October 12, 2025 • 36 mins
Dan Hoard recaps Joe Flacco’s debut in a Bengals uniform with radio replays, locker room comments, and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in this week’s “Fun Facts” conversation, you’ll get to know rookie long snapper Will Wagner.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden. Thanks for downloading The
Bengals Booth Podcast. The every storm Runs Runs out of rain, addition,
as a strong second half by Joe Flacco allows the
Bengals to go toe to toe with Green Bay before
the Packers pulled out a win at Lambeau twenty seven
to eighteen. Coming up, radio replays locker room comments and
(00:26):
postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's Fun
Facts Conversation, you'll get to know rookie long snapper Will Wagner.
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
(00:49):
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a
quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
this podcast deliver right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
thing since the Yearly Postcard. When my son Sam was born,
(01:12):
I decided to put him on the Packers season ticket
waiting list. I've never been a Packers fan, and we
were living in Boston at the time, so I mostly
did it for the fun of it, but I also figured,
what the heck, by the time his number comes up,
he might actually want them. Well, Sam is nineteen years
old and a mirror eighty eight thousand, one hundred and
(01:35):
twenty four spots away. We get a postcard every year
that updates his status, and in the last year he
moved up one thousand, seven hundred and seventy three spots.
At that pace, he's still nearly fifty years away, so
I don't think he'll get the Golden Ticket in my lifetime,
(01:55):
but it is fun getting the annual postcard. Now, let's
get to the radio replays from Joe Flacco's debut in
a Bengals uniform. In the fifty eight year history of
the Cincinnati Bengals, no quarterback has ever attempted what Joe
Flacco will try to do today. Join the team on Tuesday,
(02:17):
take partners first practice on Wednesday, win a game on Sunday.
That's the mission for the former Super Bowl MVP. Has
the Bengals face the green Bay Packers, and it is
time for the pig skin to fly here at Lambeau Field.
So another opportunity for the Bengals defense to force a
(02:40):
field goal. Try here at his third down and five
for green Bay shotgun snap rush coming up the middle.
Love begins scrambling right. They can't get him down yet.
Now he throws and it is intercepted, deflected and picked off.
The Bengals are running it back. It's Gino Stone. He's
out of bounds at the thirty seven yard line.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I think it might have been Dj Turner to tip.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
It first and goal from the three. Love in the gun.
Now Jacob's motions behind. The quarterback lines up to his right.
They give it to Jacobs and he runs into the
end zone for the first touchdown of the day. Evan
McPherson trying to make NFL history from sixty seven yards away.
Rookie Will Wagner will snap. Ryan Rico, the punter will
(03:25):
hold running. Mack paces off his steps. He's ready one
second left in the half, from sixty seven yards out
to snap. The placement the swing of the right leg.
The kick is on its way. This one will be
caught in the middle. Of the end zone and the
Packers can run it out to the twenty to twenty
five it's Nixon. Nixon is tackled by a Marius Mimms
(03:49):
at the thirty two yard line, so it is halftime
in green Bay. The score the Packers ten, the Bengals nothing.
Fourth down in goal, the Bengals line up to go
for it more than two yards away. Higgins and Yosi
bosh out to the right, Hudson and Chase out to
the left. He ran in the backfield. Flacco catches the
shotgun snap Pump fakes throws into the end zone, caught
(04:12):
in the back of the end zone under the goal
post by Tanner, Hudson and the Bengals gamble and win.
Going forward on fourth down and getting the touchdown, Hudson
does a Lambeau leap. He finds two Bengals fans in
the first row and the Bengals are back in the game.
We head to the fourth quarter. Green Bay leads ten
(04:33):
to seven. The Packers have the ball in the red zone.
Second down and seven at the Cincinnati fourteen yard line.
Love is under center, Jacobs lined up behind him. They
give it to Jacob's gigantic hole up the metal and
he goes into the end zone standing up. This will
be a forty five yard field goal try for Evan McPherson,
who missed from sixty seven on the final play of
(04:55):
the first half. It would have been an NFL record.
Here comes his right footed kick. It is on its
way and it is absolutely perfect. So the Bengals are
back within a score. They're down by seven with ten
forty three to go. Love fakes two. Jacobs throws a
short pass caught by Craft. He's at the ten. The
five dives for the pylon and it's a Green Bay touchdown.
(05:19):
The Bengals are going to have any chance of pulling
off a miracle finish, they need to convert on fourth
down and four in the red zone. Flacco in the gun,
three receivers left, one right. He ran in the backfield
to five man rush. Flacco throwing and the pass is
cau Oh my goodness, how in God's name to Jamar
(05:41):
Chase catch that ball? Now he's doing the gritty in
the end zone. The Bengals get a nineteen yard touchdown
pass to Jamar Chase when he wasn't open. Unbelievable. Bo's
placed at the two yard line, going for two to
try to pull within six. Flacco catches a shotgun snap,
(06:02):
retreats to the twelve pump, fakes, moves up in the pocket,
throws caught in the end zone. Chase Brown with the catch,
He flings the football into the crowd and the Cincinnati
Bengals are down by six with four to eleven to go.
