bengals lout of the First Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred
WLW. Hey, we're back on Bengals line in this Monday night. Thanks
for being here with us. We're making our way through that Ravens game,
looking ahead to the Steelers as well. Bengals lot on the First Star Logistics
Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW Lance by Callister Dave Lepham and Lance.
It's time for the Kettering Health feature with the Injury Report, brought to you
presented by Kettering Health, the official healthcare provider of the Cincinnati Bengals and paid
course providing the best care for the best fans. And obviously everybody knows that
Joe Burrow sustained a ligament tear in his wrist and he's going to have surgery
and be out for the season. Sam Hubbard was deactivated again for the football
game with that ankle problem, so he's got a severe scenario going on with
I don't know at tendon, ligament or whatever in that ankle, or maybe
both who knows, but I think that he will be back for the Pittsburgh
Steelers. I have a sneaky suspicion that's going to be the case. T
Higgins has got a scenario with that hamstring that is significant, and you know,
you look around the league there are guys that have been out for over
a month with hamstring problems. It all depends on the location of the hamstring
pull and the severity. It's a two prong scenario. There Cam Taylor britt
quad injury, more of a quad bruise, he said. I saw him
after the game. He said he'd landed on it and exacerbated the problem.
It's not a quad pull. It's a Charlie horse basically, is what it
boils down to. And so there's some swelling, some blood in air.
They have to get removed. Bj Hill hyper extended his need during the course
of the game. He came right back in the football game and Yosi vash
was down with a knee injury. And hopefully he's had enough time with the
mini buy and ten days between games to be able to go against Pittsburgh.
So let come play, and we're heading down the stretch in our first hour
of Bengals Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.
And down the stretch we go. Final segment of hour one. We've
got three hours to unfold and unpacked tonight on Bengals out on the first Star
Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW Lions Butcallister Dave Lapham still ahead.
We'll hear from lou An Arumo and some special guest from the ranks of former
Bengal great All of that is ahead, Hang tight, two more hours of
Bengals line ahead on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network at seven hundred WLW.
Touchdown, Bengals. He's being line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio
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Our number two about to unfold. Thanks for being here with us tonight Bengals
Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW, Lance
McCallister and Dave Lapham and Lance the Bengals in pay Corps are recognizing this year's
Coach of the Week winners at this week's game against Pittsburgh. Say see if
your head coach was chosen. Visit Bengals dot com slash Coach of the Week.
Dave, kickoff our number two. I'll let you do the honors.
You've done this once or twice, welcoming in a very special guest, very
special guest, not only a great football player, but an even greater human
being. What he's doing with his foundation for people in the in the community,
in the in the region, and it's a it's far reaching, it's
it's amazing. But he was an MVP of the National Football League in nineteen
eighty one when we went to Super Bowl sixteen, and I played at an
unbelievably high level, in my mind, as accurate a thrower as there ever
has been in the National Football League, bar none. Number fourteen in your
program, Number one in everybody's heart, mister Ken Anderson. Wow, Daves,
thank you. I guess, I guess all those nights have given your
back massage right off. Yeah, you know I never expected that. That's
good. That's good. Uh can he take us back to uh Thursday night
when you saw Joe Winz trying to throw in the sidelines, then hear the
news on Friday? How does it hit you? What's going through your mind
as you process all this? Well? Just heartbroken, you know. I
mean once he came and you saw the shout of the sideline, you know,
trying to throw a ball, he could even grip it, it just
dropped out of his hands. You knew something was seriously wrong because you know
this guy is is as tough as they get, you know, and and
little things he just fights his way through. But you could tell this was
something more. Yeah, no question about it. So, I mean,
you were in a situation where you had an injury to your right index finger
and turk showing. It came in as a as a backup quarterback, You've
seen what backup quarterbacks have to do to stay ready, you know, in
your playing career, plus as a coach, you've been in situations where you've
had to get backup quarterbacks ready to go play in a football game. What's
the secret, sauce K, Is there any secret sauce, what's the what's
the what's the give us, give us some scoop here. Well, well,
first of all, it wasn't my index finger. I broke my hand.
It was back in the back of the hand between my fingers and my
wrist that yeah, you know, and had it operated on. And uh,
you know it's supposed to be about a six week deal. And if
you remember, that happened in the last preseason game up in Milwaukee, playing
Green Bay. And uh, you know, we had come off you know,
two years with Tiger Johnson, going down to the last game of the
year, whether we're in the playoffs or not. And so we know we
had high aspirations and you know, all of a sudden this happens, and
you know, we started off zero to four, and gosh, rumors are
flying that the Tiger's job is on the line. And and I went in
the week, you know, before a fifth game, we went out to
San Francisco. I told the trade, I said, cut the cast off
on playing, and you know it wasn't ready to and had no strength in
it. So this is going to you know, take some time for Joe.
But you know there's any you know, secrets. Uh, you know,
to it that what you can do. I mean, I think these
guys, they got a great, great quarterback room, a very good quarterback
coach, a good coordinator, a head coach that's quarterback friendly. And what
you do is you taylor the game plan to his strengths. And you know,
I remember, probably the one of the best things is we were playing
when I was with the Steelers. We're playing, We're going into a night
game, a Monday night game, I believe with Baltimore, and you know,
a lot writing on that game. And Roethlisberger was out with a concussion,
and then Charlie Batcher gone, and he's out with a concussion. So
we had a third string rookie, Dennis Dixon that we went in and you
know, we were kind of featured what he did and and had it not
been for you know, a fourth and twenty completion that sent the game into
overtime, you know, we win that game. Of course, we got
beat by a field goal with overtime. But you know, I think the
big thing is, don't ask him to do what Joe does. You know,
there are two different guys, and you know, and and the nice
thing, but I mean he showed promises, you know, in the preseason,
and you know, he did some good things last week. So I
mean, this guy had an unbelievable college career and a believable high school career
and the guy can play, you know. But just like I say,
you know, I think one of the big things is talking what's your best
of what do you what do you like? You know, and here's the
game plan and the things that we like in this game. You know,
what are your favorites, and let's kind of go with those things. Yeah,
Kenny, be one thing if you lose a stud quarterback on a bad
roster, but this is losing Burrow on a still a super Bowl caliber roster
with with a running game and Joe Mixon who they ran well and for those
who want him to run more, maybe an opportunity to lean into the running
game now well, no question, which leads into the play action game.
And you know, you talk about, you know, the talent on this
team offensively, you know, let's design some things that get the ball in
their hands and we got to rely on these guys to step up and make
plays. Now, you know, they're they're getting paid a lot of money,
you know, to make plays as well, and they've got the certainly
the talents to do it. Now let's try to get the ball in their
hands. Let them do something with it. Yeah, it's interesting. The
very first snap for Jake Browning after Joe you know, can't come back in
the football game, he throws the touchdown pass to mix and to give the
Banks a lead. But he can't. He can't come back. The next
series and at their own twenty five yard lines, that comes out two tight
ends on the same side of the formation, right next to each other,
puts Browning under center, and now Baltimore say, here comes the run play
action fake. You know, they run the outside zone to the right,
naked bootleg to the left. He throws the ball twelve yards down the field
to Trenton Irwin and it's like great call. Great that. You know,
you're thinking, yeah, man, go under center with multiple tight ends,
they're gonna run it. And now it's like, hey, Baltimore, now
then we're not folding our tent. We're starting aggressive. And it's a message
to Jake, Jake, we believe in you were staying, we're gonna throw
the football, We're gonna we're gonna let you do your thing. I mean,
I think all that's all that's real positive too, and that I agree
with you, k. I mean, the players trust and believe in Jake
Brownie. He's been around for three years, you know. Oh yeah,
it's one of those things where they know all about this guy. Well,
you know, they know him. They watch him practice, they watch what
he does on the scout team, yep, they watch how he prepares for
a game, how he's ready to go in. Uh, you know,
his input with with Joe on the sideline. So yeah, I don't think
there's anybody in the team that the doubts that he can come in and do
it. Now, you know that being said, everybody's got to pick their
game up just a not you know, we needs just that that half more
second from the offensive line, you know, to get the ball off.
