October 9, 2025 • 53 mins
The Bengals turn to former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco as they head to Green Bay to face the Packers. Dan Hoard discusses the move with players and coaches and also talks to Kevin Harlan from CBS Sports, defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery who spent nine years in Green Bay, and Packers’ radio voice Wayne Larrivee.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, get everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.
Du take a chance on the addition as the Bengals
turn to former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco as they
head to Green Bay to face the Packers. Coming up,
we'll hear from players and coaches on their new quarterback
and discuss why the Bengals front office made the move.
(00:26):
Now plus one on one conversations with Kevin Harlan from CBS,
Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who spent nine years
in Green Bay, and in this week's No The Faux segment,
we'll talk to the voice of the Packers.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Wayne Lairvie.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
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(01:04):
this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
thing since an attempted on side punt. If you watched
last week's game against Detroit, something very confusing happened with
less than two minutes to go. After Jake Browning was
tackled in the end zone for a safety, the Bengals
(01:26):
were required to do a free kick from their own twenty.
Punter Ryan Rico handled it, and here's what you heard
on TV.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
A sack safety for the Lions.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
They have pushed their lead to thirteen.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And now the high pooch free kick and the fair
catch call.
Speaker 6 (01:42):
For and made by Amaran Saint.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Brown at the forty six yard Libel.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So the ball was at the forty six but there
was a penalty on the play that advanced it thirty
six yards.
Speaker 6 (01:54):
It'll be the receiving team's ball half the distance from
the spot of the kick at the ten yard line.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
First down, and there is an unsportsmanlike conduct on the
free kick, and the Lions are going to have it
well into the red zone.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So what the heck happened? Well, believe it or not,
the Bengals tried an onside punt. We think of onside
kicks as bouncing balls kicked off a tee where you're
hoping for a high hop or a muff by the
other team, but it is legal after a safety to
onside punt. In fact, when Don Shula was the coach
(02:30):
of the Dolphins, Miami pulled one off against the Bengals
in nineteen eighty one. Website ranks it as the thirty
sixth the greatest play in Dolphins history. The rules have
changed since then, after the league adopted the dynamic kickoff
rule last year. Teams now have to alert opponents when
they are attempting an on side kick, and that still
(02:53):
applies after a safety, so that element of surprise was gone,
but you can still try to the opponent with how
you do it. What the Bengals were trying to do
last week is have punter Ryan Rico kick the ball
straight up in the air and hope that somebody who
isn't used to fielding it failed to make the catch,
(03:13):
but Rico punted the ball a bit too far. Under
the current rules, an on side kick has to land
in the fifteen yard setup zone. In this case, that
was between the thirty and forty five yard lines. Rico's
kick went to the forty six, one yard too far.
(03:33):
The penalty for an on sidekick that goes untouched beyond
the setup zone is a loss of fifteen yards and
the receiving team gets the ball. Since a free kick
after a safety takes place at the twenty, it became
a half the distance penalty and the Lions got the
ball at the ten. It's probably the most confusing thing
(03:55):
I've seen in fifteen years as the Bengals announcer, and
had the angles pulled off an on side punt, it
would have been one of the coolest things. Now, let's
get to this week's big news. In the fourth quarter
of last week's game, Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes,
but it was clear in his postgame news conference that
(04:17):
Jake's confidence had not been restored.
Speaker 7 (04:20):
I need to play better and there's literally no hiding
from that. And I don't care if every person on
the team says they need to play better. It starts
with me playing better at the quarterback position and not
putting our team in difficult situations. And there's no hiding
from that. So on me, I needed to stop throwing interceptions.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Jake proved two years ago that he can play in
the NFL, but for whatever reason, he wasn't playing well
this year and it was getting hard to stick with
him in hopes of that changing soon, so the Bengals
made an aggressive move by trading for eighteen year veteran
Joe Flacco, who started against the Bengals in Week one.
(05:00):
Here's what Joe Burrow said about him before that game.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
I think he throws it better than number one a
lot of people give him credit for, and I think
he's one of the more natural throws of the football
that I've ever seen. You know, he can spin it
with the best of them. He's got one of the
stronger signs of all time. So he's going to be
able to put the ball when and where he wants
to put it.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The Bengals saw that an opening day, as Flacco threw
for two hundred and ninety yards, and while he threw
a pair of interceptions, they were both off the hands
of his receivers. In fact, Cleveland had four drops in all.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
On first and goal from the five, Flacco, looking to pass,
his throw caught in the middle of the end zone
by Cedric Tilman for at cleveland go ahead touchdown.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Joe Flacco gives the old fish pump have to throwing
that pass in the middle of the field, realizing that
his receiver caught it for the touchdown. Good route run
by Cedric Tilman. Flacco pat his eyes on him the
whole way, a delibered a strike.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Flacco started four games for the Brown this year, and
three weeks ago he beat the team he'll face this Sunday,
the Green Bay Packers. Here's Zach Taylor on adding the
former Super Bowl MVP.
Speaker 9 (06:10):
Played him a lot, watched him a lot, brings great
great experience, great leadership. His style fits our style of
play too, so excited to get him out there. We'll
start him this week. So he's gonna take all the reps,
get ready to go. Already spent a lot of time
meeting with us, getting at the speed, So feel really
good about where he's at. I mean, it's different than
a young quarterback coming in trying to learn a system
(06:31):
and understand what a defense is trying to do to
challenge you. No that, but he's played Green Bay this year,
so he's already gone through a week of prep. So
that's the nice part. Is now the communication and the
weekly rhythm is maybe different, unique, but he's already prepared
for this opponent, so he gets a chance to refresh
himself on that well at the same time, just learning
(06:53):
our system and our terminology and our verbiage and how
we operate b also knowing that he's playing now. He
hasn't played there this year, and so the crowd, noise
and all that stuff's different, but at least he's got
some experience pointing at them.
Speaker 10 (07:03):
He's a great.
Speaker 9 (07:04):
Passer, and again, we've got to expand all areas of
our offense to be better, to be able to efficient
run the football, protect all that.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 9 (07:12):
But the number one trait you're looking for is a
guy that can operate your system into the football and
Joe has always been a tremendous passer in this league
and have seen it, and so now we got treminous
weapons that he can play around, and so I'm excited
to Watchington.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
The Browns have turned a rookie quarterback, Dylan Gabriel, so
they were willing to trade Flacco in order to move
up in next year's draft. The Bengals gave up a
fifth round pick and got Flacco plus a sixth round
pick in return. But why do the Bengals make this
move now? Well, just look at the AFC North. The
Steelers are three and one, but the jury is still
(07:47):
out on just how good Pittsburgh really is. The Ravens
are one in four with devastating injuries, and the Browns
are also one in four in rebuilding mode. It might
not take ten wins to capture the division this year.
The Bengals are two and three and after playing at
Green Bay this week, have three straight home games against
(08:07):
the Steelers, Jets, and Bears. They are still very much
alive with the hope of getting Joe Burrow back in December.
Here are Orlando Brown and Chase Brown on the front
office taking action.
Speaker 11 (08:22):
I think it's, you know, more so a message too
from the front office and ownership, you know, letting the
world know that you know that this is important to us,
and we do see that, we know that, and I
imagine Joe Burrow will be back to at some point.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (08:33):
I think it shows that they want to win and
winning as a priority, and yeah, I think so. I
think it shows their commitment to this locker room, the
coaching staff, and how much they believe in this team.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Flacco has two former teammates on the Bengals roster, dating
back to the twenty nineteen Denver Broncos, tight end Noah
Fant and offensive lineman Dalton Reisner. Asked Reisner if Flacco
can get up to speed in four days of practice
with the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I do believe that he can do that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
He is a sixteen year I don't want to out
speak sixteen or seventeen year vet in this league. I
think he's fifty nine years old, right, something like that,
And I'm just kidding, he's like forty regardless. He's a
guy that's gonna come in here and be a VET
and know how to do that, and he's going to
be on top of his p's and q's.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
He's gonna learn the offense.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
He's about to go out there and command it and
put his best foot forward to help us win.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I can't imagine there has ever been a quarterback to
beat the same opponent twice in three weeks while playing
for two different teams. But that's what Flacco will try
to do on Sunday. I talked about that and much
more with one of the guys who will call the
game on CBS my son Sam has excellent taste in broadcasters,
(09:52):
and his favorite is not his dad. It's our guest
Kevin Harlan, who will be on the mic for CBS
this week. Kevin, we got quite the plot twist this
week with the Bengals acquisition of Joe Flacco having a
Cincinnati assignment this week. What was your reaction?
Speaker 10 (10:09):
Stunned? But it makes sense. He knows the division. He
is a quarterback who has seen everything. He's reached the
highest of highs. He's had some difficult moments, but he
continues to go on. You know, Dan, I thought at
one time that after he had signed the big contract
(10:30):
with Baltimore and had won the Super Bowl, and I
know he's a family man and all that, and I thought,
you know, I could see him finding other priorities in life.
I may be wrong in this assumption. And while we've
interviewed him over the years, I haven't seen him much recently.
I think his love for the game, which has always
(10:51):
been there, it kind of feels like it's grown the
older he's gotten and the more years he's piled up
on his resume. Is being an NFL quarterback, He's good
at it. He's a great locker room influence, and if
any team was ready to make a move, it was
probably yours. Poor Jake was was clearly was struggling, and
(11:15):
this is maybe shot in the arm Joe gets back
in December that this team needs. I mean, they've got
the parts. We all know that. See Lucas Patrick is
now in that window where he can begin to practice
and be good to get him back down the road,
if not this weekend. But I guess my point is
is I was thrilled they made him move. They're not
waving the white flag on the season, not that they
(11:37):
were thinking of it anyway, but this clearly shows, hey,
we're in it, We've got the parts. Let's let's let's
keep let's keep going. We're only two and three. It's
not like we're zero in five, right, I mean they're
two and three. They're very in a division which has
no Lamar for a while. We don't know how long
that will be. You never know Pittsburgh's going to give you,
and Cleveland continues to find their way. Why not. I'm
(12:00):
it shows aggression and I think every fan would appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Let me take it a step further. Kansas City is
two and three and playing the Lions this week. The Texans,
with their division titles the last couple of years or
two and three, they go to Seattle this week. The
AFC in general appears to be wide open, doesn't it.
Speaker 10 (12:19):
I agree, Dan, you're on it, and I I would
say that that these are, but that's it's a week
to week league, and it's clearly a year to year league,
and teams you think have got every answer at every
position in every way are stumbling a bit. And now
we see that how strong front offices and personnel departments
(12:41):
can be in trying to, you know, grab a stronger
hold of the rudder. And clearly the Bengals are doing that.
Other teams are trying to find their way. But it's
not what we thought, right. We didn't figure two and
three Kansas City. We didn't figure a losing record with Baltimore,
you know, five weeks in. But we're seeing it, and
I think that it just shows you that in this
(13:04):
league you need you need ingenuity, clearly, because you've got
to handle problems every single day of practice and every week.
In this league, you've got to look ahead and you've
got to make sure that you're making the right moves
not for just now, but also you know, three weeks
from now, but know that that you can never give up.