They've scored on three straight drives in the second half,
and Joe Flacco is getting pounded on the shoulders by
(06:25):
his teammates as he comes to the sideline. Thirty nine
yard try. It's not automatic for a guy that just
joined the team. Cincinnati down by six, one fifty six
to go. Here comes the kick and it is good.
Haver Sick delivers. This will be a fifty six yard try.
His career long is fifty nine, krying to pull the
(06:46):
Bengals back to within one score. The snap, the placement,
McPherson's kick. It has the distance. It is olgard wide right,
no good, and the Green Bay Packers will survive at
home to beat the Bengals by the final score, up
twenty seven to eighteen. After only throwing for forty yards
(07:08):
in the first half, Joe Flacco clearly grew more comfortable
in the second half and looked terrific, throwing for one
hundred and seventy nine yards with two touchdowns. His passer
rating in the second half was one oh seven point five.
Here are a few of the more interesting things Joe
had to say in his postgame news conference.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Well, I thought as an offense, we settled in, you know,
probably sometime in the second quarter. Not that we were
able to get over the hump in that quarter, but
we came out and played a good second half. You know,
but usually against a good football team, it's playing one
good half isn't going to be good enough. But we
gave ourselves a chance down the end, and I think
we did some good things, but just not enough. Early on,
(07:48):
after the two point conversion, I was pretty pumped up,
But in the moment, you're just trying to keep it simple,
take it for what it played, one play at a time.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I kind of kept telling myself that on the sideline today,
you know, don't get don't get too high in this environment,
no matter what the scoreboard says and what's going on.
Just remember to continue to play each play. And look,
I mean, there's a league if you if you're able
to do that consistently, then you're gonna put yourself in it.
Down the stretch. I came over the sideline a couple
of times. It was telling Jake like just the way
(08:19):
they plucked the ball out of the air like I
threw a I threw like a quick out route to
Jamar and I didn't get the ball great and it
was like an awful spiral and he still just caught
it like with both hands. And then the one one
that I can think about to Tea, we hit him
on a little like inside slant route for a third down,
(08:41):
I think on that first drive of the second half,
and a lot of guys would go down and kind
of catch it with their body and slide, and he
just plucked it right out of the air.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
This is a long.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Season, and I know it's easy to be down on
yourself in hard times, but you know, playing with confidence shows.
So we got to find a way to kind of
get some of that back. But I think we do
have the ability to do that. Listen, we got a
big week coming up, and you know these division games
are always good matchups, and going in and playing a
(09:09):
good game this upcoming week could help a lot with that.
I think today probably helped a little bit, but you know,
you still want to win the game.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
The loss drop the Bengals to two and four, But
if Flacco plays the way he did in the second half,
or gets better as he grows more comfortable in the offense,
the team can certainly remain in the hunt. In the
AFC North, where only Pittsburgh has a winning record, The
Steelers are four and one with games remaining against the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Bills,
(09:38):
and Lions, among others. Those five teams are twenty seven
and one. Flacco's performance certainly boosts the bengals chances of
beating Pittsburgh This Thursday night at pay Corps and I
talked about his debut with Orlando Brown Junior. What did
Joe show you in the second half?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Just who he's been for the last say ten years
of player that's gonna stay. Of course, you know that's
who he is. And and uh, you know he just
got here a week ago, you know, I mean barely that,
I guess. And it's be able to come out here
and call the game like he did and show up
when we needed the most. I mean, hass off to him.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
It looked like his comfort level grew as the game
went along. Was it like that in the huddle?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Absolutely, And you know, to be honest, I feel like
he was comfortable early. Uh, just just getting settled down
in being himself. And you know, as he gets more
time with you know, coach Pitch and coach Taylor. I mean,
Scot's a limit.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
The way the offense performed in the second half, does
it give you growing confidence that going home for three
straight home games, you guys can go on a run?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Yeah, no, man, I mean we we're close. We're not
close enough who we are close? And you know, we
got to figure out a way to start faster and
be a more effective early man. And a lot of
these games that we've been in, it won't be dogfights
in the fourth quarter will be we'll be playing four
minute offense.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Is there something you can put your finger on for
the first half and and why the first half struggles
have happened?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
To watch the film, but you know it always comes
down to finish an execution.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
You know it's on us as players to do that.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Jamar Chase ten catches an incredible touchdown catch at the
end of the game, t had five catches as well.
It looked like Joe did a great job of saying,
all right, we've got two of the best in the league.