We need you know, just that a little bit more in the running game,
so we can you know, we can lean on that a little bit
more heavily, you know. So like I say this, and and then
now the defense, I mean, we can't be gashed, you know by
certain plays either. Now, you know, we gotta we got to step
it up. Let's get back you know where we're holding the team, you
know, to a to a touchdown or something like that. They give us
a chance to win the game. Theyingles Steelers now and how I view that
rivalry has forever changed since you told the story many many years ago of Bengals
Steelers, you the shower and Beers. Could you relate the story of having
Beers in the shower with Steelers? Well, it was if it was nineteen
seventy nine, and Dave, I think you'll agree with you. That was
the worst Bengals team I was ever on. Oh god, we were not
very good. And the Steelers came into Cincinnati seven and zero and we were
zero and seven, and I think we beat them thirty four to ten.
They didn't cross midfield until the fourth quarter. Chuck Nole told him after the
game, if I didn't know you guys better, I thought you're through the
game. Well we're We're in in Pittsburgh later on in the season and we're
getting some pretty good and it's in the fourth quarter and Joe Green sacks me.
Again. It wasn't Lapham's guy, you know, there was somebody else.
But he's laying on top of him and he says, Kenny why don't
you come into the locker room for beer after the game. And at the
old Three Rivers Stadium at that time, the life walking right next to each
other, and so I showered, quickly grabbed my bag. I walk into
the locker room with the first guy you see was Bradshaw doing his media interviews,
and he stopped the interviews and took me in the back of the locker
room and they turned off their sound. I had a garbage can full of
beer in it, and it clears off a couple of seats for me,
him and me in the front. Roy Kenny's with me, and we have
two or three beers, and I'm feeling better about life, and until I
go out to catch the buses that go to the airport, and they've left,
and I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to explain that I got
fined and had to buy a Pittsburgh to Cincinnati because I'm in the Steter's locker
room drinking beer. And so I'm running around looking for a cab to go
to the airport. And then there goes Tom Gray and the equipment truck and
I flag it down and I ride out there and the airport for some reason,
our planes, you know, late getting in and we pulled up to
the gate the plane's going to come, and a guy left the end the
side door and the whole team standing there. First, I'm a little bit
upset the starting quarterbacks not there and they don't know And then I started thinking
maybe they know him. I don't care, but you know, but I
think, David, I think you'll kind of back me up on this.
It was as you know, when when we played back in that era.
You know, I know, the students were, you know, a dynasty,
but we played them as well as as anybody. Our record, you
know, during that period of time was by far the best in the league
against them. But you know it was although it was a heated rivalry,
rivalry on the field, I think it was one of respect and you know,
and I think as it developed over the years, and you know,
it comes to the you know, the hit we get on Carson Pomp,
I think it got to be one of not respect and uh, you know,
and like I say, we always look forward to playman. You know
what was the old saying, and bring an extra chin strap. You're going
to need two of the men. Your lunchtocks we're going to be here for
a while. It's still that. It's still that way. But I think,
you know, we respected them. I think obviously they respected us as
well. Yeah, I think. I mean it is it was a double
chin strap, big boy pads. Get ready, It's going to be physical.
There's no question you you have a unique perspective because you coached on that
staff with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and does Pittsburgh was there, How does Pittsburgh
look at Cincinnati. I mean, like you said, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh was
the dynasty. Pittsburgh was like, man, if we could beat the Pittsburgh
Steelers and let's go, let's and we would, like you said, we
split with them. It seemed like every year would right when when at least
one of them what what is what is Pittsburgh's feeling towards Cincinnati that you you
recall well knowing it was always going to be a tough game, you know,
but but at that point when I was up there with the you know,
the Bengals that kind of were going through their their tough times, you
know, and so the team that that the Steelers had to beat if they
wanted to win the Division of the playoff was Baltimore, right, So that
was that was kind of the big one coming up. Although you know it's
like this, I think every team in the AFC North, you know what
it's going to be like going in. You can't overlook anybody because you know,
funny things happen in these games, yep, and they're always physical.
I've got one more for you, only because it was sparked by the fact
you were grabbing a cup of coffee before talking with us. Do you remember
you once did a commercial for the National Coffee Association and you were watching film
and drawing up plays on a on a yellow notepad. Do you remember that
commercial? Yes, I do. Pick you a coffee, picks you up
while it counts you down. There you go. And the other thing that
I remember about that was, you know, we had a schedule we were
going to do it, and they wanted, you know, some players,
you know, and uniform the background what they had to be real players,
and so you know, all of a sudden, it's getting close to training
camp and they said, hey, can you do this? And I said,
you know not, I got to speak tonight. So they sent a
private plane for us. We fly up and then that night the company that
we took us out on the town a little bit. And the next the
next day, we're getting you know, ready to go, uh to shoot
the commercial, and there's no answer in church shown its room right and uh
so, you know, but he was in there. He was out a
little later than the rest of us, but we finally got him going there.
And then the thing is, I remember, you know, so I'm
going in and it's there and uh, you know, I'm getting my the
makeup done and they said, hey, you want to coke? We want
some coke. I said, no, I'm about a couple coffee though that's
not the coke they were talking about. And then so I said, well,
no, no, no, thank you. And then uh, we're
down a lunch break. I said, hey, can I get a beer?
And they said, no, sirry, there's no alcohol. It's a
union set. I said, wait a second, I can get coke in
the morning, but I can't get a beer for lunch. So that's that's
my story about the commercial. Beautiful, beautiful. Hey, before we let
you run, we know how much time had every you put into your foundation.
Give us an update on how the foundation's going on. What's what's up.
Well, No, it's going really well. We continue, you know,
to work hard. We're serving a lot of adults with disabilities. And
you know, I think right now, you know, next Tuesday is Giving
Tuesday, and I hope people will we'll think about giving to the Ken Anderson
Alliance and it would make it release Janya. Just go to Ken Anderson Alliance
dot org and there's a donate button right there. But you know we can
use every dollar we get. You do an unbelievable job, sir, no
question about it. Ken Anderson always impacting others in a positive way. The
man, the legend, always good. Catch it up, appreciate your time.
Well, thank you guys, and let's not make it so long the
next time you de mand there you go is Bengals legend. Kenny Anderson.
Take a time out. We'll continue. It's Bengals Line. We're on the
first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Let's keep moving right
along on this Monday night of the Bengals Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals
Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. Lance. But Calister Dave Lapham Lance shocked
the Bengals pro shop. Find the best selection of Bengals merchandise anywhere. Visit
the Pro Shops seven days a week, located on the north side of pay
Court Stadium, or shop online at Bengals dot com. Dave, let's continue
on and kind of follow up what we were talking about with Kenny. Great
to catch up with Kenny in the last segment about setting up Jake Brown for
success and Joe Mixon carried sixteen times on Thursday night average four point three Carrie
Long of fourteen And for those who want the Bengals to lean more into the
running game, this would seem like a good opportunity to lean into it and
help out Jake absolutely, you know, and I think I think you're going
to see teams not necessarily load the box up, but they're going to make
sure, Okay, can we handle stopping the run. We don't want to
put any extra bodies in the box. We don't want to make life easier
for the quarterback that hasn't had that many reps. So we're going to try
to stop the run just by having six men in the box. Now,
do you have to drop a seventh in there? That would be great,
That would make life so much easier for Jake Browning even if they don't drop
the seventh. The fact that you can run the football on third and four,
third and three, you know those kind of down and distances. And
the biggest thing is be productive on first and second down, stay out a
third down. Don't put your offense and your quarterback in third and long situations
where you're gonna see exotic pressure packages and disguising coverages and everything goes along with
it. If you can get a running game going and then have them under
center, I thought it was a brilliant move. Is that to put Jake
Browning under center? The very first nap he came from the sideline and side.