And how many times, and you've called the league for decades,
(13:25):
how many times have we gotten into the week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,
eighteen world And teams that were maybe at the beginning
of the year four and eight or three and five
or whatever are now like right there with the win,
can get in the playoffs and make a noise that
can be resounding. So I feel like no team is out,
But I would backpedal here a bit and say I
(13:49):
appreciate what a team like the Bengals have done. Now, listen,
there are a lot of guys out there, probably with
different kind of price points on getting adult in or
getting you know, a backup this team or that team,
And we all heard the names over the last couple
of days. If they were so inclined to look for
a punch, a burst, a spark on offense, Green Bay
(14:10):
did it with Michael Parsons. I'm not saying that Flacco's
going to have that same kind of kind of movement,
but listen, he clearly brings a different dimension to that
position with the guy that clearly still wants to play.
So I applaud with the Bengals have done. And I
love that in the middle of a season, when you
(14:31):
think you've got everything just kind of proportioned the right way,
this happens, or Parsons is traded. And here we have
those kind of teams, Green Bay and Cincinnati meeting this
week and after making big early season moves to their roster.
It's so intriguing to me in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
We're visiting with Kevin Harlan Choe Flacco's NFL debut is
on opening Day two thousand and eight against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Do you remember seeing look at the big man Ron.
Speaker 10 (15:02):
Well, now that you've said yes, I do, I do
remember that. And you know he is His career speaks
for itself, not in terms of legendary Hall of Fame status,
but he's won a Super Bowl, He's led winning teams,
he's proven he can play in this league. He surprised
people this stage of his career what he can still do.
(15:23):
He's incredibly engaged and and and I think in that
locker room, and this is again nothing against who has
been starting for Joe, but you're always you know, it's
never time to bail. It's never time to you know,
every man for himself, right, it's they are right in
it in a division that is clearly within reach. And this,
(15:45):
this is the kind of move that I applaud and love.
But going back to the un Flacco I worked with,
I worked at the time, not with Solomon Wilcotts you
know who you guys know well there, but also with
with Rich and he went to Delaware. So I remember
those meetings, specifically with a young Joe Flacco Dan in
(16:08):
those production meetings with the Ravens, and and how he
looked at Rich thinking, man, if I could only, if
I could only have a career like rich gannon super
Bowl player, MVP in the league, played deep into his thirties,
had some great runs and and and not that he
didn't think he could do it, but he was a
young player at the time. And here we have him
(16:29):
and and he plays then and here all these years later,
here he is like he's been given the keys here
to the Ferrari. Right, I'm gonna put the key in
and I'm gonna I'm gonna feel that engine roar. He's
got one side, Jase, He's got Higgins on the other
he's got. He's got some real playmakers on that team.
It's gonna be fun, very fun.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
There might be a Ferrari commercial in your future based
on that engine.
Speaker 10 (16:57):
Wrapping up, let's think of any other I should My
son in law was a Ford dealer. I probably should
have s at Ford. Anyway. The point is is that
there's a new guy with the hands on the wheel,
and that's that's pretty exciting. I think at this stage
of the year.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Let's discuss the Packers. They opened the season with dominant
wins over Detroit and Washington. One of their offensive lineman said,
we might go undefeated this year, and then they lost
to Cleveland in Week three. What is your view of
the Packers and the problems they present for Cincinnati this week?
Speaker 10 (17:27):
So I do their preseason game, so I've seen him
throughout the summer, and this is Free Parsons Arrival, and
I thought there were a strong team then and the
general manager came out Dan and he said of the Packers,
and he said, he said, we've got to start thinking
in terms of championships and not just winning records and
(17:47):
getting into the playoff. We need to think now in
terms of championships. And here is an organization that has
been graced with two straight Hall of Fame quarterbacks and
Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and they really are high
on on Jordan Love, their quarterback now, who is playing well.
But for whatever reason, they took on a red hot
(18:08):
Dallas team and they faced one of the great defenses
in the league of Cleveland. We know Cleveland's got the defense,
and they had the Packers number, and probably a loss
like that early in the season was good for them
to not think, you know, hey, I read what the
lineman said, and he was and I'm sure they're going,
oh my god, don't talk again. Please, don't open your mouth.
(18:28):
You cannot in this league. It is such an unforgiving league.
And these are pros on the other end, regardless of
what record or history says. These are prideful men, and
they come out every day feeling like I'm going to
be better today than I was yesterday and better tomorrow
than I was today. And they're always looking to improve.
And the sky in the eye never lies. The game
(18:50):
is on tape, their performance is there. There is no
you know, like exhaling in this league, not until the
season has come to a close So I knew that
when he said that, uh oh and again and Miles
Gareth that defense those players, and it was it was troublesome,
and they lost a double digit lead and they lost
the game. So the Packers come into this game off
(19:11):
of by you know, and you can do the analytics
and what teams have done, you know, pre by post,
by whatever. I think it's it'll be a lot for
any team to handle it alone the Bengals. But now
the Bengals have got their own juice, they got their
own spark, and I think they're gonna feel really good
about what they bring in. And they're two and three,
and I think that that will carry a lot of weight.
(19:34):
So in this league, trying to guess, I don't know
how these guys and all we do is see betting this,
betting that red level. I don't know how we know
everything we can, like you know everything about this game.
I know, I look at all the numbers. I don't
know how people can sit there and maybe look at
a casualt even if they feel they know, can figure
out what's gonna happen instead of line in these games,
(19:54):
it's impossible. You never know, You never know in this league,
and that's it's the beauty of the league. And I truly,
even as much as you might think the Packers have
got the answer, you never know. And that's that's the
beauty of the game. Coming up Sunday at lambeau Field.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Did the Micah Parsons trade change your view of the Packers'
ability to win a Super Bowl title?
Speaker 10 (20:16):
Well, I think it's stunned the league because he's a
fifth year player at the very height of his powers
and is dominant and is forceful. A one man guy
is you're going to find on any defensive unit in
the league. Like he changes a game. Offenses now tilt
toward ever you know, wherever he's going to be with
extra blockers, going away with the play call and checking
(20:37):
it off at the line. I think he changes how
play to play, not just series the series or game
to game, Like wherever he lines up, now that that's
a red flag. And you've got a great guy that
can decipher that stuff in Flaccu, who just played the
Packers and won a couple of weeks ago for Cleveland.
Like so like he knows the recipe right, and so
(20:59):
he knows this this defense. But I did think that
Parsons could be like the missing ingredient. They came in
Dan to the preseason wanting to strengthen their pass rush,
weren't necessarily satisfied with how they left camp in what
they were gonna again present and made the move after camp.
So he and he's had a dynamite influence. He's one
(21:23):
of the top quarterback pressure guys in the league. He
changes the plays, he's everything they want. I think he's
been a great presence in the locker room. The coach
the other day just went on and Matt Lafleur went
on and on about the presence and what he's brought
and the confidency brings the rest of that defense. It
helps other positions by just being on the field and
(21:43):
the attention he draws. So but yeah, I mean, you
make a move like that, it's got to be. That
was an earthquake type move. That was a resounding Hey,
we are in it to win it. Like our GM
said earlier before camp began, we're thinking in terms of
championships and not just getting through the division and sneaking
into the playoffs. We are looking for the very top
(22:05):
and by getting a guy like Parsons, they send the
signal to the players into the league that that's exactly
where they're aiming.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
We're visiting with Kevin Harlan. For those who don't know,
your dad was an executive with the Green Bay Packers.
You spent part of your childhood in Green Bay. What
are some of your fondest memories about being around lambeau
Field as a kid.
Speaker 10 (22:24):
I've got one run off the bet that I've told
a couple of times already this week. When I was
a ball boy for the Packers in the early seventies,
and we'd have our lunch break during training camp, I
would sneak up the stairs into the press box at
lambeau Field, the old lambeau Field, and go in the
break the broadcast booth of the radio network, it didn't
(22:46):
matter which close the door, and do imaginary games in
my head. When I was like eleven and twelve years old.
And then when I got to actually broadcast when I
was thirteen fourteen years old at our high school radio station,
would go on there even more and practice these imaginary
games in lambeau Field in a broadcast booth onto an
empty field, and a and not a soul could be
(23:09):
seen in the Bowl of lambeau Field, and that's where
I would do these imaginary games out loud where no
one could hear me, and I did that for many years,
would go up there. I'm sure that had there been
a cleaning person up there, someone that was getting something
in the press box would maybe listing what's what's going
on there? Like who? And then it never happened. I
(23:31):
was never caught, but it would always sneak in and
get in and shut the door and do these games
for like a half hour and just and here I
was eleven, twelve years old broadcasting in lambeau Field. And
then as as luck would have it, and as the
great fortune that has been bestowed upon my career would
would lead me to do games and Lambeau eventually do
(23:54):
their preseason games as I've done since two thousand and three,
done multiple championship games there, Monday night football games, and
a lot of Fox and CBS games there. So I'm
living out a dream every time I'm in that stadium
doing a game. And now I've got my family in
the seats right below me. W're season ticket holders. And
(24:16):
my dad was there for thirty seven years, and he
was the one who hired, Holmgren hired Ron Wolf, was
in the room when they made the trade to get FARV,
made the deal to sign Reggie White, drafted Rogers hired
Mike McCarthy. So he was there, Dan hiring two Hall
(24:36):
of Fame Super Bowl winning gms, two Super Bowl winning coaches,
and two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. He was in that
room when those decisions were made, and as president and CEO,
the buck always stopped with him. So you could have
a clever GM or coach or whatever personnel guy say hey,
we should do this, but at the end of the day,
(24:58):
he had to a prove it, and he did. And
so we're most and he's still alive. He's eighty nine.
My mom is eighty seven. They live in Green Bay,
is a five minute drive from lambeau Field. So they're
very much with it. By the grace of God, their
health is good enough. They still get it, and they
watch games and they enjoy it like a lot of
fans do.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
One of the things I admire about you is that
you don't rest on your laurels. Are you on a
never ending quest to improve as a sports broadcast?
Speaker 10 (25:29):
Well, like you, we have a same I think spirit
in this business, dan Is, your accolades would say that
that if you do rest and exhale, there are younger
broadcasters that are just salivating to be in our seats.
Right is the voice of a team. You're a voice
of a major college and an NFL team. There are
(25:50):
not many of those guys in the business. You're one
of them and have done it so well for so
many years. And so I never take this job lightly.
And I think it goes back because it's not that
we're scared or we're frightened about what might be. It's
that we enjoy the process of getting better. So, like you,
I listen to my games, I critique my work. I
(26:11):
feel like, you know, I could do that better, I
can improve in this area or whatever. And I like
that challenge. It keeps your mind going and evolving in
the right direction. There will be a day when I'm sure,
speaking for myself, that I say, you know, I don't
know that I've got the love of the business that
I once had to want to get better. Let me,
let me just get in there and just do the
(26:32):
game and then move on to the next. I really
don't look at it like that. I think I'm a
part paranoid, part scared. I feel like I'm young enough
that I've still got a lot of good years ahead
of me. But I want to make sure that I
don't when that day comes that I do leave that
I'm I'm not regretting not putting in the work necessary
(26:53):
to be up to date. Let me tell you, I
don't know what you think, but I'm watching when we
do these games, like the offenses have never move faster,
there's never been more no huddle, there's never been more
sub packages coming in and staying on top of that
in a game from way up into the press. That's
a hard thing to do. It's hard, and I do
it on radio and on TV. Both they're different ways
(27:15):
of looking at it, but the same thing is, Man,
you've got to pay attention and you've got to make
sure that you go into these games prepared. So I'm scared.