Let's get him the ball.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Oh yeah, for sure. And I mean, honestly, if I
was at quarterback, I'll take the samlpros.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So, all right, what are your feelings with a quick
turnaround and a huge game coming up against the division
rival on Thursday?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Excited to be home? You know, so you got a
divisional opponent. Let's take care of business.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Appreciate it, thanks Orlanto. Orlando mentioned the need to start
faster on offense. The Bengals have not scored a first
half touchdown in the four games they've played since Joe
Burrow hurt his toe, and they've been down by double
digits at the break in all four. That will be
a major point of emphasis for Zach Taylor this week,
(11:56):
and he spent a few minutes after Sunday's game with
Dave Lapham.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I thought that your quarterback, he's a special obviously forty
year old guy, eighteen years in a league to still
be competing the way he competes, He's obviously a special guy.
In a lot of ways, what did he give you today? Yeah,
he gave us a lot of confidence. I mean he
made some big time throws, tight windows, able to lead
us on several scoring drives there at the end of
(12:21):
the half, potentially piggybacked into the second half, got us
in scoring zones all ever drive, and I think that
really lifted the team up. And again, it's unfortunate. We're
all looking for constellations or silver linings, but the truth
of it is he got here five days ago and
to play like that on the road, silent cadence, all
the noise, great pass rushers. You know, that's something we're
(12:42):
going to continue to piggyback on and it'll pay dippendence
for us. Yeah, you just went through a good laundry
list of what he was facing. It is remarkable how
well he did play to go on a scoring drive
every drive in the second half of this football game
against that defense, very solid unit. They have players everye
and the fans making all the noise that are making.
(13:03):
You know, like you said, I had to go silent
snapcount of what does this say about him?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
This says a lot.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
I mean, he's he worked to put himself in that position.
He didn't come in here and assume he was gonna
know it all. He really worked and you could see,
even the stuff behind the scenes, how much he had
to have done. Because when he walked into a meeting,
he walked into a huddle, he was prepared. He gave
the guest confidence. He said it all cleanly. And when
he got a quarterback that just walks in and says
it as clean as he does, it gives us guy's
confidence holdability. This guy knows what he's doing, and he
(13:29):
showed that, you know, and we'll continue to capitalize on that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
When did you as a coaching staff realize that, I mean,
obviously he's special, but when did you realize you had
something that was pretty darn unique to work with?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Well, I think you just watched him throw. You watch
them other football. He's capable of doing it all. And
so again you get a chance to attack all parts
of the field. And I thought our protection for the
most part, did a good job giving him some opportunities.
He got the bottle of his hand what he needed
to to avoid some some pressure looks. I mean, these
people have teed off on people now and put a
lot of pressure in quarterback, and I thought our line
(14:01):
given him a chance to make the decisions he.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Needed Tobate Parsons, Gary, no sacks, You had no turnovers,
no interceptions, no fumbles. This has a lot to come
on the road a place like this with the crowd,
noise and everything you're dealing with.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Yeah, three penalties as well, you know, And I think
the field position, when you look at the field position
battle and really assess it, I don't think we did
well enough there. And then that's the key is you're
going to reflect back on how much of a difference
that might have made for us if we've done a
better job there. But we took care of the football.
We're always trying to be plus two in that battle.
So we only got one off of them three penalties.
So I thought our guys were disciplined on the road
(14:36):
in a tough environment. And so again there's things to
build on. But we don't expect to come in anywhere
and lose, and we're going to continue to find ways
to get in that winning callum, build some confidence, build
some momentum. We're right in the thick of the division
right now, with a perfect opportunity lane right in front
of us. This Thursday, night against Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, the Bengals can beat the Steelers on Thursday, they
would be three and four overall, two and zero in
the division, with a head to head win in their
pocket against Pittsburgh. It is a huge game for Week
seven of the season. Now, time for the radio guys
recap lapped. Joe Flacco finished with two hundred and nineteen
(15:16):
passing yards two touchdowns, both in the second half. The
Bengals scored on every drive in the second half until
that long missed field goal at the end. Did we
see a guy in the second half that has given
this entire team confidence going forward?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I think so based on the reactions that I saw
in the locker room. Talk to Joe, and he seemed
very confident in what he was doing, particularly in the
second half, and they could give him a big shot
of confidence, big shot in the arm. And he said
he could see his teammates in their eyes. He could
see it, you know, their shoulders lifted up, everything, you know,
(15:51):
was operating in a much more proficient level, a lot
more smoothly. And I just I give the guy a
ton of credit. I mean to come in five days
ago and play on a game in the National Football
League on sunny on the road in Green Bay, against
that noise in that crowd, and that's a good football team,
good solid football team. I tell you, it's pretty remarkable
(16:14):
what he's able to get done.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
He got better during the course of the game. I
thought the protection got better during the course of the game.
That probably goes hand in hand. What did you think?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, I agree with you. I think you know, one
plus one equals to there. You know, I thought that
the protection was pretty spotty to start the football game,
and I think he felt that. I mean, any human
being would you know you got a bunch of behemos
in your face. You know, credit everybody. They didn't throw
in the towel. You know, everybody just kept sawing wood.