Okay, two tight ends out there and we're gonna maul you, and
they run a little naked bootleg off of that. I think that Jake Browning
moves well. I would change the launch point. I would do everything I
possibly could to make life easier for Jake Browning. You don't have to melt
down your offense though. I mean, he understands every nuance of it because
he's been here for three years. When they when it has evolved in that
period, and we've got about a minute left in the segment. But let's
say there are a lot worse situations for a backup quarterback to step into than
one that has Uh, Jamar Chase, Tyler Boyd and maybe T Higgins back
this week. He's got weapons, certainly, no question. Tanner Hudson has
become a weapon as a receiving tight end as well, and you know,
throwing the joe out of the backfield another. I mean, this offense UH
has has plenty. I mean, there's there's plenty of options available to Jake
Browning and he's more than capable of making plays. And the thing we've talked
about third down in red zone A lot of times, the big plays on
third down in red zone are creations and extensions. He has shown the mobility
escapability to do that as well. Still ahead, how about Anthony Munho's the
Hall of Famer will join us as we continue with Bengals Line on the first
Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We continue on with Bengals
Line on this Monday night. We're on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network
and seven hundred double l W. Im Lance Pacallister alongside is Dave Lapham,
Yeah, Sir Lanson. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the season, save five
bucks off Mike's Car Wash Top two washes for all washes sold. On Wednesday,
Mike's donates one dollar to the Anthony Munos Foundation legendary foundation by from a
legendary player. So far this season there's been thirty one thousand, one hundred
and seventy six dollars donated. Mike's is opened seven am to nine pm daily,
and Anthony, that's just an unbelievable thing with the relationship you have with
Mike's Car Washing and what you do with your foundation and the kids you help
edu, it's incredible. I'll tell you what LAP eight last good being with
you guys. But you know, with the foundation, this is our twenty
second year. We have some amazing partners and Mike's Car Washed the last several
years, as you mentioned, you know the ads. You go in there
and you get an ultimate wash and they donate a buck a dollar, And
I say, we've been able to impact a lot of kids through our straight
A Luncheon young men and Women that gets scholarships or our football capany just two
of our eight programs. But you know, we can't do what we do
without great partners like Mike's car Wash, and we're very thankful. And it's
fun for us because you know, they send us a kind of a weekly
email to show us how that money continues to grow. So every week,
you know, we're thankful that that number continues to grow, and you know,
by the end of the season, you know, we get a chance
to get a check from Mike's car Wash and continue to impact youth in this
great community. That's awesome, Anthony. Let's start with the tough news and
get it out of the way. Just your reaction to the unfortunate news with
Joe Burrow and the hand the wrist, Oh my goodness. You know,
there's one thing that I hate about sports, and that's injuries. And I
think we've all been through it, and you hate to see it. You
hate to especially the team you root for. And you see the key guy
and Joe Burrow going down with an injury. I mean, it just it
breaks my heart. I mean, you know, the guy, you know,
every year seems to be one thing or another, and you know,
he finally got a roll and he was it appeared he was pretty healthy from
that cap and then to have something like this take him down, just really
really hate to see it for him, hate to see it for the team,
and really hate to see it for this city because you know, he
means so much, not only do the team but to the city. Absolutely,
and uh with you hate to have a guy injured. But with that,
Jake Browning now gets an opportunity. And it's so weird for backups because
they're best friends. You know, Usually that quarterback room is very very close
and very very tight, and Jake Browning and Joe Burrow are fast friends now,
and Jake Browning the last thing he wanted to see was his friend get
injured. But then the other side of it is now, you know,
hey, an opportunity is there for you, and you got to compartmentalize badly
for Joe, but you got to try to muster everything you can and if
you play well, who knows, you know, you could set yourself up
for the next decade as a quarterback in the National Football League. And I
think Jake Browning, I think the guy can play. What do you think?
I agree with the laughin and I really appreciate the points you made prior
to that. You know, it's such a competitive uh you know, fill
there. You know you're in the same room, your same position. I
mean, you want to be on a squad to start and play, and
you know when you're the backup, you know you you want that, but
you don't want it to happen the way it's happened with an injury, right
you know, now it is an opportunity. I'm sure Joe's right there rooting
them on because he can't play. And that's usually what happened. You know,
starter gets hurt and you know you're there root for the guy because it's
your team. You want to win. And that's a great thing about it.
You have a young guy that gets an opportunity. You know, one
of the best quarterbacks in the league is sitting their root for him. But
it is a great opportunity for him. And I think he can play.
You know, I watched him, you know, we watched him in the
preseason. I think he's very talented. Uh so, yeah, so right
now it's a chance for him to today. This is the reason why I'm
on this football team. You know, I'm the second string guy and and
now it's my time to start and to run this offense and take this offense
and take this team to victory. So, uh, it is a great
opportunity for a young man, uh Jake, and uh, you know,
we'll be rooting for him and see if he can get uh you know,
he's got a lot of weapons on that offense, and see if he can
get the ball to him by throwing and handed off, and see if we
can get a big win win against Pittsburgh this coming week. Anthony, let's
take it up front to the O line. What what has caught your eye
about this offensive line this year? Well, you know, it's it's one
of those things where you know, I keep looking at the position from you
know, Jonah over the right side. Of course, the thing that I've
enjoyed watching is anytime you get a not only a line, but a player
that comes from a school like North Dakota State and and the guy continues to
improve and uh, you know, I haven't been able to watch him closely,
but I believe he's doing pretty well. Uh in Cordell Olson. Uh
And those are the type of stories that I love. I love the guy
that he stepped in there. He's playing against, you know, a guy
they picked up for a lot of money and Orlando and uh, but you
know that's kind of what I've been watching to see that young man's progression,
and I've been impressed with that. And maybe laugh can give me a little
more insight. You watch them a lot closer, but uh, you know
that's that's the thing, and you know, hopefully they can continue to to
play well. And I know when I was playing and we'd lose, maybe
Boomer Kiddy wouldn't start, you have the backup. We knew we had to
kind of tighten things up a little more because you know, they're not in
there all the time as much as a starter, So it's up that offensive
line to really pull together even tighter. But uh, yeah, we'll see
what happens, and hopefully you know, the running game can pick up and
take a little of the pressure off Jake by having to throw the ball all
the time. Yeah, I think, uh, number one. And you
understand this as well or better than anybody, because what a team leader you
were. But to have somebody that uh, the players, the offensive line
of the other players on the offensive football team respect, you know, and
want to play with and want to play for. I mean Jake has that,
you know, I mean, they they really they they respect them,
they trust them, they believe in them. And that that's the that's the
first thing is you know, and and and he came into that how to
like, you know, let's get after this. And and that's what you
want to say, like Turk Schordan came in, Okay, guys, let's
go win this football game. You know. It's like, you know,
okay, let's go Turk, let's go get it, you know. And
and uh, and that's kind of how Jake approached the thing. And and
I thought the Bengals state pretty aggressive and let him throw the football, and
and and and when he caught guys in man coverage with their backs turned,
he ran the ball, you know, on them for like forty yards in
that game. I think the guy can play it. I think it's going
to be very interesting, Like you said, if everybody else does a little
bit more, so nobody else to do a lot, you know, protect
for a half a second more, whatever the case may be, run a
crisper route, whatever, whatever it takes to make life easier for Jake Browning.