I read I read a quote by Scully one time,
the great legendary Dodger broadcaster, who said, fear drives me
a lot. I never want to let my listeners down.
I never want to let myself down by not being
(27:36):
fully prepared but into the game and staying ahead of
the posse in other words, making sure that they find
no reason to really attack my work. And that's what
kept him going. And I read that as a young broadcaster,
so that's that's a good model to live by, and
so I kind of have.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
That totally rings true. Leave it to Vin Scully to
nail it. Final question for Kevin Harlan. I'm sure you've
heard this one before, but I've never your answer. If
you could call a sporting event that you've never had
the opportunity to do and probably won't have the opportunity
to do, what would it be.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
Well, I've had the chance a couple of times to
do Major League Baseball. When I was in my twenties
and doing the University of Missouri and the Chiefs on
radio Saturday Sunday back to back like you do with
the Bearcats and the Bengals. There was an opportunity in
my twenties, newly married with our first child, to do
Cardinal Baseball with Jack Buck and Mike Shannon on KMOX
(28:32):
and drove in there and did a practice game, and
they heard the tape and they liked it, and it
was there, and I chose not to my dad before
I became the president of the Packers, was with the
Saint Louis Baseball Cardinals and was the pr director back
in the sixties, and he got out of baseball because
it wasn't he thought he loved the job. It was
a great job, but not for a family man. It's
(28:55):
a hard job if you're a family man and are
away from your family that one hundred and sixty two
games and away from your family and all that, and
every day, and during the great summer months where you know,
vacations are gone now and so all that. So when
he got out, you know that I remember the decision
process he made, and my wife and I made the
decision not to do baseball, and then had a chance
(29:17):
with the Red Sox not too long ago to be
involved in their broadcasts and chose not to do that.
But and answer you to question, if I could on
radio doing play by play. The great broadcasters in our
business have some kind of a baseball background. And when
I talk to young broadcasters, say do a lot of
radio baseball because it will help you develop voice and
(29:38):
pacing and reporting and all these things that we need
to be whether you do basketball or football, if you
can do baseball, I think you can do the other sports,
and I do, and it's great for delivery development and
voice development and cadence and all those things. But doing
a game on radio, baseball on radio some random Wednesday night,
maybe in July, and just describing as the shadows are growing,
(30:01):
as the sun is setting, and described because you've got
time between pitches to describe what's going on. In football, man,
you got doing doo doo doo doom, and in basketball,
so like you're constantly just trying to keep up with
the action. But the one thing on radio that makes
it so great is when you can paint the total
picture and you can hear the popcorn guy in the
stands that reaches that microphone or or or you can
(30:24):
see a movement of a shortstop a little bit more
to the left, a little bit more to the right.
And I remember reading one thing about Red Barber and
how he, when he was broadcasting the Brooklyn Dodgers, was
describing a rainstorm that he could see building over left field,
over Brooklyn, and how it was moving slowly toward Ebbett's Field,
(30:45):
and how then there were rain drops, and how and
how the rain drops on the bill of the cap
of Pee Wee Reese he could see the drops and
he could see the wind picking up in the dust
blowing off the mound, and I thought, man, I like,
those those are moments that just there. If you saw
it, it wouldn't resonate, but when you hear it in the
theater of your mind, it just builds this great picture.
(31:08):
And I thought, that's what I wanted to do. And
that's where I got my love of radio, which I
do every Monday night. And there's not a lot of
time to describe that kind of stuff, but when there is,
and when you can describe it, I think those calls,
your call of a Joe Burrow touchdown. Those calls if
you listen to them driving by yourself on I seventy
(31:29):
five or wherever you may be, like, they stick in
your head, like you can almost picture it more here
than you could if you saw it with your own
two eyes. So I love the challenge that radio brings,
and that that's where my love of doing radio baseball,
I think would be. And a long answer to your question,
and I'm sorry, but that's I love those I love
those challenges of creating in people's minds that that vision
(31:52):
where they can see in the theater of their mind.
What happened, what kind of catch, what kind of ground
ball was grabbed? You know, what kind of jump shot
was taken? Where it is on the floor. Those things,
to me, that's why get into broadcasting, the challenge of
doing that the right way.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Nobody has done football on the radio.
Speaker 10 (32:09):
Batter now, hold now, hold on. Now, you are too kind.
We're friends, and that's why I you say that, I've
heard your No. No, I'm going to disagree. I love
your call, and that's why you've been honored so many
times in a very competitive state, and why you have
the reputation you have in our business. But I join
with you. We are joined at the hip. We love
(32:29):
our job, we love radio, and aren't we lucky to
be in this stage, at this stage of our lives,
to have these kind of platforms and calling NFL games
and major college football and basketball games like that? It
gets no better than that, does it?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Well?
Speaker 10 (32:43):
How lucky are we? How lucky are we?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Couldn't be any luckier? And Samboard is going to love
this segment. Kevin, Thank you so much, my friend. Really
appreciate your time. Look forward to seeing you this weekend.
Speaker 10 (32:54):
Love you, Dan, and I love you. As a friend
and who's a broadcaster. It's so fun to visit. And
I'll see you in Lambeau the Cathedral of NFL football
Sunday morning. I'll look forward to that.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,
Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home,
business and community to a new level, and by Kettering
Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Kevin Harlan
(33:27):
called Lambeau Field the Cathedral of NFL football, and nobody
at pay Corp Stadium knows that better than the Bengals
new defensive line coach this year, Jerry Montgomery. Jerry, you
are a Packers assistant coach for nine years now you
are going back to Lambeau. It can't be just another
game for you. Is there anything in particular you're looking
(33:47):
forward to?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
You know what? Being there for nine years?
Speaker 13 (33:52):
I have when I say friends are like family, meaning
there's still guys there that I work with, but more importantly,
our kids grew up there, so we have a cabin
in Eagle River, Wisconsin. We will always call that home
now regardless of where we live at. So it'll be
great to see all of my neighbors and friends. And
(34:16):
then you know what's cool is my son is getting
his first collegiate start at linebacker against the Badger Saturday night.
So I'm gonna try to sneak out and get to
that game. So he played, you know, they went to
the state championship and he played in Madison. Now he's
getting his first start in Madison against Madison. So yeah,
so we'll have a lot of friends all week in
(34:36):
to see.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I've only been to Lambeau once. That's when the Bengals
played there eight years ago. It's a bucket list type
experience for me. When you work there every day, do
you feel the history and do you feel like it's
a big advantage.
Speaker 13 (34:50):
You definitely feel the history. It's an unbelievable place to
work and unbelievable place to play a footba. You walk
through the tunnels and you feel it. It's neat even
practicing there. There's an air about it. So and what's
cool is when you pull in and you see now
(35:11):
it's a little different now, because people have tore down
those homes and built massive places across the street. They're
big tailgate places. But it's just it's a really neat environment.
It's probably as close to college environment as you'll feel
in most places. But yeah, neat venue, a lot of
history and cool place.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Green Bay is the smallest market in the US that
has a professional sports team. It's a city of about
one hundred thousand people. As a Packers player or coach,
do you feel like you're in a fish bowl a
little bit just because there's such a spotlight on the Packers?
Speaker 13 (35:47):
I would say, you know, maybe for a player. As
a coach, I'd say no. I think people are very welcoming,
welcoming and they treat you as one and especially if
you're a normal person. If you know, there's not too
many people that walk around meaning you know, and think
that they're better than you. So when you act like that,
(36:08):
that's when you stand alone. But for a player, I
could see people knowing who you are. But I think
those guys, you know, it's Milwaukee's two hours away, Chicago's
three hours away, so.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We're visiting the Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery let's
talk defense. Seems a little odd to say, maybe after
the opponent scored thirty seven points, But I thought the
defense played pretty well last week against the NFL's number
one offense. You forced five punts. Nobody's forced more against Detroit.
You got to take away in the game what was
good last Sunday, what wasn't up to your standard.
Speaker 13 (36:40):
We're taking the right steps each and every week. You know,
they were average and I don't know if it was
like four point nine or five something or carry. And
if we don't give up the one big run, we
keep them below two, below three, we give up the
one big one.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
You know.
Speaker 13 (36:56):
So like we're building a mindset and a culture from
a run game standpoint, and you know, you got to
earn the right to pass rush, and so I think
those guys, we're doing that and we're getting in them
some longer down in distance, more than they've probably had
all year.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
But you know, so it starts there.
Speaker 13 (37:16):
So you're just building a culture and identity, and you know,
guys are playing hard. No one's quitting. You know, we
got to eliminate the mistakes that are happening, and it's football.
Things are going to happen. It's just like, you know,
you can't let them compound. But we're heading in the
right direction. We're nowhere near where we're going to be,
but you know, hopefully people are seeing the change and
(37:40):
the guys are working to stremely hard.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
One negative has been opening drives. Opponents have scored touchdowns
in for the first five games. Has there been a
common denominator? Is there something that stands out on those
opening drives?
Speaker 1 (37:52):
We talk about that every day.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
I don't know if it was Cleveland and then Minnesota,
but you know, you got penalties that extend drives. One
of those drives, there was three or four third down penalties.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Uh.
Speaker 13 (38:06):
Some you know are questionable, but like, if you know,
we can eliminate some of those things. We're off the field,
you know, but uh, once the guy's settled down, it's
it's been you know, pretty good and then then there's
a hiccup. Right, But uh, you know, I think if
we can eliminate the mistakes, uh and play fast and
then tackle and open field, uh, I think we're gonna
(38:28):
you know, be better and improve each week.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Let's discuss some individuals.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Trey Hendrickson had two sacks last week, he's got four
in the first five games.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
It's your first year coaching him. What stands out, Yeah,
it's it's important to him.
Speaker 13 (38:41):
You know, he he wants to learn about, you know,
the offensive line and what they're doing. You know, he's
he's invested in in playing the run. And you know,
he knows, like, you can't get to third down if
you can't stop the run. And so I think he's
really put an emphasis on those details. But like, you know,
(39:03):
it's important to him. You talk about a guy that
comes in, he takes care of his body, He watches film,
he studies his opponent, so he knows, you know, what
should work, how the guy's gonna set him, you know.
So it's it's it's neat to be around, you know,
a pro.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Joseph Osai and Miles Murphy each had a sack last week.
What are you working on with them at this stage
of their development?
Speaker 13 (39:23):
Consistency, whether it's in the run game. They both had opportunities. Uh,
you know, you know one of the sacks that Miles got,
you know, Joe created it because he was able to
penetrate the B gap and then Miles played off of them.
So it's not just a selfish individual. Hey I'm gonna
go win. I mean, he did a selfish deal by penetrate,
(39:45):
penetrating the B gap and allow Miles to get a sack, right, So,
so all those things are a part of it, but
just being consistent, whether it's the run game, open field,
tackling those type of things, Like I'm very demanding and
hold those guys to a really high standard, and I
think sometimes I could feel like the world's falling down
(40:07):
on them, when in reality it's like, hey, this happened,
let's clean it up, all right. Uh, you know, but
don't don't don't you know, let one mistake fall into
another one, because you can't move on, you know. And
so those are the things that we're trying to work
to get them past.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
You are demanding and it's fun to watch, and I
get the sense from everybody that I've talked to that
they like being pushed. Is that what you're looking for
from the guys that you have on your D line?