(16:46):
And you know, I made a commitment to have a
better performance in the second half, and that's exactly what
they did.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
How can they avoid slow starts offensively, because it's been
crippling them since the Joe Burrow injury.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
No question, I mean, it's been been unbelievable. I mean,
when you you don't get any first hounds, you know,
for a long stretch of time, that's that's just grinds
on you. Grinds on you as an offensive football player,
grinds on the defense. You know, the defense looks at
you like, geez, when you're gonna give me a break?
I mean, I'm killing myself and you feel horrible. You
(17:22):
feel like you're letting the whole team down. And you know,
defensive players especially, you know, you work hard at practice
all week to go out and play a complete football game.
You know, a game whereas complimentary football being played between offense, defense,
and special teams. I mean, that's what you strive for
every week, That's what your practice for, that's what you
(17:43):
play the games for, and right now, it's just not
happening often enough.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I don't know if the stats will bear this out.
I'm saying this based on my memory of the game
and how it felt. But it seemed like the Bengals
got the Packers into some third and long situations and
gave up back breaking type plays of forty five yard
pass on one I think at thirty two yard pass
on the other. If the defense gets those third long stops,
Cincinnati might walk out of here with a win.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Absolutely. I mean, if you can control the explosives, you know,
there were so many explosives in that football game at
the wrong time. I mean, they can never come at
the right time. Explosives are something that you know, every
team strives for and and when you don't get them,
you know, you notice a big difference. Uh, you know,
it's it's now now, all of a sudden, they can't
(18:30):
hit us deep. I'm gonna we're gonna We're gonna crowd everything.
We're gonna bring people up to the line of scrimmage.
We're gonna blitz. We're bringing linebackers up tight, We're bringing
safeties closer to the line of scrimmage. You know, we're
you don't know who's gonna blitz. We're gonna run his
own blitzes at you. You know, we're gonna do everything
there is under the sun that we have in our
in our game plan and our playbook to to make
it as tough as as possible for you to throw
(18:51):
the football, particularly if you're not running it well enough.
And right now, Dan, they're not running it well enough.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Five pass breakups are DJ Turner today. That's hard to
do in a single game. And it wasn't like, you know,
he gave up ten catches and had five pass breakups
because they were throwing it at him a million times.
It seems like when he was targeted he made a
good play.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
He stuffed up, man, he stuffed up big time. I
agree with you. And the thing, the other thing that
caught my eyes, man, he was hitting people. Now, I
mean he's a physical kid. He was tackling and in
the open field where you know, it's noticeable if you
make the tackling, very noticeable if you don't, and he
was making them. He made a high, high percentage of him.
And I think the Bengals are glad they have a
(19:31):
guy like DJ Turner back there.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
For sure. Thursday looms large. The Steelers are four and one.
They don't necessarily have a great win yet, although New
England's looking like the Patriots might be a pretty good team.
But if you can beat the Steelers at home, get
to two in on the division, hand them a division loss,
suddenly you're thinking, all right, we're still very much a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, it's a must. I mean, you know, every once
in a while you come up on must wins, must
win situations and scenarios. This is one of them. I mean,
every guy in that locker room, I don't care if
you're a rookie year, if you're you know, a ten
year veteran, you got to prepare for this football game
like it's the most important football game you ever played in.
It's the biggest game of your life because you are
(20:14):
you're fighting to stay alive. And like you said, there's
a lot of season left and nobody's running away with it.
You know. It's Pittsburgh's playing well, but they don't seem
to be world beaters. I mean, they're squeaking by, you know,
so it's not like they're they're crushing everybody and destroying people.
So Bengals are very much alive, very much in the
(20:34):
thick of it.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Beat the Steelers at home, beat the Jets, beat the Bears,
all at pay corps, get to five and four, going
to your bye week with Joe Flacca leading the way.
That's the scenario, right, I'd be perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
I mean, that's that's a that's a nice little story,
short story there day. And I like that, you know,
and I think the Bengal fans would definitely like it
as well. You got to string some together, get some
get some victories on top of each other, pile them
up a little bit, stack them one by one, first thing,
No beat the Steelers. Don't just beat them smoke. The
(21:06):
Steelers kicked the dog crap out of the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
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. One final note
(21:32):
from Sunday's game, The Bengals took a shot at history,
giving Evan McPherson a crack at a sixty seven yard
field goal, one yard longer than Justin Tucker's NFL record.
A split second before the snap, Green Bay head coach
Matt Lafleur called a time out. Money Mack went ahead
and kicked and made it as the ball hit the
(21:52):
crossbar and bounced over, But his second try, the one
that ultimately counted, came up a few yards short. Having
we've talked many times about your desire to have a
chance to kick one from sixty plus well turned out
to be an NFL record attempt that had you made
it of sixty seven yards? First, what did you think
(22:12):
when they called on you from that distance?