And that's the big Yeah, Dave Man, he got another great point.
So much of it comes down to the mental the emotional. I mean,
you're not on the roster because you can't you don't have the physical tool
for jac is there. But there's a difference between a quarterback stepping in the
huddle and having that lay let's go, rather than you know, looking like
a deer in the headliner yep and thinking, oh goodness, are things going
to work out? You know? And you mentioned Turk. I mean we
had a guy that you know, I played with for nine years and the
first time he stepped in the huddle as a rookie, I was like,
Oh, this guy's got it. And that was Boomer. I mean,
Boomer said this is my offense, I'm the man. And right away we
said, this guy is the man and we are right there with him.
So that's such a big part of how the quarterback comes in. And like
you said, it appears that Jake has that man and that is half the
battle, coming in there and getting that respect. And the guy said,
Okay, we don't have a Joe in here, but we got Jake.
Let's go yep, yep. Anthony, it's a Steeler's week. What did
those two words mean? When you played Steelers week? That's all we had
to say. And Lap knows that Wednesday morning, first day back installing the
game plan, that was the only thing that had to be said with steeling
week stealing week. And you know you did at least I know, I
didn't need a fifteen to twenty minute motivational talk. It was those two words.
And because we knew we think Sunday we were going to be looking at
some golden black and that's all it took. You know, my you know,
the laugh was there in the seventies when they were, you know,
big time. My rookie year was the year after they beat the Rams for
their fourth Super Bowl. So and they still had everybody on that defensive line,
Dwight White, Elsie, Joe green Ham, Lambert Bluntchell. So when
you know, my first game, when they said stealing week, it was
like, that's all you have to say to me because I know I've got
to strap it up extra tight. I'm telling you, man, the steel
curtain. You know, there's this steel curtain defense. It's like two chin
straps and the boy patch. Let's go here we go he laugh. How
about when the first trip we were taking to Pittsburgh with Forrest Gregg, he
said, now for all of you that are scared, you stay here.
We want to take the guys that want to the Steelers. If you're scared,
you staying since the IMF, that is great, that's all I mean,
stealing week and say let's go. We can't be he ay, last
I got to share this story. We would walk out on the field and
I had my guard number sixty two next to me, which I felt pretty
comfortable, and Lap would look over to those Steelers lineman with their real short
sleeve. He goes, man, look at those guns on those guys.
And I look at the laugh laugh. Have you looked in the mirror?
Lowly of guns? Man? You got some big old cannon. What do
you way about two sixty five to seventy maybe? Yeah, load low two
seventies like two seventy two something like that. Yeah, and Lance, I
tell you he had them loaded ready to go. Yeah. Yeah, man'
that was That's funny. That's funny. But yeah, I'll tell you those
forest Yeah. I remember, I remember you used the first time I ever
heard the term squeamish. If you guys are scared, If you I don't
want anybody that's squeamish getting on this bus. If you're scaring the Pittsburgh Steelers
squeamish. I'm like, that's a great word, man, squeamish. Classic
clash. That was good. Those are some great battles, man. I
tell you what you know, you think about that, those Steeler battles we
had and what's going on now? And I mean to go there our second
year in eighty one and clinch the AFC back in those days, the AFC
Central and three River Stadium against those guys. That was huge. That was
huge. So it was it was Steeler Week. That's all you got to
say. Big time. You demand Anthony, Anthony to wrap it up one
more time. Tell tell everybody who wants more information how do they can get
it about the foundation if they want to get involved, help out, or
just h learn more about it. Great. We got Munhos Foundation dot org.
You can get on there. You can see all the programs we run,
you can see how you can help financeally volunteering. And this next week
December first, second, and third, we got about one hundred and fifty
young man. We're taking up the Camp Shataqua for overnight camp and we'll be
we'll be there for three days and we'll be teaching them a little football,
but we're going through character team buildings and that's just one of the programs we
run. But yeah, Munyo's Foundation dot org. You can check it out
to what we do in our twenty second year. And you know Lappa Lapp
is not only the official voice of the Bengals on radio, but he is
one of the official voices for our banquet in June for years and years.
So the big guy, he helps us out any way he cans, and
we appreciate that. You're the best. Anthony. Appreciate your time. I
know you're busy to carve some for us means a lot. Appreciate you brother,
anytime you guys have a great one. Thanks guys. Anthony Munyo is
hanging out with us on Bengals Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network
and seven hundred WLW. Hey, we're back on Bengals Line on this Monday
night on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW lands Backallister
hanging out with Dave Lapham. I know hal Kat is proud to support the
Cincinnati Bengals. Sohio's premier construction equipment provider. We know what it takes to
be a first place team. Regardless of you need, whether it's sales service
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To see how we can help your company win, be sure to there
at www dot ohikat dot com. Whoday, Go Bengals. David talked and
how great was that to catch up with Anthony munhos is always talking offense.
Let's flip the script for a segment and talk a little bit about the defense
and potentially the return of Sam Hubbard hopefully and man his absence. I think
anybody who doubted his impact has seen it play out over the last couple of
weeks. And I think if there was one guy you'd want for Baltimore based
on just his athleticism, his versatility, his football IQ, it would be
Sam Hubbard. And did not have him there? Take it again in big
bold light, splashed how much it hurt him. It was a big tool
not in lou Amo's toolbox, because you know, Sam was a safety in
high school. Initially beefed up stronger, moved the linebacker, beefed up stronger,
yet interior or go to the defensive line up front in the front seven.
So Sam Hubbard is very athletic. He understands all kinds of leverage from
a covered standpoint, He understands combinations, he understands concepts, so he's extremely
valuable. He was a spy. He's been a very capable spy for Lamar
Jackson. He can play the run off the edge, he can rush off
the edge, he can do any he can line up a linebacker and drop.
He can do anything for you. And I honestly do believe lou An
Aruma has said on more than one occasion he's the best run defender that they
have. I mean, he's from the edge standpoint, he is the best
run game defender. So to have him back for Pittsburgh, who's trying to
pound the rock, and that's that's there's no doubt about that. Harris has
fournuner ninety nine yards, Warren has four hundred ninety three, and they've combined
for two hundred and eight carries. I mean, that's they're going to try
to attack the Cincinnati Bengals on the ground, and having Sam Hubbard back to
help alleviate that issue is going to be a big, big deal and the
explosive plays have just been so pronounced and that wasn't happening early in the season,
and just that the chunk ability right now is just that daggered into this
defense. Yeah, they're gonna have to start playing better top down defense,
top down coverage, there's no doubt about that. And these over routes that
have continually hurt, They're gonna have to figure out what the secret sauce is
to stop those bad boys, because as we know, the NFL is a
copycat league. And once Houston had success with it, Baltimore said, we're
gonna do it too. So don't be surprised to see over routes as part
of the Pittsburgh Steelers game planned until the Bengals stop it. And that's going
to be an issue on a weekly base. And the big thing is in
this football game is Pittsburgh's number one in the NFL and turnover ratio plus eleven.
Bengals are tied for second at plus ten. Steelers have nineteen takeaways,
tied for second most in the NFL. Bengals have eighteen, tied for six.
That's how many people have eighteen or nineteen takeaways, So in eighteen takeaways.