Speaker 13 (40:32):
I want I want guys that it's important to being
out there. It's important. Learning the process and learning what
your opponent does is important. If it's not important to
you for those things, then like you don't love the game.
Like the best guys I've been around, right, and we're
(40:53):
going to Green Bay. Kenny Clark was one of the
best to ever do it. But it wasn't that he
was like super Ubertalent. He loved football, And like, I
got a room full of guys that, like you know,
they love it. They're learning learning more bald than they've
ever learned. But like, I expect them to play at
a high level, and I my standard for them is
(41:14):
super high, but I expect more out of them. It
can't be how bad do I want it, because that
doesn't mean anything. I don't play the game. If you
guys don't put in the time and effort, it's not
gonna show up on the field. And I tell them,
what you put into it, you get out of it.
So if you take me as being hard and demanding
on you is a bad thing, all right, you're never
(41:36):
going to grow, all right, and you're never gonna get
to where you need to get a lot of guys
understand I'm trying to help them, not hurt them. It's
not belittle on them. It's trying to make them better.
It's trying to get them to see the game through
my lens are to see the game easier, and the
guys that are doing that are making huge strides.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
BJ Hill is the leading tackler among the guys up front.
What have you enjoyed about coaching Bj?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Yeah, you know, he's smart, same thing. He's another guy
who's done it.
Speaker 13 (42:03):
He's been productive right in the past, and we're teaching
him a little bit different ways how to do it.
But you know, he's adapting and he's doing it, and
he's playing good ball for us, and we need him
in there, and he's been stouting to run and we
need him to continue to do that.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
You haven't had Shamar since week two. I thought he
got better every day at training camp from watching practice.
What did you think of his camp and the first
two games that he was able.
Speaker 13 (42:26):
To play, Yeah, like a roller coaster, right, like a
guy that hadn't been here all off season or all
training camp, right, And then and then he showed flashes
of like why he went where he went, and so
it's it's a work in progress, but like when he
gets it, when it all clicks for him, the tools
are there, I see, like a great player in this
(42:48):
league for a long time, right, and so he's going
through a process right now through this injury, Like he's
learning how to try to be a pro with rehab
and all that. So, I mean everything he's doing right
now is new and it's all a process for.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
So final thing for d line coach Jerry Montgomery, the
big news this week is obviously the acquisition of Joe Flacco.
You've squared off against him a handful of times in
the NFL, including Week one this year. What do you
think Joe Flacco brings to the table.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
The guys played a lot of football.
Speaker 13 (43:17):
I mean, I tell the story I told him when
I saw him last night, Like we were at Northern
iowhen he was at Delaware, he beat us to go
to the National Championship game. We were undefeated team. We
had like nine sack opportunities, but we fell down his
body like six of those, right, So we get those
nine sacks. It's done, but veteran experience. The guy's got.
(43:39):
He's massive, right, he could see it.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
He can make it.
Speaker 13 (43:41):
All the throws and you know, even the picks that
happened our game, I mean those were tips into flections
right like the balls were. And I think they've had
eleven drops there. I mean, he's gonna have some great weapons,
but he can make the throws.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Veteran leadership.
Speaker 13 (43:57):
The guys won a Super Bowl like so he's done
it and it'd be nice to see what he can do.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
We're gonna get our opportunity soon, Kerry. Appreciate your time
enjoying the trip back to Green Bank.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Yep, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
When Jerry was with the Packers, he helped turn Kenny
Clark into a three time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. They
won't see each other this weekend because Clark is now
a Dallas Cowboy.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Back.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
In August, the Packers traded him and two first round
draft picks to Dallas for Micah Parsons. The Bengals have
faced Parsons twice before. In twenty twenty two, he had
two sacks and five quarterback hits as the Cowboys beat
the Bengals by three, but last year he had no
sacks and no tackles as Cincinnati beat Dallas by seven.
(44:43):
In that game, he was mostly matched up against the
Marius Mims.
Speaker 14 (44:47):
Yeah, I mean, I think Michael's the best d N
in the NFL other than Miles Garrett. If you hasn't me,
it's just the guys who want them played against. The
gonna be a challenge, it always, especially on the road,
it's gonna be a game. Worse about me again, honestly,
just just doing with coaches telling me in practice and
you know, how can you know, trying to neutralize him
as much as possible and knowing you know, he's gonna
make his fair share of plays, you know, I mean,
(45:08):
it's gonna happen with a guy like that. But really,
like I said, my mind said, is really to just
you know, go out there and play the game football,
and no I can play, continue to get better, and
you know, if I let one mistake, like not let
one mistake or one you know, one small minor, you know,
step in that game and turn into like the whole game. So,
like I said, going against a great player, not one
of the best players on defense and ever, I mean,
(45:29):
I think he's a good like I said, you know
he's a good player, but I know he's a good player.
But I said, I'm ready for the challenge. You know,
like I said, last year he was with another team.
Last year played in Dallas, and this year is gonna
be in on Green Bay. So it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
The Packers are moving Parsons around quite a bit, so
Mems and Orlando Brown Junior, we'll both have to play well.
Wayne Larravie, the Voice of the Packers, joined Dave Lapham
and me on the Bengals Game Plan Show this week
and we started our know the Faust segment by asking
about Parsons.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
It's given that defense a certain swagger that maybe it
didn't have before. It was a good defense last year.
There's no question, a top ten defense, but they feel
Micah Parsons can maybe push them over the top. He
gives them, you know, he makes the four man rush
effective in terms of pass rush and that's something that
they struggled with here. Ago and Jeff Hafley, the defensive
(46:21):
coordinated at a tremendous job of generating pass rush pressure
and getting sacks, but he had to do it with
blitzing and that type of thing. They're more prone today
to be a four man pass rush, and that's what
they were hoping to be when all this whole thing
was put together. And so Micah Parsons, he makes the
people around him better. You know. Up until last week,
(46:45):
Rashan Gary was leading the league in sacks. And you
know that's the difference. Having Parsons on one side and
Gary on the other side makes Rashan Gary much more
effective because he's not facing as many double teams.
Speaker 6 (47:00):
When when the trade was made for Sean Gary was
probably the most appreciative guy in the organization. It's like, man,
finally I got somebody else on the other side that's
going to take take some of the pressure off and
he'll be facing a lot of the double teams. When
I watched the Green Bay Packers defense on tape, I'll
tell you parts is pretty stout in the running game.
(47:22):
Now he plays the run, he doesn't, you know, he
doesn't just kind of show up or really not show
up for a couple of snaps and then hope, hope
for a third and long and see if I can
sack the quarterback and increase my sack numbers. Run a
big total on sacks for the season. This guy is
a complete football player. He plays both sides of it,
(47:43):
doesn't he.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah, he does. And you know that's something he kind
of got a bad rap by Gary Jones about his
run defense. But you know what we've seen, he's been
very solid in holding the edge and making plays in
the running game, So that's helped a lot. I mean,
the Packers giving up seventy seven yards rushing second in
the league. You know, they had a little bit more
(48:06):
of a rough day in Dallas. Dallas got a season
high one hundred and seventeen rushing yards against them. But
that game was a track meet, so you know, I
don't know how much you can put into the defensive
figures of that game.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
The voice of the Packers, Wayne Larabee, is our guest.
Green Bay opened with very impressive wins over Detroit and Washington.
Attention was growing before We're talking about this team as
a real Super Bowl favorite. Then they laid an egg
in Cleveland. What happened in that Cleveland game.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
You know, Dan, I mean, they had control of that game,
they really did. I mean they were struggling offensively. Cleveland's
defensive line dominated the Packers offensive line. The Packers have
had some injuries in their offensive line. Zach tom probably
their best offensive line, been played one play in that
game and it went out with an injury that he
(48:58):
came into the game with. Meanwhile, you know the left guard,
you know Banks, whom they acquired from San Francisco, kind
of a road grader or the running game. Aaron Banks.
He's missed seven He's missed seven games last year and
he's missed two now this year. So having components of
the offensive line down and having to shuffle that line
(49:21):
against the Cleveland front that you guys saw opening I
believe it was opening day. It's pretty good, pretty good unit,
and you want to be at your best when you're
going up against that group. So they struggled offensively, defensively,
they're in command of that ball game. And then the
special team's issue occurred and they had a field goal
block and boom, all of a sudden, you know, Cincinnati
(49:43):
was or i should say Cleveland was back in the
game and snuck away with a win.
Speaker 6 (49:47):
Let's talk a little bit about Joe Flacco. What did
you think of Joe Flacco in that football game? How
did he perform against the Green Bay Packers?
Speaker 3 (49:57):
To your eye, well, you know and studying him they
going into the game. He can still fling it and
he can still get a downfield. Two things happened in Cleveland.
Number One, they were just starting to find their running
back and that kid that they drafted in the second
round is going to be a really good runner, but
(50:19):
they really don't have a solid round game. They couldn't
protect the quarterback. They just can't protect Blackout and that's
the problem that he had. So so much of what
he was doing leading into that game was checked down
stuff and really short stuff. And then he hit a
couple of passes against the Packers, but nothing out of
the ordinary. He struggled. I mean, he did not have
(50:41):
a great game against the Packers at all. And you know,
going to Cincinnati now, and if they get him up
to speed and ready to play this week, he's got
better people around him to throw the football to. I mean,
those two guys are number one receivers, both of them,
and you know, Flaco didn't have anything close to that
caliber in Cleveland. So if the Bengals can protect this guy,
(51:04):
he can still get the ball down field accurately.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
Dayne Larrabee is our guest. Do you expect the Packers
O line to be at full strength this week? And
what about wide receiver Christian Watson. They just opened up
his twenty one day window to come back from his
knee injury. Any chance the Bengals have to worry about
him this week?
Speaker 3 (51:23):
Boy? You know, I got to tell you, Dan, from
what I saw a training camp, from what I've seen
at practice, and they've ramped him up a little bit
this week now that he's actually in practice, I wouldn't
count him out. But I wouldn't. My gut tells me though,
wait a week, you know, let him go through this
week and then maybe his comeback has been stunning. I
(51:47):
mean at training camp it looked like he could practice
and play, and you know, they held him out obviously,
and they had him on the reserve list. And now
this week the's back at practice and frankly, it looks
pretty good. To be honest with you, guys, I just
wonder if I know the Packers are very cautious with
their people from a medical standpoint, I still think it's
(52:10):
a long shot he plays this week, but I wouldn't
count it out.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Our thanks to Wayne Laravie, and here's a quick invitation
to join lapp in me for the Bengals pep Rally
show this week. We'll be at the on the Rhine
Eatery on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on
Friday from three to six, and our special guest in
the final hour will be linebacker or in Burks. If
you can't make it, you can listen on ESPN fifteen
thirty or by searching for ESPN fifteen thirty on the
(52:36):
iHeartMedia app. That's going to do it for this episode
of the Bengals Booth Podcast brought to you by pay Core,
Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home,
business and community to a new level, and by Kettering
Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
(52:57):
is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you
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share a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us.
I'm Dan Horde and thanks for listening to The Bengals
Booth Podcast
Hi, get everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Dan Hord and thanks for downloading The Bengals Booth Podcast.
Du take a chance on the addition as the Bengals
turn to former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco as they
head to Green Bay to face the Packers. Coming up,
we'll hear from players and coaches on their new quarterback
and discuss why the Bengals front office made the move.