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Me and Darren had a conversation, I feel like before
the drive started, and I was just like, if you
give me to the fifty, I feel confident that there's
a good chance it's going to go in. So we
had a good idea of like what the offense was
trying to do and get to, and so as soon
as I saw skip past fifty, I was like, all right,
good to go. It's a lot of excitement. You don't
(22:39):
get those opportunities often, And to be honest, it's like
I didn't hit the first one great. I kind of
towed it a little bit, and that thing just took
off and it carried and I was honestly surprised that
it got there. And then the second one, maybe a
little bit of adrenaline pushed off a little bit harder
and just got under it a little bit. You know.
(23:02):
I feel like in that situation and the win that
we had today is you're not gonna get that often,
because I, honestly, I feel like that was just kind
of a gift of a kick, like perfect scenario to
break the NFL record. I just got under it just
to touch. It was cool to see the first one
(23:24):
go in, but I wish the second one would have.
But uh, I guess it'll have to wait.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Were you thinking, were you cognizant of the fact, all right,
this is an NFL record potentially? Oh?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
Yeah, I mean you definitely understand the kick that you're
going out there to hit. And I realized, you know,
as soon as we got out there, you know there
it's sixty seven yards. Just put a good a hit
on it and should have a good chance of going in.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
When you saw the first one hit the crossbar and
bounce over, are you thinking, right, I know I can
do this.
Speaker 6 (24:01):
Yeah, definitely with I feel like with how poor I
hit it, I thought for sure. I was like, oh,
I just have to get this sing up in the
air and then it'll go in. So super confident going
into the second one. Like I said, it's just it's
just pretty tough to make two sixty seven yarders back
to back, But definitely capable of doing it, and we'll
(24:25):
get the next time.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I hope you get another shot.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Bengals are now zero for three from sixty plus in
their history. Doug Pelfrey missed a sixty three yarder and
Shane Graham missed from sixty two. Now time for this
week's fun fact segment as we get to know one
of the guys involved in sundays sixty seven yard attempt.
Time for some fun facts with rookie long snapper Will
(24:50):
Wagner from Alfaretta, Georgia, near Atlanta. How did you get
your start as a long snapper?
Speaker 7 (24:57):
I played center like from sixth grade or actually not
like fourth grade till I was a senior in high school.
And like, my brother played at Mercer University and he
was a linebacker. And one of the things is like
I want to play college ball because just watching him
play every Saturday, I was like, this is something I
(25:19):
want to do. And like he was an all state
linebacker in Georgia, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
I knew I wasn't gonna be like six', four so
like being a center would be really hard for. Me
SO i was like a long snap, too how ABOUT
i go to some of these camps and, uh that's
(25:42):
that's really HOW i started BECAUSE i wanted to play college.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Ball aside from long snapping at football. Practices did you
do it on your? Own did you have a target
in the backyard or anything like. That?
Speaker 7 (25:54):
Oh, Yeah LIKE i had a target in our side
yard And i'd go out there almost like every other
day and go snap like twenty balls into it and then,
yeah and then also at practice as, Well so, yeah
almost every other Day i'd be.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Snapping if you go on, YouTube there are a bunch
of long snap trick shot type videos where guys are
snapping through the window of a moving car or you,
know trying to hit some sort of tiny target a
long distance. Away have you tried anything along those.
Speaker 7 (26:24):
Lines, Yeah i've done the bottle. CAP i did. THAT
i did that one was a freshman in. College people
saw it and there's, like why can you do? THAT
i was, like, yeah it's like like show us and
it took me like three, tries and we're using like
like a regular water, bottle so there's a small bottle
cap and they're, like oh my. God so that's pretty
(26:47):
much the only One i've. Done i've seen people like
snap it off of the stadium into a trash. CAN
i haven't really done.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
That we'll have to do the open window moving car. Sometimes.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Yeah, yeah, Yeah i'll. Volunteer my car's twenty fourteen to
coma things almost beating.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
It, well it's about the same as. Mine we're visiting
with long Snapper Will. Wagner did you play any other
sports other than being a center for the high school football.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
Team, YEAH i played. LACROSSE i also played flag. Football
it was some of my soccer. BUDDIES i played in mule,
basketball but those are pretty much the only other SPORTS i.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Played, so as you, said the dream was to play college,
football and you did for six years At. Michigan Long
snappers typically don't get a scholarship to begin. With if
you go to the school and you turn out to
be the, guy you get. One how did that process
go for?
Speaker 7 (27:38):
You SO i got there in twenty, NINETEEN i didn't
start until twenty, twenty and then after the twenty twenty,
SEASON i didn't get put on. Scholarship, so but then
after the twenty twenty one that, SPRING i got put on.