There's quite a few people in that department. But taking that football away
like that and not giving it away. I mean they both of them only
have eight giveaways, tied for fewest in the NFL. It is going to
be one of those games. It's going to be based on possessions. You
want as many as you can get, you don't want to give any away.
And that's what's going to be the ying and yang of this football game.
Lou Anrimo is going to join us later on in the third hour and
I'll ask him about it. But we watched Logan Wilson. We know Logan
Wilson. We like Logan Wilson. I think the narrative created by whomever that
people are running with of what Logan Wilson was supposed to have done that what
was cheap, don't get it. I think it's unfair. It's it's missing
the mark on the guy. Yeah, I mean he's trying to get people
on the ground and whatever it takes to do that. And and do you
see any yellow flags? No? Did he do anything illegal? No?
So you know people are people are running with something that and the drop going
to be explored. It's it's explored every year. I mean, if if
there's certain things that are outlawed, okay, fine, that's there's a rule
now, and now I'm going to live by that rule. But as of
today, Logan Wilson did nothing wrong in the way he approached taking people to
the ground. We are heading down the stretch and our second of three hours.
There is so much more to get to and we continue on after this.
It's Bengals Line on the First Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred
w l W. All right back on Bengals Line on this Monday night.
We are flying down the stretch. Final segment of our second hour, a
third hour to include get ready for this lou Anroumo eating off in the eight
o'clock hour, followed by a little bit from Joe Burrow and his news conference,
a little bit uh ooh from Lewis Breeden is going to check in the
former Bengal. We'll touch on the Steelers in the playoff picture. That is
all ahead in a jam pack third hour, Hang with us. It's Bengals
Line on the First Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW touchdown Bengals
East Bengals Line on the First Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network. Brook You by
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night on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW, Lance
McAllister, Dave Lapham and Lance fifth third. Your hometown bank is proud to
partner with the Cincinnati Bengals. Your hometown team is Y three dot com slash
Bengals for more on Bengals Banking. Dave, Welcome in our next special guests
to begin this hour. I think this this gentleman has as brilliant a defensive
mind as Arisen the game of football period, and we're very pleased to have
him here in Cincinnati. And we're more than that pleased. We're more pleased
than that to have him on our show. None other than Lou and Aumo.
Thanks guys, thanks for having me. Where Where is your what?
What? Are your talking points this week to your team to get them back
to where they were at the level they were playing. Yeah, I just
think it's, you know, reset your mind, you know, I think,
uh, get get to a position where you know, the guys are
playing at a high level again. I think there was moments of that the
other night. You know, about four minutes left and a half, it's
we're winning ten seven. Yeah, you know, they got thirty yards rushing
at the half, and you know you're kind of getting them to play a
little bit left handed, and then you know, we tip a pass and
they catch it in full stride and then we get the couple of pis and
half went into halftime totally different than we should have. So, but it
is what it is. That's football, and we have to respond and we
will this weekend. Yeah, my take on the pis, I mean I
was p oed with the pi's and I'm sure you were and a lot of
the other people. I mean it's like, all right, the Bengals number
one in the NFL and penalties and penalty yards. You call nine penalties against
the Bengals, nine against the Baltimore Ravens, eighteen penalties for over one hundred
and eighty yards ten yards per penalty assessed. That's crap. You know,
it's a nationally televised game. People want to see the guys play, the
guys make plays to inside the football. They don't want to see the striped
jerseys throwing yellow flags. I mean, if I'm in the league, they
going to figure out a way. They got to figure out a way somehow
to communicate with them when they do. Okay, let's replay this, bring
them on the stile and say, hey, keep your flagging your pocket for
God's sake, will you? I mean seriously, Yeah, you should ask
him to put money on the table to cover potential five one. Oh man,
I mean that was so it had to be brutally frustrating for coaches and
players because it was frustrating to watch and call. That's for sure. We
just have to play better, and uh, you know that's obvious, so
we will. Yes, Jordan Battle had tied for a game high eleven tackles.
Did the tape back up what you were thinking in terms of his performance?
Yeah, he did some good things. Certainly, Let's start with tackling,
getting off blocks and making tackles so we can build from there. So
here come the Pittsburgh Steelers, and you know, they're known for their defensive
football team, but they're also known for their running game, you know.
And they have a couple of running backs that are six yards apart, I
mean split in times, almost identical carries, identical yards, maybe similar running
styles. I mean, when you're going against the duo like that in the
running game, what are the big things to talk about? Well, it
starts up front. They're doing a good job, you know, getting you
know, moving people and creating some seams for these guys. So and they
both run really hard. Warren, as you saw, had the big,
big seventy four yard running I think yesterday and not she does a good job,
you know, creating holes maybe when there's not. So they've got two
very capable running backs and they do a good job with it, and they
feature them. And you could see why I offer this not as an excuse,
but the reality of the situation. You've got two guys in the back
end, rookies in Turner and Battle who played one hundred and fifteen snaps Monday
night. Rookies can be very volatile, up and down, unpredictable. How
how challenging is that, you know, it's just a part of it.
You know, at this point, you know, DJ's played a lot,
so we'd like to think he's beyond that. But again it's he's in and
there's things that show up. He did a good job, you know,
did not have a good snap against the one snap against Flowers on the long
play. But you know he can't good news about DJs. He battles right
back and uh, you know, he doesn't let that stuff, you know,
get him, you know, upstairs mentally challenged, because that can that
can be a situation where if you're playing corner and you're not, you know,
you're losing confidence. That's not a good thing. And that's not DJ.
He's always always on it. So he knows what he did wrong.
We just got to fix it. You go from a quarterback that's an MVP
candidate Lamar Jackson, that is capable of doing just about anything. And and
I'm not saying pick it isn't an NFL quarterback, I mean not a good
quarterback. He's an NFL starting quarterback. The guy can play the quarterback position,
but doesn't pose maybe as many threats as Lamar Jackson may pose. How
different is that from a preparation standpoint. Yeah, it's just hard to compare
Lamar to anybody. Yeah, he's right, he's him, and he does
a great job as we know, the run game part of it and throwing
the ball. So but as you mentioned, you know, picket is uh,
he knows where he wants to go with the ball. You can see
his you know, his growth since last year. You know, so you
know, we can certainly be aware of the weapons they have on the outside,
the weapons he can go to on the outside. Uh, he can
get hot and you know, move the ball around some. They do a
great job in the screen game and every as you mentioned, everything builds off
of their power run game and so we've got to stop that first and then
go on from there. And he he doesn't hesitate to hesitate to use Warren.
Warren's a second leading receiver thirty four. I mean is that mostly screen
game coaches? He checkdowns a combination, It is a combination of both.
Yeah, he gets out there on third down because he does a great Warren
that is in terms of protection and things like that, he does a hell
of a job and nobody way, as you mentioned, he's a really good
screen runner. You you know, Logan Wilson the player, you know,
Logan Wilson the person. What would you say to the people taking shots at
it. Yeah, I don't understand it, you know, I don't understand
it at all. So you know, Zach made comments the other day about
it, so I'll leave it alone. But Logan is as fine of a
man as he is a football player. There's nothing dirty about him. And
everything he did the other night was just in the spirit of the game and
trying to tackle somebody. And that guy played his tail off too. I
mean I saw him the buses when we pulled into the stadium in the wee
hours, and he was, you know, obviously still frustrated about the game
and everything. I said, hey, fifty five, I just want to
say, man, you know, as an observer, you played your tailoff
and he kind of like, you know, shrugged it off. I said,
seriously, you played your tail off, man, And I mean he
was he was definitely impacted, you know. I mean that game was tough
on everybody, no question. Well that's the kind of guy he is.