(00:26):
Now plus one on one conversations with Kevin Harlan from CBS,
Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who spent nine years
in Green Bay, and in this week's No The Faux segment,
we'll talk to the voice of the Packers.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Wayne Lairvie.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
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quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
(01:04):
this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
thing since an attempted on side punt. If you watched
last week's game against Detroit, something very confusing happened with
less than two minutes to go. After Jake Browning was
tackled in the end zone for a safety, the Bengals
(01:26):
were required to do a free kick from their own twenty.
Punter Ryan Rico handled it, and here's what you heard
on TV.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
A sack safety for the Lions.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
They have pushed their lead to thirteen.
Speaker 5 (01:38):
And now the high pooch free kick and the fair
catch call.
Speaker 6 (01:42):
For and made by Amaran Saint.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Brown at the forty six yard Libel.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
So the ball was at the forty six but there
was a penalty on the play that advanced it thirty
six yards.
Speaker 6 (01:54):
It'll be the receiving team's ball half the distance from
the spot of the kick at the ten yard line.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
First down, and there is an unsportsmanlike conduct on the
free kick, and the Lions are going to have it
well into the red zone.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
So what the heck happened? Well, believe it or not,
the Bengals tried an onside punt. We think of onside
kicks as bouncing balls kicked off a tee where you're
hoping for a high hop or a muff by the
other team, but it is legal after a safety to
onside punt. In fact, when Don Shula was the coach
(02:30):
of the Dolphins, Miami pulled one off against the Bengals
in nineteen eighty one. Website ranks it as the thirty
sixth the greatest play in Dolphins history. The rules have
changed since then, after the league adopted the dynamic kickoff
rule last year. Teams now have to alert opponents when
they are attempting an on side kick, and that still
(02:53):
applies after a safety, so that element of surprise was gone,
but you can still try to the opponent with how
you do it. What the Bengals were trying to do
last week is have punter Ryan Rico kick the ball
straight up in the air and hope that somebody who
isn't used to fielding it failed to make the catch,
(03:13):
but Rico punted the ball a bit too far. Under
the current rules, an on side kick has to land
in the fifteen yard setup zone. In this case, that
was between the thirty and forty five yard lines. Rico's
kick went to the forty six, one yard too far.
(03:33):
The penalty for an on sidekick that goes untouched beyond
the setup zone is a loss of fifteen yards and
the receiving team gets the ball. Since a free kick
after a safety takes place at the twenty, it became
a half the distance penalty and the Lions got the
ball at the ten. It's probably the most confusing thing
(03:55):
I've seen in fifteen years as the Bengals announcer, and
had the angles pulled off an on side punt, it
would have been one of the coolest things. Now, let's
get to this week's big news. In the fourth quarter
of last week's game, Jake Browning threw three touchdown passes,
but it was clear in his postgame news conference that
(04:17):
Jake's confidence had not been restored.
Speaker 7 (04:20):
I need to play better and there's literally no hiding
from that. And I don't care if every person on
the team says they need to play better. It starts
with me playing better at the quarterback position and not
putting our team in difficult situations. And there's no hiding
from that. So on me, I needed to stop throwing interceptions.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
Jake proved two years ago that he can play in
the NFL, but for whatever reason, he wasn't playing well
this year and it was getting hard to stick with
him in hopes of that changing soon, so the Bengals
made an aggressive move by trading for eighteen year veteran
Joe Flacco, who started against the Bengals in Week one.
(05:00):
Here's what Joe Burrow said about him before that game.
Speaker 8 (05:03):
I think he throws it better than number one a
lot of people give him credit for, and I think
he's one of the more natural throws of the football
that I've ever seen. You know, he can spin it
with the best of them. He's got one of the
stronger signs of all time. So he's going to be
able to put the ball when and where he wants
to put it.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
The Bengals saw that an opening day, as Flacco threw
for two hundred and ninety yards, and while he threw
a pair of interceptions, they were both off the hands
of his receivers. In fact, Cleveland had four drops in all.
Speaker 5 (05:31):
On first and goal from the five, Flacco, looking to pass,
his throw caught in the middle of the end zone
by Cedric Tilman for at cleveland go ahead touchdown.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
Joe Flacco gives the old fish pump have to throwing
that pass in the middle of the field, realizing that
his receiver caught it for the touchdown. Good route run
by Cedric Tilman. Flacco pat his eyes on him the
whole way, a delibered a strike.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Flacco started four games for the Brown this year, and
three weeks ago he beat the team he'll face this Sunday,
the Green Bay Packers. Here's Zach Taylor on adding the
former Super Bowl MVP.
Speaker 9 (06:10):
Played him a lot, watched him a lot, brings great
great experience, great leadership. His style fits our style of
play too, so excited to get him out there. We'll
start him this week. So he's gonna take all the reps,
get ready to go. Already spent a lot of time
meeting with us, getting at the speed, So feel really
good about where he's at. I mean, it's different than
a young quarterback coming in trying to learn a system
(06:31):
and understand what a defense is trying to do to
challenge you. No that, but he's played Green Bay this year,
so he's already gone through a week of prep. So
that's the nice part. Is now the communication and the
weekly rhythm is maybe different, unique, but he's already prepared
for this opponent, so he gets a chance to refresh
himself on that well at the same time, just learning
(06:53):
our system and our terminology and our verbiage and how
we operate b also knowing that he's playing now. He
hasn't played there this year, and so the crowd, noise
and all that stuff's different, but at least he's got
some experience pointing at them.
Speaker 10 (07:03):
He's a great.
Speaker 9 (07:04):
Passer, and again, we've got to expand all areas of
our offense to be better, to be able to efficient
run the football, protect all that.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
Kind of stuff.
Speaker 9 (07:12):
But the number one trait you're looking for is a
guy that can operate your system into the football and
Joe has always been a tremendous passer in this league
and have seen it, and so now we got treminous
weapons that he can play around, and so I'm excited
to Watchington.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
The Browns have turned a rookie quarterback, Dylan Gabriel, so
they were willing to trade Flacco in order to move
up in next year's draft. The Bengals gave up a
fifth round pick and got Flacco plus a sixth round
pick in return. But why do the Bengals make this
move now? Well, just look at the AFC North. The
Steelers are three and one, but the jury is still
(07:47):
out on just how good Pittsburgh really is. The Ravens
are one in four with devastating injuries, and the Browns
are also one in four in rebuilding mode. It might
not take ten wins to capture the division this year.
The Bengals are two and three and after playing at
Green Bay this week, have three straight home games against
(08:07):
the Steelers, Jets, and Bears. They are still very much
alive with the hope of getting Joe Burrow back in December.
Here are Orlando Brown and Chase Brown on the front
office taking action.
Speaker 11 (08:22):
I think it's, you know, more so a message too
from the front office and ownership, you know, letting the
world know that you know that this is important to us,
and we do see that, we know that, and I
imagine Joe Burrow will be back to at some point.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 12 (08:33):
I think it shows that they want to win and
winning as a priority, and yeah, I think so. I
think it shows their commitment to this locker room, the
coaching staff, and how much they believe in this team.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Flacco has two former teammates on the Bengals roster, dating
back to the twenty nineteen Denver Broncos, tight end Noah
Fant and offensive lineman Dalton Reisner. Asked Reisner if Flacco
can get up to speed in four days of practice
with the Bengals.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
I do believe that he can do that.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
He is a sixteen year I don't want to out
speak sixteen or seventeen year vet in this league. I
think he's fifty nine years old, right, something like that,
And I'm just kidding, he's like forty regardless. He's a
guy that's gonna come in here and be a VET
and know how to do that, and he's going to
be on top of his p's and q's.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
He's gonna learn the offense.
Speaker 4 (09:24):
He's about to go out there and command it and
put his best foot forward to help us win.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
I can't imagine there has ever been a quarterback to
beat the same opponent twice in three weeks while playing
for two different teams. But that's what Flacco will try
to do on Sunday. I talked about that and much
more with one of the guys who will call the
game on CBS my son Sam has excellent taste in broadcasters,
(09:52):
and his favorite is not his dad. It's our guest
Kevin Harlan, who will be on the mic for CBS
this week. Kevin, we got quite the plot twist this
week with the Bengals acquisition of Joe Flacco having a
Cincinnati assignment this week. What was your reaction?
Speaker 10 (10:09):
Stunned? But it makes sense. He knows the division. He
is a quarterback who has seen everything. He's reached the
highest of highs. He's had some difficult moments, but he
continues to go on. You know, Dan, I thought at
one time that after he had signed the big contract
(10:30):
with Baltimore and had won the Super Bowl, and I
know he's a family man and all that, and I thought,
you know, I could see him finding other priorities in life.
I may be wrong in this assumption. And while we've
interviewed him over the years, I haven't seen him much recently.
I think his love for the game, which has always
(10:51):
been there, it kind of feels like it's grown the
older he's gotten and the more years he's piled up
on his resume. Is being an NFL quarterback, He's good
at it. He's a great locker room influence, and if
any team was ready to make a move, it was
probably yours. Poor Jake was was clearly was struggling, and
(11:15):
this is maybe shot in the arm Joe gets back
in December that this team needs. I mean, they've got
the parts. We all know that. See Lucas Patrick is
now in that window where he can begin to practice
and be good to get him back down the road,
if not this weekend. But I guess my point is
is I was thrilled they made him move. They're not
waving the white flag on the season, not that they
(11:37):
were thinking of it anyway, but this clearly shows, hey,
we're in it, We've got the parts. Let's let's let's
keep let's keep going. We're only two and three. It's
not like we're zero in five, right, I mean they're
two and three. They're very in a division which has
no Lamar for a while. We don't know how long
that will be. You never know Pittsburgh's going to give you,
and Cleveland continues to find their way. Why not. I'm
(12:00):
it shows aggression and I think every fan would appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Let me take it a step further. Kansas City is
two and three and playing the Lions this week. The Texans,
with their division titles the last couple of years or
two and three, they go to Seattle this week. The
AFC in general appears to be wide open, doesn't it.
Speaker 10 (12:19):
I agree, Dan, you're on it, and I I would
say that that these are, but that's it's a week
to week league, and it's clearly a year to year league,
and teams you think have got every answer at every
position in every way are stumbling a bit. And now
we see that how strong front offices and personnel departments
(12:41):
can be in trying to, you know, grab a stronger
hold of the rudder. And clearly the Bengals are doing that.
Other teams are trying to find their way. But it's
not what we thought, right. We didn't figure two and
three Kansas City. We didn't figure a losing record with Baltimore,
you know, five weeks in. But we're seeing it, and
I think that it just shows you that in this
(13:04):
league you need you need ingenuity, clearly, because you've got
to handle problems every single day of practice and every week.
In this league, you've got to look ahead and you've
got to make sure that you're making the right moves
not for just now, but also you know, three weeks
from now, but know that that you can never give up.
And how many times, and you've called the league for decades,
(13:25):
how many times have we gotten into the week fifteen, sixteen, seventeen,
eighteen world And teams that were maybe at the beginning
of the year four and eight or three and five
or whatever are now like right there with the win,
can get in the playoffs and make a noise that
can be resounding. So I feel like no team is out,
But I would backpedal here a bit and say I
(13:49):
appreciate what a team like the Bengals have done. Now, listen,
there are a lot of guys out there, probably with
different kind of price points on getting adult in or
getting you know, a backup this team or that team,
And we all heard the names over the last couple
of days. If they were so inclined to look for
a punch, a burst, a spark on offense, Green Bay
(14:10):
did it with Michael Parsons. I'm not saying that Flacco's
going to have that same kind of kind of movement,
but listen, he clearly brings a different dimension to that
position with the guy that clearly still wants to play.