Scholarship SO i started for two seasons BEFORE i got
put on, scholarship and THEN i was on scholarship the
rest of the.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Time michigan's not.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Cheap, oh it's not cheap at. All, no my dad
helped me very, much so with the.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Loans how excited was he when you got the news
that you were going on scholarship and how excited were? You,
oh he was so.
Speaker 7 (28:12):
Excited it's, like, oh thank, GOD i can retire.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Early now we're doing fun. Facts we Have bengals long
Snapper Will. Wagner you had a red shirt year and
then THE covid exception. Year, so AS i, mentioned you
got to split spend six years with The. Wolverine you
played in fifty three. Games you were part of a
national championship. Team describe what it means to have been
part of a fifteen AND o team that won it.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
ALL i, mean it's a. BLESSING i mean that whole
that whole season just felt like a. Dream like you,
going like we were going into Like Oha state, game
And i'm, like we're winning this. One like you just
kind of knew that just because because of the culture
THAT i was, there and, like you, know you got
(28:55):
some dogs on the team in your, cycle they're gonna pall,
out they're gonna bowl. Out SO i, mean it was
just a pleasure to be on that, team be a
part of.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
History you Beat Ohio state the last four times you
played The. Buckeyes how obnoxious are you when you are
Around Ohio state?
Speaker 7 (29:13):
People how obnoxious AM? I i don't rub it, IN
i caress. It Then i'm not too. Obnoxious but if
they throw something at, Me i'll throw it.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Back i'm going to remember THAT i caress it. In
that's a good. One your head coach was the famously
Quirky Jim. Harbaugh what's your Best harbass?
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Story so there's like one practice where we HAD i
think we had like two people like break a wrist
in like one practice and then like the team meeting
the next. Morning sometimes he just goes on these tangents
and he's just like he's, like, GUYS i don't know
what to. Say we had two people break the risk.
(29:58):
Yesterday there's only there's only one way to prevent.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
That.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
Milk you gotta drink your. MILK i have a cup every.
Day and then he brought in his sign that was
LIKE i got milk sign and he put it over
like the milk dispenser in the in the eating.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Room did you drink milk as a?
Speaker 7 (30:21):
Result oh, yeah, yeah but milk is nature.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
STEROID i didn't realize it was a miracle. Drug we're
visiting With Will. Wagner you graduated with a degree in mechanical,
engineering and in a scouting report on nfl dot com
before the draft that, says quote engineering background fuels a thoughtful.
Approach how do you use engineering and snapping of?
Speaker 7 (30:47):
FOOTBALL i feel, like especially with, engineers it's not like
you like mindfully like that's gonna. Happen it's more like
you mindlessly, like oh, damn that snap was Highs LIKE
i THINK i extended my hips and, like but it
wasn't really the. Hips it was that your hips extended
early and your follow through came. High so it's more
(31:09):
of like kind of knowing how motion happens and like
what happens when something else. Happens it's an engineering. School
we did a ton of like, linkages and that's all
long snapping. Is it's just. Linkages SO i actually did
a report on. It i'm like a dynamic of report
(31:30):
among long, snapping and LIKE i calculated the power that
i'd like produce from it from throwing the ball between my,
legs and it was LIKE i think it was two
kill watts or something like that of your.
Speaker 8 (31:41):
POWER i hope your professor was. Impressed they gave me
a be all, right a few wild card topics to
wrap this up, With Will, Wagner are you a science? Nerd?
Speaker 7 (31:54):
Yes very much.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
So.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
YEAH i love just like learning new things because it's
with like.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Science who's your all time favorite athlete in any?
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Sport Probably Michael, Phelps and the reason is that there's
a there's a story to. It SO i was getting
TREATMENT i tore MY acl twenty twenty, two AND i
was getting treatment AND i fell asleep in the training
room And Michael phelps was coming to Our Penn state.
Game he was gonna be honorary, captain And i'm passed
(32:29):
out on the training. Table i'm getting like stem and,
ice and my my, buddy who actually tore his ac
on the same, play was, Like, wax get, Up, wax
get up right. Now And i'm, like, no why DO
i need to do? That and he's like and then
he brings out his dad. Voice he Goes wax getting,
(32:52):
up AND i go all, right AND i look up
and It's Michael phelps and he's got his hand out for,
me And i'm just, like oh my, god how's it
going to My? Phelps, yeah it's just, like and he's
definitely probably one of the most of the athletes it's ever,
met Like, ben no, Doubt SO i think you'd definitely
be one of them.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Wags get up was good. Advice When Darren simmons contacted
you to let you know that you won the long snapper,
job he initially SAID i need you to bring your
iPad to my, office making it sound like you were
possibly getting. Cut did your heart sink before you got
the good.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
News it's actually kind of a funny story to that.
Too SO i actually Saw cal the previous song snapper
that was battling with right before, that AND i was,
like oh my, gosh have you heard? Anything and he
goes it's like you've won the, job AND i was,
like oh. DAMN i talk for five minutes to, him, like,
(33:51):
hey you're a great Snap you're gonna end up, somewhere
which he ended up on The, Eagles so we. TALKED
i talked to him for five. MINUTES i was, like oh,
gosh and THEN i WENT i want to go to my.