You know, he doesn't want to certainly, he's not out there trying to
hurt anybody. And he's sprinted almost fifty something yards down the field to tackle
Odell on that one. And it's a hard tackle on a receiver from a
linebacker fifty yards momentum down the field. So again, there's no malicious intent
in his game at all. He's trying to play fair. But it's football.
So and I don't want to dwell on this, but it's just people
that want to make these rule changes. It's hard enough to play defense anyway.
If they're going to change the way that you're allowed to tackle people and
going to a thorough examination of is this how can you play football anymore that
way? That's crazy? I don't know. It's something that'll be discussed,
I'm sure because it came up last year in the competition meeting. So we'll
just you know, whatever the rules are passed down, that won't will enforce
them. There is a it'd be one thing if there hadn't been a frame
of reference to point two with this defense, but there was a three game
stretch Seattle, San Francisco, Buffalo. You give up what thirty seventeen eighteen
to kind of point to to say this is who we can be, this
is what we can do. Yeah, no doubt, I mean I think,
and that's the guys that have been here know what we're capable of.
We just have to get back to it. And that's no excuses. We
just have to play solid defense and starts in the run game and build from
there. A short week, a couple of physical football games. I mean,
Houston is physical, there's no doubt. Baltimore we know. You know
you go to Baltimore, it's physical, there's no no question about it.
Everybody of course, and rightfully so talking about the injury to Joe Burrow,
which is unfortunate and costs him the rest of the season. How to how
have you come out of it? Do you do? You feel like you
guys are gonna be pretty good here come Yeah, I think so. We'll
see the guys here today. But I feel good about where we were coming
out of the game. So we see good. Appreciate you checking in as
always and hanging out with us. Absolutely, thank you. It's going to
be a victory day on Monday. Coach victory day on Monday from this week
week for Monday. That's right, that's right. There you go. We
get a smile on his face. There you go. It's Bengals Live.
We're on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW. We
continue on on this Monday Night talking Bengals three hours every Monday Night. It's
Bengals Line of the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and seven hundred WLW.
Lance Bacallister and Dave Lepham and Lance fifth third, Your Hometown Bank is proud
to partner with the Cincinnati Bengals. Your hometown team. Visit five to three
dot com slash Bengals for more on Bengals banking and the Bengals upgraded the Wi
Fi at pay Course Stadium with the help of their new internet provider, Alti
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 Alti Fiber. David, Let's talk a little bit more about Joe Burrow
dealing with an injury, dealing with the rehab now and the physical grind of
that, but the mental grind of it as well. And we talked with
Brian Callahan with It about it earlier in the show. It wears on an
individual. But but Joe has that makeup and that laser focus, and let's
be honest, he's been through rehabs a number of different times, so you
tend to not worry because just his makeup and how he has handled it in
the past will lead him into handling it again this time. Absolutely. And
you look at it and mentioned it during the game, the fact that he
never felt sorry for himself at one instant, and that's going to be the
case through the entire rehab process. There's no pity party, there's no poor
me, oh man, what's going on? Why am I always the one
that has to deal with these injuries? If your mind is cluttered with that
kind of thing, you're not on point in terms of what you're supposed to
do to get done that day. For a proper rehab and Joe Burrow and
all his rehabilitations to this point has become rehab player of the Year. I
mean, he's going to do everything to the highest level possible, just like
when he plays, he's gonna, he's gonna. He wants to be the
best. He wants to be the best quarterback on the football field. He
wants to help his team be the best team it possibly can be, and
he's gonna take care of himself and his body from a rehabilitation standpoint the best
that he possibly can as well. So everything he does he does for keeps.
Here's Joe Burrow meeting with the media talking about what has happened and what
is ahead for him. Yeah, it's tough. You know, you work,
you work so hard for for seasons and moments like these. So when
you know, whenever you get hurt and it it ends at early, it's
it's tough to tough to handle. But you know that's part of the game,
been through before, so it's got to grind it out. Yeah,
the the play before it happened, I landed on on the wrist a little
bit, and then the next play, you know, the touchdown pass just
felt the pop when uh in the middle of the row, you know,
tried to tried to give it a go, but just couldn't. Couldn't get
it done. So uh and obviously got the news today, So not great.
But you try to a couple of times and it's probably just I know
I couldn't. I knew I couldn't yesterday, So that was tough. You
know, I was excited about how that game was heading. Uh, and
then you know, after the game kind of kind of had a feeling before
ah, before we got the official news. But this is what it is.
When you went to the tent and before you did you think, do
you feel pretty good about the situation? You not feel good about the situation?
Oh, I'm not. I didn't really have a feeling at that time.
It's gonna I was just gonna tape it up and give it a shot.
Uh, just couldn't. I mean, just three years, I feel
like you're always kind of playing through and been dealing with stuff. Injury is
tough stuff. How do you deal with the compilation of this? Do you
worry about the compilation of this stuff over three years? No, I'm just
gonna treat it like like anything else. You know, you analyze the situation,
go through the process of what it's going to take to get back,
and you go and do it. That's all you can do. What have
they told you about the process of getting back? I mean, how soon
you expect to be able to throw again and go through all those reals?
Yeah, I don't know. It's still very early. Still got a lot
of people to talk to. Uh, and you know, a lot of
work to do, so I don't really have an answer on that. One's
just stuff you draw from. I mean the clas that process, how you
were able to handle it and come through this. If you drop from that,
the fields and can help you, you know, come out of this.
Uh, you know, with a good mindset. Yeah, I've you
know, I've been through stuff like this before, so it's nothing new,
you know, Like I said, it's football. Stuff like this happens.
You just gotta live learned to live with it. And you know, I've
talked a lot about landing on your sports system. I got a great support
system, great friends, great family, helped me get through, a great
teammates, and I'll be around here. So uh, not ideal, but
you know I've got what it takes and the people around me got what it
takes to get it done. Contained There's been nothing but supportive love. Those
guys. They're going to keep fighting, get wins, make the playoffs.
Uh. You know, Jake's gonna play great. Jake played really well yesterday
when he got his chance, and that was off of no practice, so
he's going to continue to get better and better. I'm decided to watch him
too on the play when you landed before a touchdown pass, was the force
from the defender that fell along just as well, I don't really even remember,
you know, I didn't even really realize that I fell on it before
they showed me the video, you know, in the in the heat of
it like that, it's it's hard to sometimes you don't even feel what's happening
to your body in those situations, just because of the moment and the adrenaline.
So it's hard to even describe. Its strange that your final passing the
seasons gonna be a touchdown. Yeah, that's not you know, the final
one not great. But I was able to get it to him somehow.
When you pop the pain you know how bad weather, I mean, when
you're on the field, it's I would never describe anything on the field is
pain. You just kind of in the moment experiencing things. I wouldn't describe
it as pain. There's been social media posts and a lot of documentation from
the video. Had it left side of a wrap on your risk going into
the game, what like that? That was This is a completely different,
different thing. You know, It's not uncommon for guys to wear compression sleeves
on plane, because when you go up to that altitude, you you know,
things can swell up. You know, football, you have a lot
of bumps and bruises. This is a completely new injury. It was compression
of you that flight. Is that way you grabbed it or just just a
precautionary No, that was more of a just make sure my arm on a
flight, doesn't I mean you you try to maintain your body as much as
you can, and you know on a short week you got some bumps and
bruises. Had nothing to do with the wrist. Joe Burrow on the rehab
still ahead. Lewis Breeden will check in. We'll talk with him, and
a little bit more on the Steelers. We've got plenty to get too as
we head down the stretch on Bengals Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio
Network. It's seven hundred l W. Hey, we're back on Bengals Line
on this Monday evening on the first Dar Logistics Bengals Radio net work and seven
hundred WLW. I'm Lance McAllister along with Dave Lappham, Yes, Sir Lanson.