So I applaud with the Bengals have done. And I
love that in the middle of a season, when you
(14:31):
think you've got everything just kind of proportioned the right way,
this happens, or Parsons is traded. And here we have
those kind of teams, Green Bay and Cincinnati meeting this
week and after making big early season moves to their roster.
It's so intriguing to me in so many ways.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
We're visiting with Kevin Harlan Choe Flacco's NFL debut is
on opening Day two thousand and eight against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Do you remember seeing look at the big man Ron.
Speaker 10 (15:02):
Well, now that you've said yes, I do, I do
remember that. And you know he is His career speaks
for itself, not in terms of legendary Hall of Fame status,
but he's won a Super Bowl, He's led winning teams,
he's proven he can play in this league. He surprised
people this stage of his career what he can still do.
(15:23):
He's incredibly engaged and and and I think in that
locker room, and this is again nothing against who has
been starting for Joe, but you're always you know, it's
never time to bail. It's never time to you know,
every man for himself, right, it's they are right in
it in a division that is clearly within reach. And this,
(15:45):
this is the kind of move that I applaud and love.
But going back to the un Flacco I worked with,
I worked at the time, not with Solomon Wilcotts you
know who you guys know well there, but also with
with Rich and he went to Delaware. So I remember
those meetings, specifically with a young Joe Flacco Dan in
(16:08):
those production meetings with the Ravens, and and how he
looked at Rich thinking, man, if I could only, if
I could only have a career like rich gannon super
Bowl player, MVP in the league, played deep into his thirties,
had some great runs and and and not that he
didn't think he could do it, but he was a
young player at the time. And here we have him
(16:29):
and and he plays then and here all these years later,
here he is like he's been given the keys here
to the Ferrari. Right, I'm gonna put the key in
and I'm gonna I'm gonna feel that engine roar. He's
got one side, Jase, He's got Higgins on the other
he's got. He's got some real playmakers on that team.
It's gonna be fun, very fun.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
There might be a Ferrari commercial in your future based
on that engine.
Speaker 10 (16:57):
Wrapping up, let's think of any other I should My
son in law was a Ford dealer. I probably should
have s at Ford. Anyway. The point is is that
there's a new guy with the hands on the wheel,
and that's that's pretty exciting. I think at this stage
of the year.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Let's discuss the Packers. They opened the season with dominant
wins over Detroit and Washington. One of their offensive lineman said,
we might go undefeated this year, and then they lost
to Cleveland in Week three. What is your view of
the Packers and the problems they present for Cincinnati this week?
Speaker 10 (17:27):
So I do their preseason game, so I've seen him
throughout the summer, and this is Free Parsons Arrival, and
I thought there were a strong team then and the
general manager came out Dan and he said of the Packers,
and he said, he said, we've got to start thinking
in terms of championships and not just winning records and
(17:47):
getting into the playoff. We need to think now in
terms of championships. And here is an organization that has
been graced with two straight Hall of Fame quarterbacks and
Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, and they really are high
on on Jordan Love, their quarterback now, who is playing well.
But for whatever reason, they took on a red hot
(18:08):
Dallas team and they faced one of the great defenses
in the league of Cleveland. We know Cleveland's got the defense,
and they had the Packers number, and probably a loss
like that early in the season was good for them
to not think, you know, hey, I read what the
lineman said, and he was and I'm sure they're going,
oh my god, don't talk again. Please, don't open your mouth.
(18:28):
You cannot in this league. It is such an unforgiving league.
And these are pros on the other end, regardless of
what record or history says. These are prideful men, and
they come out every day feeling like I'm going to
be better today than I was yesterday and better tomorrow
than I was today. And they're always looking to improve.
And the sky in the eye never lies. The game
(18:50):
is on tape, their performance is there. There is no
you know, like exhaling in this league, not until the
season has come to a close So I knew that
when he said that, uh oh and again and Miles
Gareth that defense those players, and it was it was troublesome,
and they lost a double digit lead and they lost
the game. So the Packers come into this game off
(19:11):
of by you know, and you can do the analytics
and what teams have done, you know, pre by post,
by whatever. I think it's it'll be a lot for
any team to handle it alone the Bengals. But now
the Bengals have got their own juice, they got their
own spark, and I think they're gonna feel really good
about what they bring in. And they're two and three,
and I think that that will carry a lot of weight.
(19:34):
So in this league, trying to guess, I don't know
how these guys and all we do is see betting this,
betting that red level. I don't know how we know
everything we can, like you know everything about this game.
I know, I look at all the numbers. I don't
know how people can sit there and maybe look at
a casualt even if they feel they know, can figure
out what's gonna happen instead of line in these games,
(19:54):
it's impossible. You never know, You never know in this league,
and that's it's the beauty of the league. And I truly,
even as much as you might think the Packers have
got the answer, you never know. And that's that's the
beauty of the game. Coming up Sunday at lambeau Field.
Speaker 2 (20:11):
Did the Micah Parsons trade change your view of the Packers'
ability to win a Super Bowl title?
Speaker 10 (20:16):
Well, I think it's stunned the league because he's a
fifth year player at the very height of his powers
and is dominant and is forceful. A one man guy
is you're going to find on any defensive unit in
the league. Like he changes a game. Offenses now tilt
toward ever you know, wherever he's going to be with
extra blockers, going away with the play call and checking
(20:37):
it off at the line. I think he changes how
play to play, not just series the series or game
to game, Like wherever he lines up, now that that's
a red flag. And you've got a great guy that
can decipher that stuff in Flaccu, who just played the
Packers and won a couple of weeks ago for Cleveland.
Like so like he knows the recipe right, and so
(20:59):
he knows this this defense. But I did think that
Parsons could be like the missing ingredient. They came in
Dan to the preseason wanting to strengthen their pass rush,
weren't necessarily satisfied with how they left camp in what
they were gonna again present and made the move after camp.
So he and he's had a dynamite influence. He's one
(21:23):
of the top quarterback pressure guys in the league. He
changes the plays, he's everything they want. I think he's
been a great presence in the locker room. The coach
the other day just went on and Matt Lafleur went
on and on about the presence and what he's brought
and the confidency brings the rest of that defense. It
helps other positions by just being on the field and
(21:43):
the attention he draws. So but yeah, I mean, you
make a move like that, it's got to be. That
was an earthquake type move. That was a resounding Hey,
we are in it to win it. Like our GM
said earlier before camp began, we're thinking in terms of
championships and not just getting through the division and sneaking
into the playoffs. We are looking for the very top
(22:05):
and by getting a guy like Parsons, they send the
signal to the players into the league that that's exactly
where they're aiming.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
We're visiting with Kevin Harlan. For those who don't know,
your dad was an executive with the Green Bay Packers.
You spent part of your childhood in Green Bay. What
are some of your fondest memories about being around lambeau
Field as a kid.
Speaker 10 (22:24):
I've got one run off the bet that I've told
a couple of times already this week. When I was
a ball boy for the Packers in the early seventies,
and we'd have our lunch break during training camp, I
would sneak up the stairs into the press box at
lambeau Field, the old lambeau Field, and go in the
break the broadcast booth of the radio network, it didn't
(22:46):
matter which close the door, and do imaginary games in
my head. When I was like eleven and twelve years old.
And then when I got to actually broadcast when I
was thirteen fourteen years old at our high school radio station,
would go on there even more and practice these imaginary
games in lambeau Field in a broadcast booth onto an
empty field, and a and not a soul could be
(23:09):
seen in the Bowl of lambeau Field, and that's where
I would do these imaginary games out loud where no
one could hear me, and I did that for many years,
would go up there. I'm sure that had there been
a cleaning person up there, someone that was getting something
in the press box would maybe listing what's what's going
on there? Like who? And then it never happened. I
(23:31):
was never caught, but it would always sneak in and
get in and shut the door and do these games
for like a half hour and just and here I
was eleven, twelve years old broadcasting in lambeau Field. And
then as as luck would have it, and as the
great fortune that has been bestowed upon my career would
would lead me to do games and Lambeau eventually do
(23:54):
their preseason games as I've done since two thousand and three,
done multiple championship games there, Monday night football games, and
a lot of Fox and CBS games there. So I'm
living out a dream every time I'm in that stadium
doing a game. And now I've got my family in
the seats right below me. W're season ticket holders. And
(24:16):
my dad was there for thirty seven years, and he
was the one who hired, Holmgren hired Ron Wolf, was
in the room when they made the trade to get FARV,
made the deal to sign Reggie White, drafted Rogers hired
Mike McCarthy. So he was there, Dan hiring two Hall
(24:36):
of Fame Super Bowl winning gms, two Super Bowl winning coaches,
and two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. He was in that
room when those decisions were made, and as president and CEO,
the buck always stopped with him. So you could have
a clever GM or coach or whatever personnel guy say hey,
we should do this, but at the end of the day,
(24:58):
he had to a prove it, and he did. And
so we're most and he's still alive. He's eighty nine.
My mom is eighty seven. They live in Green Bay,
is a five minute drive from lambeau Field. So they're
very much with it. By the grace of God, their
health is good enough. They still get it, and they
watch games and they enjoy it like a lot of
fans do.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
One of the things I admire about you is that
you don't rest on your laurels. Are you on a
never ending quest to improve as a sports broadcast?
Speaker 10 (25:29):
Well, like you, we have a same I think spirit
in this business, dan Is, your accolades would say that
that if you do rest and exhale, there are younger
broadcasters that are just salivating to be in our seats.
Right is the voice of a team. You're a voice
of a major college and an NFL team. There are
(25:50):
not many of those guys in the business. You're one
of them and have done it so well for so
many years. And so I never take this job lightly.
And I think it goes back because it's not that
we're scared or we're frightened about what might be. It's
that we enjoy the process of getting better. So, like you,
I listen to my games, I critique my work. I
(26:11):
feel like, you know, I could do that better, I
can improve in this area or whatever. And I like
that challenge. It keeps your mind going and evolving in
the right direction. There will be a day when I'm sure,
speaking for myself, that I say, you know, I don't
know that I've got the love of the business that
I once had to want to get better. Let me,
let me just get in there and just do the
(26:32):
game and then move on to the next. I really
don't look at it like that. I think I'm a
part paranoid, part scared. I feel like I'm young enough
that I've still got a lot of good years ahead
of me. But I want to make sure that I
don't when that day comes that I do leave that
I'm I'm not regretting not putting in the work necessary
(26:53):
to be up to date. Let me tell you, I
don't know what you think, but I'm watching when we
do these games, like the offenses have never move faster,
there's never been more no huddle, there's never been more
sub packages coming in and staying on top of that
in a game from way up into the press. That's
a hard thing to do. It's hard, and I do
it on radio and on TV. Both they're different ways
(27:15):
of looking at it, but the same thing is, Man,
you've got to pay attention and you've got to make
sure that you go into these games prepared. So I'm scared.
I read I read a quote by Scully one time,
the great legendary Dodger broadcaster, who said, fear drives me
a lot. I never want to let my listeners down.