Locker and THEN i get a call From darren and
he says that And i'm just LIKE.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
I was.
Speaker 7 (34:12):
THINKING i was, like did he lie to me, like
Did gal lie to me and then he goes to
go over The cleveland scouting. ORFO i was, like, oh thank.
God it was a ton of. Emotion one he told
ME i had the.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
JOB i bet all. Right final fun fact For Will,
Wagner this one's kind of. Deep if you could meet
anybody in, history living or, deceased who would that person.
Be i'd have to.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
See Jesus christ is definitely one of. Them but IF i,
had like the choice of three, Is i'd Go Jesus
christ and then both my. Grandfathers i've never met my,
grandfathers so that would definitely be.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
IT i think they'd be very proud of where you
are right.
Speaker 7 (34:59):
Now, YEAH i think so.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Too, well this has been. Fun really appreciate your. Time
best of luck the rest of the.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Year thank.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
You here's an invitation to Join Dave lapham and me
for The Bengals Game Plan show This wednesday night at
THE Mvp Sports bar In. Silverton we'll be there from
six to eight and our scheduled guest in the first
hour Is Sam. Hubbard if you can't make, it you
can listen ON espn fifteen thirty or by searching for that.
(35:25):
Station on the 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
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designed to elevate your, home business and community to a new,
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(35:46):
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bengals fans find us and hoard and thanks for listening
To The Bengals Booth podcast
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden. Thanks for downloading The
Bengals Booth Podcast. The every storm Runs Runs out of rain, addition,
as a strong second half by Joe Flacco allows the
Bengals to go toe to toe with Green Bay before
the Packers pulled out a win at Lambeau twenty seven
to eighteen. Coming up, radio replays locker room comments and
(00:26):
postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in this week's Fun
Facts Conversation, you'll get to know rookie long snapper Will Wagner.
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
(00:49):
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a
quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
this podcast deliver right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
thing since the Yearly Postcard. When my son Sam was born,
(01:12):
I decided to put him on the Packers season ticket
waiting list. I've never been a Packers fan, and we
were living in Boston at the time, so I mostly
did it for the fun of it, but I also figured,
what the heck, by the time his number comes up,
he might actually want them. Well, Sam is nineteen years
old and a mirror eighty eight thousand, one hundred and
(01:35):
twenty four spots away. We get a postcard every year
that updates his status, and in the last year he
moved up one thousand, seven hundred and seventy three spots.
At that pace, he's still nearly fifty years away, so
I don't think he'll get the Golden Ticket in my lifetime,
(01:55):
but it is fun getting the annual postcard. Now, let's
get to the radio replays from Joe Flacco's debut in
a Bengals uniform. In the fifty eight year history of
the Cincinnati Bengals, no quarterback has ever attempted what Joe
Flacco will try to do today. Join the team on Tuesday,
(02:17):
take partners first practice on Wednesday, win a game on Sunday.
That's the mission for the former Super Bowl MVP. Has
the Bengals face the green Bay Packers, and it is
time for the pig skin to fly here at Lambeau Field.
So another opportunity for the Bengals defense to force a
(02:40):
field goal. Try here at his third down and five
for green Bay shotgun snap rush coming up the middle.
Love begins scrambling right. They can't get him down yet.
Now he throws and it is intercepted, deflected and picked off.
The Bengals are running it back. It's Gino Stone. He's
out of bounds at the thirty seven yard line.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
I think it might have been Dj Turner to tip.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
It first and goal from the three. Love in the gun.
Now Jacob's motions behind. The quarterback lines up to his right.
They give it to Jacobs and he runs into the
end zone for the first touchdown of the day. Evan
McPherson trying to make NFL history from sixty seven yards away.
Rookie Will Wagner will snap. Ryan Rico, the punter will
(03:25):
hold running. Mack paces off his steps. He's ready one
second left in the half, from sixty seven yards out
to snap. The placement the swing of the right leg.
The kick is on its way. This one will be
caught in the middle. Of the end zone and the
Packers can run it out to the twenty to twenty
five it's Nixon. Nixon is tackled by a Marius Mimms
(03:49):
at the thirty two yard line, so it is halftime
in green Bay. The score the Packers ten, the Bengals nothing.
Fourth down in goal, the Bengals line up to go
for it more than two yards away. Higgins and Yosi
bosh out to the right, Hudson and Chase out to
the left. He ran in the backfield. Flacco catches the
shotgun snap Pump fakes throws into the end zone, caught
(04:12):
in the back of the end zone under the goal
post by Tanner, Hudson and the Bengals gamble and win.
Going forward on fourth down and getting the touchdown, Hudson
does a Lambeau leap. He finds two Bengals fans in
the first row and the Bengals are back in the game.