Before each Bengals home game at pay Course Stadium, stopped by pregame at
the Banks located along Freedom Way, visit the bud Light Tailgate Zone near Joe
Knuxall Way, and then walked through the Jungle Zone powered by Toyota for face
painting games and interactive stations. Activities begin three hours prior to kickoff Big Party
Day. Let's welcome in our next guest. How about I'll do the honors?
Can I do the honors? All right? Our next guest? Drafted
in nineteen seventy seven by the Bengals out of North Carolina Central ten seasons.
He wore number thirty four. He picked off thirty three passes in his career,
including one he returned one hundred and two yards to the house. We
would be speaking of nobody other than our next guest, Lewis Breden. How
are you? Yes, I'm doing great man, And thanks for doing the
homework guys on the bio, because otherwise otherwise PE wouldn't know. Fifty years
later, you know, I will say though. Drafted in Major Lee in
baseball as well, great great baseball player and the best Bengal basketball player ever
in franchise history. The helicopter, Lewis could dunk behind his head under his
legs. I mean it was unbelievable, man. He he was the helicopter.
We called him. They would call me the hell they would call we'd
call me the helicopter. I did call you the helicopter, and that I
tried to give him the bowl as much as possible to see him dunk it
underneath the bat mocked the dug. The reason, the reason you were the
helicopter. You not only got up, you hung there. Man, Your
hangtime was unbelievable, unbelievable, good old day. All right, oh man,
crazy, there you go, Lewis, take us back just a couple
of days, and and kind of your reaction to the gut punch the Bengals
get with the news of Joe Burrow's injury that knocks him out for the season.
Yeah, got And they would tell you, man that the last thing
you want to see, uh with with any football player, with the Bengals
or or even opponent, you want to see someone go down with the season
in the injury. And one of the reasons because you never know when you
can go down, so it's not a good thing to be rooting for someone
to get hurt. And Joe Burrow is he's had some injuries. I had
him doing my career, and I mean he's the center of the center of
this franchise. Man. They they do some incredible things offensively and as a
team because of the abilities of Joe Burrow. He's incredible, man. I
mean he's He and Mahomes are right there. To me, I picked my
home. I think Mahomes can do some things a little bit more creative,
but there's not a difference between the way those guys go out and play football.
That makes place and that uh, every player football player does some things
differently, and he's a different maker, man. And and that's a tough
loss. It's kind of kind of a loss that I don't know how you
recover, man. I'll tell you it's if everybody else does a little bit
more and nobody else do a lot. I guess in his absence, and
I guess my question for you, because you were as good as there was
on that back end. Why why do you see? Why do you think
because you watched the Bengals pretty religiously, I know, all of a sudden,
they're giving up chunks In the last two games, seventeen plays of twenty
yards more seventeen in two football games. I mean, and they weren't.
I mean, they played top down coverage about as well as anybody has anything
caught your eye in particular, nothing really. I was surprised because you know,
you've been talking about the secondary because the the secondary has been playing so
well. I remember all the accolades, all the punnits were giving the Bengals
secondary because they were playing so well with all the young guy right, and
they did it during the season too. So I think what happened with Houston
they ran into a hotball club crowd is he's a player, man, and
they've been they winning ball games, and they won element I mean straight,
but they they even won yesterday. And they ran into a team that normally
beats them. So I take that away. I think more than everything,
the Bengals, you know, they have the people out defensively. I didn't
expect that. I really felt the Bengals would. You know, It's just
like law of averages, man, Eventually you're gonna win. And I think,
what is Lamar Jackson from like seven and two, eight and two over
the last three years against the Bengals. But I just think eight and one,
Okay, I just take the Bengals would play a good ball game coming
off the loss, they would play well, then they could stick out a
win. But when Joe Burrow goes out, you lose all kinds of continuity
offensively and it's it's hard to make up for that. And from the secondary
standpoint, they're still CHANNELSS and I think the biggest thing with that defensively for
them, that's not a past rushing for guys kind of rushing defense. They
do play a lot of zone, so, uh, you're going to have
to really be coordinated in the secondary, which they've been able to do,
but the last couple of games they've broken down a bit. So hopefully they
can get that all taken care of the next next ball games and throughout the
rest of the season. These over routes that are killing him and a lot
of times it's like passing off one guy to another in the zone. Yeah,
what's what's the trick to getting that done properly? Have they had issues
in that regard h it's coordinations, attention to detail. You know, it
kind of reminds me of you remember last year when Kansas City played Philadelphia,
there were two touchdowns scores by Philadelphia when the corners were supposed to pass it
all with some just minor crossing and now the goal line, and they just
didn't do it. And you knew they knew what they were supposed to do.
But all it takes is just one second of hesitation, A nano second
of hesitation doesn't take much for a guy to get by you. As you
got to acurate quarterback and and and that. Uh, Baltimore has done that
this year. You're going to get deep. Uh. It has to be
coordinated, especially when you're playing when you play a lot of zone and those
kinds of things where guys are passing off and guys are crossing, especially on
deep patters, you gotta get a pass rush. The pass rush is always
a goodness back to be friends. And they didn't have the kind of pass
rush uh that they've had throughout the season. But they're just not the best
pass rushing team in the National Football League anyway. They just played great,
solid, coordinated defense. Lewis tick me back when you were a rookie coming
into the league, what it was like to have Ken Riley to to learn
from and as a mentor, you know what, it was great. I
wasn't very disciplined. Ken Riley was, So I needed Ken Riley to kind
of, you know, talk to me and and and and sot give me
some some guidance and think about Ken Rody, which lack of those. And
you know also that Kenny Rally came to Florida A and M. And he
had never played defensive back before in his life, not in high school,
not in college. He ends up being drafted, not playing quarterbacks, playing
defensive back in his sectye in the league he started sixty five interceptions later,
he's in the Hall of Fame. He should have been in earlier and all
that. But he was always in my ear, trying to help me the
best way he could. And if Ken Riley were alive today, he would
tell you he'd learned more about the position when Dick Lebou came than he ever
knew prior, because Dick lebo had played the game for a long time,
and Dick Clabo was obviously because he was great coordinator, but he was a
very astute. He really studied the game, and he didn't know he wasn't
He was a sticker for detail, but he did understand that you can't teach
every football player to do the same things, and so there is no one
size fits all for cornerback. Some quarterbacks cornerback can do certain things differently.
Some linemen can do things differently. So you allow for that, and you
can't be a stickert for saying, hey, you got to do this this
way. The guy may not be able to do it this way, but
he can do it another way, which may end up being the best way
to possibly do it anyway. So Ken Riley was especially early on. He
was always in my ear. Always happened to me because quite frankly, when
I got here, I didn't have the best coaching. I'm not going to
mention the guy's name, but I mean he was a football coach, but
he didn't know the position. So I had to learn from and I had
to learn, David tell you, I had to learn from listening to Lamar
Paris. Lamar was here one year, but hey, Ryan was my coach
man for while he was here, and so I got too. I learned
and got up to speed Man because he's a very smart player. He helped
wide receivers, I mean quick cogwork. We tell you the story. Else
time Chris did something and kN Riley saw it and was able to maybe knock
the ball down and get it intercepting. He would come back to Chris that
said, Chris, this is what you did as basically dictated what you were
going to do. Other defensive backs are going to see this. You should
don't give it away. You got to find a way to do it.