I never want to let myself down by not being
(27:36):
fully prepared but into the game and staying ahead of
the posse in other words, making sure that they find
no reason to really attack my work. And that's what
kept him going. And I read that as a young broadcaster,
so that's that's a good model to live by, and
so I kind of have.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
That totally rings true. Leave it to Vin Scully to
nail it. Final question for Kevin Harlan. I'm sure you've
heard this one before, but I've never your answer. If
you could call a sporting event that you've never had
the opportunity to do and probably won't have the opportunity
to do, what would it be.
Speaker 10 (28:10):
Well, I've had the chance a couple of times to
do Major League Baseball. When I was in my twenties
and doing the University of Missouri and the Chiefs on
radio Saturday Sunday back to back like you do with
the Bearcats and the Bengals. There was an opportunity in
my twenties, newly married with our first child, to do
Cardinal Baseball with Jack Buck and Mike Shannon on KMOX
(28:32):
and drove in there and did a practice game, and
they heard the tape and they liked it, and it
was there, and I chose not to my dad before
I became the president of the Packers, was with the
Saint Louis Baseball Cardinals and was the pr director back
in the sixties, and he got out of baseball because
it wasn't he thought he loved the job. It was
a great job, but not for a family man. It's
(28:55):
a hard job if you're a family man and are
away from your family that one hundred and sixty two
games and away from your family and all that, and
every day, and during the great summer months where you know,
vacations are gone now and so all that. So when
he got out, you know that I remember the decision
process he made, and my wife and I made the
decision not to do baseball, and then had a chance
(29:17):
with the Red Sox not too long ago to be
involved in their broadcasts and chose not to do that.
But and answer you to question, if I could on
radio doing play by play. The great broadcasters in our
business have some kind of a baseball background. And when
I talk to young broadcasters, say do a lot of
radio baseball because it will help you develop voice and
(29:38):
pacing and reporting and all these things that we need
to be whether you do basketball or football, if you
can do baseball, I think you can do the other sports,
and I do, and it's great for delivery development and
voice development and cadence and all those things. But doing
a game on radio, baseball on radio some random Wednesday night,
maybe in July, and just describing as the shadows are growing,
(30:01):
as the sun is setting, and described because you've got
time between pitches to describe what's going on. In football, man,
you got doing doo doo doo doom, and in basketball,
so like you're constantly just trying to keep up with
the action. But the one thing on radio that makes
it so great is when you can paint the total
picture and you can hear the popcorn guy in the
stands that reaches that microphone or or or you can
(30:24):
see a movement of a shortstop a little bit more
to the left, a little bit more to the right.
And I remember reading one thing about Red Barber and
how he, when he was broadcasting the Brooklyn Dodgers, was
describing a rainstorm that he could see building over left field,
over Brooklyn, and how it was moving slowly toward Ebbett's Field,
(30:45):
and how then there were rain drops, and how and
how the rain drops on the bill of the cap
of Pee Wee Reese he could see the drops and
he could see the wind picking up in the dust
blowing off the mound, and I thought, man, I like,
those those are moments that just there. If you saw
it, it wouldn't resonate, but when you hear it in the
theater of your mind, it just builds this great picture.
(31:08):
And I thought, that's what I wanted to do. And
that's where I got my love of radio, which I
do every Monday night. And there's not a lot of
time to describe that kind of stuff, but when there is,
and when you can describe it, I think those calls,
your call of a Joe Burrow touchdown. Those calls if
you listen to them driving by yourself on I seventy
(31:29):
five or wherever you may be, like, they stick in
your head, like you can almost picture it more here
than you could if you saw it with your own
two eyes. So I love the challenge that radio brings,
and that that's where my love of doing radio baseball,
I think would be. And a long answer to your question,
and I'm sorry, but that's I love those I love
those challenges of creating in people's minds that that vision
(31:52):
where they can see in the theater of their mind.
What happened, what kind of catch, what kind of ground
ball was grabbed? You know, what kind of jump shot
was taken? Where it is on the floor. Those things,
to me, that's why get into broadcasting, the challenge of
doing that the right way.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Nobody has done football on the radio.
Speaker 10 (32:09):
Batter now, hold now, hold on. Now, you are too kind.
We're friends, and that's why I you say that, I've
heard your No. No, I'm going to disagree. I love
your call, and that's why you've been honored so many
times in a very competitive state, and why you have
the reputation you have in our business. But I join
with you. We are joined at the hip. We love
(32:29):
our job, we love radio, and aren't we lucky to
be in this stage, at this stage of our lives,
to have these kind of platforms and calling NFL games
and major college football and basketball games like that? It
gets no better than that, does it?
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Well?
Speaker 10 (32:43):
How lucky are we? How lucky are we?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
Couldn't be any luckier? And Samboard is going to love
this segment. Kevin, Thank you so much, my friend. Really
appreciate your time. Look forward to seeing you this weekend.
Speaker 10 (32:54):
Love you, Dan, and I love you. As a friend
and who's a broadcaster. It's so fun to visit. And
I'll see you in Lambeau the Cathedral of NFL football
Sunday morning. I'll look forward to that.
Speaker 2 (33:06):
The Bengals Booth podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,
Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future Proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home,
business and community to a new level, and by Kettering
Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Kevin Harlan
(33:27):
called Lambeau Field the Cathedral of NFL football, and nobody
at pay Corp Stadium knows that better than the Bengals
new defensive line coach this year, Jerry Montgomery. Jerry, you
are a Packers assistant coach for nine years now you
are going back to Lambeau. It can't be just another
game for you. Is there anything in particular you're looking
(33:47):
forward to?
Speaker 1 (33:49):
You know what? Being there for nine years?
Speaker 13 (33:52):
I have when I say friends are like family, meaning
there's still guys there that I work with, but more importantly,
our kids grew up there, so we have a cabin
in Eagle River, Wisconsin. We will always call that home
now regardless of where we live at. So it'll be
great to see all of my neighbors and friends. And
(34:16):
then you know what's cool is my son is getting
his first collegiate start at linebacker against the Badger Saturday night.
So I'm gonna try to sneak out and get to
that game. So he played, you know, they went to
the state championship and he played in Madison. Now he's
getting his first start in Madison against Madison. So yeah,
so we'll have a lot of friends all week in
(34:36):
to see.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
I've only been to Lambeau once. That's when the Bengals
played there eight years ago. It's a bucket list type
experience for me. When you work there every day, do
you feel the history and do you feel like it's
a big advantage.
Speaker 13 (34:50):
You definitely feel the history. It's an unbelievable place to
work and unbelievable place to play a footba. You walk
through the tunnels and you feel it. It's neat even
practicing there. There's an air about it. So and what's
cool is when you pull in and you see now
(35:11):
it's a little different now, because people have tore down
those homes and built massive places across the street. They're
big tailgate places. But it's just it's a really neat environment.
It's probably as close to college environment as you'll feel
in most places. But yeah, neat venue, a lot of
history and cool place.
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Green Bay is the smallest market in the US that
has a professional sports team. It's a city of about
one hundred thousand people. As a Packers player or coach,
do you feel like you're in a fish bowl a
little bit just because there's such a spotlight on the Packers?
Speaker 13 (35:47):
I would say, you know, maybe for a player. As
a coach, I'd say no. I think people are very welcoming,
welcoming and they treat you as one and especially if
you're a normal person. If you know, there's not too
many people that walk around meaning you know, and think
that they're better than you. So when you act like that,
(36:08):
that's when you stand alone. But for a player, I
could see people knowing who you are. But I think
those guys, you know, it's Milwaukee's two hours away, Chicago's
three hours away, so.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
We're visiting the Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery let's
talk defense. Seems a little odd to say, maybe after
the opponent scored thirty seven points, But I thought the
defense played pretty well last week against the NFL's number
one offense. You forced five punts. Nobody's forced more against Detroit.
You got to take away in the game what was
good last Sunday, what wasn't up to your standard.
Speaker 13 (36:40):
We're taking the right steps each and every week. You know,
they were average and I don't know if it was
like four point nine or five something or carry. And
if we don't give up the one big run, we
keep them below two, below three, we give up the
one big one.
Speaker 1 (36:56):
You know.
Speaker 13 (36:56):
So like we're building a mindset and a culture from
a run game standpoint, and you know, you got to
earn the right to pass rush, and so I think
those guys, we're doing that and we're getting in them
some longer down in distance, more than they've probably had
all year.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
But you know, so it starts there.
Speaker 13 (37:16):
So you're just building a culture and identity, and you know,
guys are playing hard. No one's quitting. You know, we
got to eliminate the mistakes that are happening, and it's football.
Things are going to happen. It's just like, you know,
you can't let them compound. But we're heading in the
right direction. We're nowhere near where we're going to be,
but you know, hopefully people are seeing the change and
(37:40):
the guys are working to stremely hard.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
One negative has been opening drives. Opponents have scored touchdowns
in for the first five games. Has there been a
common denominator? Is there something that stands out on those
opening drives?
Speaker 1 (37:52):
We talk about that every day.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
I don't know if it was Cleveland and then Minnesota,
but you know, you got penalties that extend drives. One
of those drives, there was three or four third down penalties.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Uh.
Speaker 13 (38:06):
Some you know are questionable, but like, if you know,
we can eliminate some of those things. We're off the field,
you know, but uh, once the guy's settled down, it's
it's been you know, pretty good and then then there's
a hiccup. Right, But uh, you know, I think if
we can eliminate the mistakes, uh and play fast and
then tackle and open field, uh, I think we're gonna
(38:28):
you know, be better and improve each week.
Speaker 1 (38:30):
Let's discuss some individuals.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Trey Hendrickson had two sacks last week, he's got four
in the first five games.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
It's your first year coaching him. What stands out, Yeah,
it's it's important to him.
Speaker 13 (38:41):
You know, he he wants to learn about, you know,
the offensive line and what they're doing. You know, he's
he's invested in in playing the run. And you know,
he knows, like, you can't get to third down if
you can't stop the run. And so I think he's
really put an emphasis on those details. But like, you know,
(39:03):
it's important to him. You talk about a guy that
comes in, he takes care of his body, He watches film,
he studies his opponent, so he knows, you know, what
should work, how the guy's gonna set him, you know.
So it's it's it's neat to be around, you know,
a pro.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Joseph Osai and Miles Murphy each had a sack last week.
What are you working on with them at this stage
of their development?
Speaker 13 (39:23):
Consistency, whether it's in the run game. They both had opportunities. Uh,
you know, you know one of the sacks that Miles got,
you know, Joe created it because he was able to
penetrate the B gap and then Miles played off of them.
So it's not just a selfish individual. Hey I'm gonna
go win. I mean, he did a selfish deal by penetrate,
(39:45):
penetrating the B gap and allow Miles to get a sack, right, So,
so all those things are a part of it, but
just being consistent, whether it's the run game, open field,
tackling those type of things, Like I'm very demanding and
hold those guys to a really high standard, and I
think sometimes I could feel like the world's falling down
(40:07):
on them, when in reality it's like, hey, this happened,
let's clean it up, all right. Uh, you know, but
don't don't don't you know, let one mistake fall into
another one, because you can't move on, you know. And
so those are the things that we're trying to work
to get them past.
Speaker 2 (40:22):
You are demanding and it's fun to watch, and I
get the sense from everybody that I've talked to that
they like being pushed. Is that what you're looking for
from the guys that you have on your D line?