And and that's how helpy he was on the football field, not just with
me defensively, but to wide receiver as well. And I'll tell you that
that that's a valuable teammate when you know behind the scenes all the things that
that Ken Riley did that people will never know, people never understand, you
know, but teammates they sure do. No question about that. You mentioned
Dick Lebow, Dick la Bowl with the fire zone, the zone blitz stuff.
I mean he started all that. He was he was the creator and
now it's a huge, huge element and something everybody in the NFL uses to
be a guy that that changed the game like that. That's an amazing thing
for Dick Lebow. Let me tell you worry about that were here and tell
you something about how creative and how his mind when he worked. But he's
always looking for things and some things just happened just by watching sim Uh.
We had a ball player we run a cover two, which is a zone.
He had a cover to man as well with this man. And we
have a particular player I'm not gonna call his name again who had a tough
time on game day because he was so focused. We were toll cover too,
which is the zone, and he was on the slot guy and he
would always run with that guy and he's he's the only guy running with this
guy. And then we come to the sidelines, why did you run with
this guy? And then the boat would get on me and look and get
tell him. I said, yeah, I mentioned it to and blah blah
blah. And we'd go back out there and he'd do the same thing again.
And he did it throughout the season and one day and it would mess
up the zone when you have one guy out of place running around the field,
chasing the guy all over the field. So one day we're watching film,
watching tim you know day when you're watching the them and the coach is
not saying anything. He's just watching back and forth. But you don't know
who who who he is watching. You're just hoping he's not going to get
on your buddy. So finally he looked at something and he says, you
know what. He called the player's name. He said, you messed up
this place all the damn time, but you know what, it's a great
defense. What happened was when you're playing Cover two and the slot guy,
whether it's the tight end or the slot receiver, they can get down the
middle of the field immediately, and that could mess up your zone because you're
too deep, and that could hurt your safe season, your corners who were
playing up. You needed someone to hit and run with this guy, maybe
twenty twenty five yards to prevent this guy to getting downfield. That just happened
accidentally, and he coordinated that into to our defense and he named it after
the guy. So I think the guys still mess it up, but we
had a defense and admit that anyone who was on that slot guy would happen
to run with this guy. Vic de Bo. He was a very smart
guy. Really another story with me, Zcobo would allow me to do some
things that he wouldn't allow anyone else to do. That's right. He believed
in not one size fits all, right, because he saw that I can
do it just by yeah, and I did it, not knowing I did
it. He said, Louis, you should do that more often, you
know, because when you do that, he gives you an advantage. He
wouldn't let anyone else do it, but he allowed me to do it.
So he was very creative and that's what made him good because he saw things
and he would utalize him. He knew what worked and what didn't, and
he wasn't a stickler for one size fits all. Right, Lewis, I
got one more for you. And I found this last night. And I've
never asked you about this, but I've always loved this show. In nineteen
eighty two, you were part of a Bengals team that went to Hawaii to
compete in the Team Superstars against the forty nine ers. You beat the forty
nine ers, you lost to the A's. What was that experience like as
part of the Angles Team Superstars for ABC? It was great, but it
was also embarrassing too, man, because, Uh, some of the events,
Man, some of the guys like, we had some swimming events and
some of the guys who claimed, now I can't swim, I'm not aquatic
at all, man, So I knew that I wouldn't be any good in
any swimming events unless the event was drowning, then that would be very good
at so so what what some of the and some of the guys we put
in there weren't very good swimmings. They beat the hell out of the water
out of but they weren't very good swimmers. And one of the and and
what was so embarrassing about that whole thing was we lost. I guess we've
a little through the darts of the age. We lost. And the final
event what the Tuggle War event. Everyone just predicted we were going to win,
but we lost the Tuggle wall man, can you believe that football players
tuggle water a bunch of baseball players? So don't ever mention that I was
on that team. But no, that was that was a great event.
I had a chance to meet some of the uh like Reggie Jackson and some
of those guys guys I've seen on on TV play I never met before.
It was in Hawaii. Got a chance to go to Hawaii for the first
time. Everything was paid for because Hawaii is expensive attecht SO. But we
had a great time and uh Collins worked the Curis was there as some of
the other guys. We had a we had a blast. Man. It
was a good time. Yeah. And you're right watching the the aquatic events.
Uh, they were sinking like Plymouth Rock. You're right, man,
Plymouth Rock boy. I can't I can't swim man, keep me out of
the water to day. I got you. Hey, this this was a
treat. Thanks for making time for us. Always good, catch it up,
always good. Uh talking to you guys. Uh, guys and that
uh anytime you want me on uh you know, but appreciate ch excellent.
Thank you, Lewis. Lewis Breeden joining us on Bengals Line of the first
Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network at seven hundred WLW. We keep moving along Bengals
Line the name of the show. We do it on the first Star Logistics
Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW. Lands back Aleister davel Appham. Hey,
Bengals fans, make sure to catch me and Dan Hord every Wednesday this
season for Bengals Game Plan presented by Bud Light on the air from six to
eight pm on ESPN fifteen thirty and Bengals fans on Fridays, make sure to
listen to myself and Dan Horde or Box Miller from Bengals pep rally presented by
Wings and Rings on the air from three to six pm on the ESPN fifteen
thirty Dave final thought on the Pittsburgh Steelers. They get out to gained again
yesterday by the Browns two fifty nine, two forty nine. All is not
well, Najee Harris after the game. I'm just at a point where I'm
tired of this blank. He carried twelve times for thirty five yards. He
says. I couldn't get things going. It seems like every time I got
it, it seemed like the defense was playing to minimize my role. Is
it fixable? Yeah? Are we gonna fix it? He says blank again.
I hear there was a lot of I and me in those statements that
would you lead to lead you to think that all is not well with him.
But the Steelers right now, I think there's a little bit of jealousy
with Warren's success. I mean, Warren's averaging six point two of Carrie Nause,
He's averaging three point nine. Warren busted the seventy four yard touchdown.
Warren made more big plays than Harris made in that in the most recent football
game against the Cleveland Browns. So Harris is starting to moan about the fact
that Hey, Warren is eating into my my opportunity in my playing time,
and that's not something that you want to be addressed in the public. There's
no two ways about that. Right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are six and
one and one score games, and they're also they've won six games by being
out gained, but they've also lost four by being outgained. It's amazing ten
football games, every single opponent has gained more yards. Don't be the one
that breaks that streak. Final thoughts. Next Bengals Line on the First Star
Logistics Bengals Radio Network in seven hundred WLW, Rolling down the stretch, final
segment of the Night Bengals Line, First Star Logistics Bengals Radio Networks seven hundred
WLW lands but Cantleister Dave Lapham and this segment of Bengals Line is presented by
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Corps, who is proud to be the official HR provider of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Dave I Love in the Trenches tell everybody about in the Trenches. In
the Trenches is a podcast that you can find on YouTube and anywhere you get
your podcasts. And what we do is it's all Bengals, all the time,
and we talk to current and former players. We talked to current and
former opponents of the Cincinnati Bengals, We talked to current and former media members
covering the National Football League. Try to give every perspective we can on the
upcoming opponent and what the Bengals are doing, how their season is tracking,
and various and a sundry other topics NFL related. It's a lot of fun.
Love it to love it every week. Hey, thanks to everybody for
joining us today. Man Ken Anderson and Anthony Munoz and Lewis Breeden, lou
Anarumo and Brian Callahan enjoyed the conversation. Hope you did as well. We're
back here next week to talk Bengals Steelers, Wrap that up and look ahead
to Jacksonville. It's Bengals Line on the first Star Logistics Bengals Radio Network and
seven hundred WLW