Speaker 13 (40:32):
I want I want guys that it's important to being
out there. It's important. Learning the process and learning what
your opponent does is important. If it's not important to
you for those things, then like you don't love the game.
Like the best guys I've been around, right, and we're
(40:53):
going to Green Bay. Kenny Clark was one of the
best to ever do it. But it wasn't that he
was like super Ubertalent. He loved football, And like, I
got a room full of guys that, like you know,
they love it. They're learning learning more bald than they've
ever learned. But like, I expect them to play at
a high level, and I my standard for them is
(41:14):
super high, but I expect more out of them. It
can't be how bad do I want it, because that
doesn't mean anything. I don't play the game. If you
guys don't put in the time and effort, it's not
gonna show up on the field. And I tell them,
what you put into it, you get out of it.
So if you take me as being hard and demanding
on you is a bad thing, all right, you're never
(41:36):
going to grow, all right, and you're never gonna get
to where you need to get a lot of guys
understand I'm trying to help them, not hurt them. It's
not belittle on them. It's trying to make them better.
It's trying to get them to see the game through
my lens are to see the game easier, and the
guys that are doing that are making huge strides.
Speaker 2 (41:55):
BJ Hill is the leading tackler among the guys up front.
What have you enjoyed about coaching Bj?
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Yeah, you know, he's smart, same thing. He's another guy
who's done it.
Speaker 13 (42:03):
He's been productive right in the past, and we're teaching
him a little bit different ways how to do it.
But you know, he's adapting and he's doing it, and
he's playing good ball for us, and we need him
in there, and he's been stouting to run and we
need him to continue to do that.
Speaker 2 (42:18):
You haven't had Shamar since week two. I thought he
got better every day at training camp from watching practice.
What did you think of his camp and the first
two games that he was able.
Speaker 13 (42:26):
To play, Yeah, like a roller coaster, right, like a
guy that hadn't been here all off season or all
training camp, right, And then and then he showed flashes
of like why he went where he went, and so
it's it's a work in progress, but like when he
gets it, when it all clicks for him, the tools
are there, I see, like a great player in this
(42:48):
league for a long time, right, and so he's going
through a process right now through this injury, Like he's
learning how to try to be a pro with rehab
and all that. So, I mean everything he's doing right
now is new and it's all a process for.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
So final thing for d line coach Jerry Montgomery, the
big news this week is obviously the acquisition of Joe Flacco.
You've squared off against him a handful of times in
the NFL, including Week one this year. What do you
think Joe Flacco brings to the table.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
The guys played a lot of football.
Speaker 13 (43:17):
I mean, I tell the story I told him when
I saw him last night, Like we were at Northern
iowhen he was at Delaware, he beat us to go
to the National Championship game. We were undefeated team. We
had like nine sack opportunities, but we fell down his
body like six of those, right, So we get those
nine sacks. It's done, but veteran experience. The guy's got.
(43:39):
He's massive, right, he could see it.
Speaker 1 (43:40):
He can make it.
Speaker 13 (43:41):
All the throws and you know, even the picks that
happened our game, I mean those were tips into flections
right like the balls were. And I think they've had
eleven drops there. I mean, he's gonna have some great weapons,
but he can make the throws.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
Veteran leadership.
Speaker 13 (43:57):
The guys won a Super Bowl like so he's done
it and it'd be nice to see what he can do.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
We're gonna get our opportunity soon, Kerry. Appreciate your time
enjoying the trip back to Green Bank.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Yep, thank you very much.
Speaker 2 (44:08):
When Jerry was with the Packers, he helped turn Kenny
Clark into a three time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. They
won't see each other this weekend because Clark is now
a Dallas Cowboy.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
Back.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
In August, the Packers traded him and two first round
draft picks to Dallas for Micah Parsons. The Bengals have
faced Parsons twice before. In twenty twenty two, he had
two sacks and five quarterback hits as the Cowboys beat
the Bengals by three, but last year he had no
sacks and no tackles as Cincinnati beat Dallas by seven.
(44:43):
In that game, he was mostly matched up against the
Marius Mims.
Speaker 14 (44:47):
Yeah, I mean, I think Michael's the best d N
in the NFL other than Miles Garrett. If you hasn't me,
it's just the guys who want them played against. The
gonna be a challenge, it always, especially on the road,
it's gonna be a game. Worse about me again, honestly,
just just doing with coaches telling me in practice and
you know, how can you know, trying to neutralize him
as much as possible and knowing you know, he's gonna
make his fair share of plays, you know, I mean,
(45:08):
it's gonna happen with a guy like that. But really,
like I said, my mind said, is really to just
you know, go out there and play the game football,
and no I can play, continue to get better, and
you know, if I let one mistake, like not let
one mistake or one you know, one small minor, you know,
step in that game and turn into like the whole game. So,
like I said, going against a great player, not one
of the best players on defense and ever, I mean,
(45:29):
I think he's a good like I said, you know
he's a good player, but I know he's a good player.
But I said, I'm ready for the challenge. You know,
like I said, last year he was with another team.
Last year played in Dallas, and this year is gonna
be in on Green Bay. So it's gonna be fun.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
The Packers are moving Parsons around quite a bit, so
Mems and Orlando Brown Junior, we'll both have to play well.
Wayne Larravie, the Voice of the Packers, joined Dave Lapham
and me on the Bengals Game Plan Show this week
and we started our know the Faust segment by asking
about Parsons.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
It's given that defense a certain swagger that maybe it
didn't have before. It was a good defense last year.
There's no question, a top ten defense, but they feel
Micah Parsons can maybe push them over the top. He
gives them, you know, he makes the four man rush
effective in terms of pass rush and that's something that
they struggled with here. Ago and Jeff Hafley, the defensive
(46:21):
coordinated at a tremendous job of generating pass rush pressure
and getting sacks, but he had to do it with
blitzing and that type of thing. They're more prone today
to be a four man pass rush, and that's what
they were hoping to be when all this whole thing
was put together. And so Micah Parsons, he makes the
people around him better. You know. Up until last week,
(46:45):
Rashan Gary was leading the league in sacks. And you
know that's the difference. Having Parsons on one side and
Gary on the other side makes Rashan Gary much more
effective because he's not facing as many double teams.
Speaker 6 (47:00):
When when the trade was made for Sean Gary was
probably the most appreciative guy in the organization. It's like, man,
finally I got somebody else on the other side that's
going to take take some of the pressure off and
he'll be facing a lot of the double teams. When
I watched the Green Bay Packers defense on tape, I'll
tell you parts is pretty stout in the running game.
(47:22):
Now he plays the run, he doesn't, you know, he
doesn't just kind of show up or really not show
up for a couple of snaps and then hope, hope
for a third and long and see if I can
sack the quarterback and increase my sack numbers. Run a
big total on sacks for the season. This guy is
a complete football player. He plays both sides of it,
(47:43):
doesn't he.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
Yeah, he does. And you know that's something he kind
of got a bad rap by Gary Jones about his
run defense. But you know what we've seen, he's been
very solid in holding the edge and making plays in
the running game, So that's helped a lot. I mean,
the Packers giving up seventy seven yards rushing second in
the league. You know, they had a little bit more
(48:06):
of a rough day in Dallas. Dallas got a season
high one hundred and seventeen rushing yards against them. But
that game was a track meet, so you know, I
don't know how much you can put into the defensive
figures of that game.
Speaker 2 (48:19):
The voice of the Packers, Wayne Larabee, is our guest.
Green Bay opened with very impressive wins over Detroit and Washington.
Attention was growing before We're talking about this team as
a real Super Bowl favorite. Then they laid an egg
in Cleveland. What happened in that Cleveland game.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
You know, Dan, I mean, they had control of that game,
they really did. I mean they were struggling offensively. Cleveland's
defensive line dominated the Packers offensive line. The Packers have
had some injuries in their offensive line. Zach tom probably
their best offensive line, been played one play in that
game and it went out with an injury that he
(48:58):
came into the game with. Meanwhile, you know the left guard,
you know Banks, whom they acquired from San Francisco, kind
of a road grader or the running game. Aaron Banks.
He's missed seven He's missed seven games last year and
he's missed two now this year. So having components of
the offensive line down and having to shuffle that line
(49:21):
against the Cleveland front that you guys saw opening I
believe it was opening day. It's pretty good, pretty good unit,
and you want to be at your best when you're
going up against that group. So they struggled offensively, defensively,
they're in command of that ball game. And then the
special team's issue occurred and they had a field goal
block and boom, all of a sudden, you know, Cincinnati
(49:43):
was or i should say Cleveland was back in the
game and snuck away with a win.
Speaker 6 (49:47):
Let's talk a little bit about Joe Flacco. What did
you think of Joe Flacco in that football game? How
did he perform against the Green Bay Packers?
Speaker 3 (49:57):
To your eye, well, you know and studying him they
going into the game. He can still fling it and
he can still get a downfield. Two things happened in Cleveland.
Number One, they were just starting to find their running
back and that kid that they drafted in the second
round is going to be a really good runner, but
(50:19):
they really don't have a solid round game. They couldn't
protect the quarterback. They just can't protect Blackout and that's
the problem that he had. So so much of what
he was doing leading into that game was checked down
stuff and really short stuff. And then he hit a
couple of passes against the Packers, but nothing out of
the ordinary. He struggled. I mean, he did not have
(50:41):
a great game against the Packers at all. And you know,
going to Cincinnati now, and if they get him up
to speed and ready to play this week, he's got
better people around him to throw the football to. I mean,
those two guys are number one receivers, both of them,
and you know, Flaco didn't have anything close to that
caliber in Cleveland. So if the Bengals can protect this guy,
(51:04):
he can still get the ball down field accurately.
Speaker 2 (51:07):
Dayne Larrabee is our guest. Do you expect the Packers
O line to be at full strength this week? And
what about wide receiver Christian Watson. They just opened up
his twenty one day window to come back from his
knee injury. Any chance the Bengals have to worry about
him this week?
Speaker 3 (51:23):
Boy? You know, I got to tell you, Dan, from
what I saw a training camp, from what I've seen
at practice, and they've ramped him up a little bit
this week now that he's actually in practice, I wouldn't
count him out. But I wouldn't. My gut tells me though,
wait a week, you know, let him go through this
week and then maybe his comeback has been stunning. I
(51:47):
mean at training camp it looked like he could practice
and play, and you know, they held him out obviously,
and they had him on the reserve list. And now
this week the's back at practice and frankly, it looks
pretty good. To be honest with you, guys, I just
wonder if I know the Packers are very cautious with
their people from a medical standpoint, I still think it's
(52:10):
a long shot he plays this week, but I wouldn't
count it out.
Speaker 2 (52:13):
Our thanks to Wayne Laravie, and here's a quick invitation
to join lapp in me for the Bengals pep Rally
show this week. We'll be at the on the Rhine
Eatery on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on
Friday from three to six, and our special guest in
the final hour will be linebacker or in Burks. If
you can't make it, you can listen on ESPN fifteen
thirty or by searching for ESPN fifteen thirty on the
(52:36):
iHeartMedia app. That's going to do it for this episode
of the Bengals Booth Podcast brought to you by pay Core,
Proud to be the Bengals Official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future proof fiber Internet designed to elevate your home,
business and community to a new level, and by Kettering
Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
(52:57):
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