We head to the fourth quarter. Green Bay leads ten
(04:33):
to seven. The Packers have the ball in the red zone.
Second down and seven at the Cincinnati fourteen yard line.
Love is under center, Jacobs lined up behind him. They
give it to Jacob's gigantic hole up the metal and
he goes into the end zone standing up. This will
be a forty five yard field goal try for Evan McPherson,
who missed from sixty seven on the final play of
(04:55):
the first half. It would have been an NFL record.
Here comes his right footed kick. It is on its
way and it is absolutely perfect. So the Bengals are
back within a score. They're down by seven with ten
forty three to go. Love fakes two. Jacobs throws a
short pass caught by Craft. He's at the ten. The
five dives for the pylon and it's a Green Bay touchdown.
(05:19):
The Bengals are going to have any chance of pulling
off a miracle finish, they need to convert on fourth
down and four in the red zone. Flacco in the gun,
three receivers left, one right. He ran in the backfield
to five man rush. Flacco throwing and the pass is
cau Oh my goodness, how in God's name to Jamar
(05:41):
Chase catch that ball? Now he's doing the gritty in
the end zone. The Bengals get a nineteen yard touchdown
pass to Jamar Chase when he wasn't open. Unbelievable. Bo's
placed at the two yard line, going for two to
try to pull within six. Flacco catches a shotgun snap,
(06:02):
retreats to the twelve pump, fakes, moves up in the pocket,
throws caught in the end zone. Chase Brown with the catch,
He flings the football into the crowd and the Cincinnati
Bengals are down by six with four to eleven to go.
They've scored on three straight drives in the second half,
and Joe Flacco is getting pounded on the shoulders by
(06:25):
his teammates as he comes to the sideline. Thirty nine
yard try. It's not automatic for a guy that just
joined the team. Cincinnati down by six, one fifty six
to go. Here comes the kick and it is good.
Haver Sick delivers. This will be a fifty six yard try.
His career long is fifty nine, krying to pull the
(06:46):
Bengals back to within one score. The snap, the placement,
McPherson's kick. It has the distance. It is olgard wide right,
no good, and the Green Bay Packers will survive at
home to beat the Bengals by the final score, up
twenty seven to eighteen. After only throwing for forty yards
(07:08):
in the first half, Joe Flacco clearly grew more comfortable
in the second half and looked terrific, throwing for one
hundred and seventy nine yards with two touchdowns. His passer
rating in the second half was one oh seven point five.
Here are a few of the more interesting things Joe
had to say in his postgame news conference.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Well, I thought as an offense, we settled in, you know,
probably sometime in the second quarter. Not that we were
able to get over the hump in that quarter, but
we came out and played a good second half. You know,
but usually against a good football team, it's playing one
good half isn't going to be good enough. But we
gave ourselves a chance down the end, and I think
we did some good things, but just not enough. Early on,
(07:48):
after the two point conversion, I was pretty pumped up,
But in the moment, you're just trying to keep it simple,
take it for what it played, one play at a time.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You know.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
I kind of kept telling myself that on the sideline today,
you know, don't get don't get too high in this environment,
no matter what the scoreboard says and what's going on.
Just remember to continue to play each play. And look,
I mean, there's a league if you if you're able
to do that consistently, then you're gonna put yourself in it.
Down the stretch. I came over the sideline a couple
of times. It was telling Jake like just the way
(08:19):
they plucked the ball out of the air like I
threw a I threw like a quick out route to
Jamar and I didn't get the ball great and it
was like an awful spiral and he still just caught
it like with both hands. And then the one one
that I can think about to Tea, we hit him
on a little like inside slant route for a third down,
(08:41):
I think on that first drive of the second half,
and a lot of guys would go down and kind
of catch it with their body and slide, and he
just plucked it right out of the air.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
This is a long.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
Season, and I know it's easy to be down on
yourself in hard times, but you know, playing with confidence shows.
So we got to find a way to kind of
get some of that back. But I think we do
have the ability to do that. Listen, we got a
big week coming up, and you know these division games
are always good matchups, and going in and playing a
(09:09):
good game this upcoming week could help a lot with that.
I think today probably helped a little bit, but you know,
you still want to win the game.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
The loss drop the Bengals to two and four, But
if Flacco plays the way he did in the second half,
or gets better as he grows more comfortable in the offense,
the team can certainly remain in the hunt. In the
AFC North, where only Pittsburgh has a winning record, The
Steelers are four and one with games remaining against the Packers, Colts, Chargers, Bills,
(09:38):
and Lions, among others. Those five teams are twenty seven
and one. Flacco's performance certainly boosts the bengals chances of
beating Pittsburgh This Thursday night at pay Corps and I
talked about his debut with Orlando Brown Junior. What did
Joe show you in the second half?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
Just who he's been for the last say ten years
of player that's gonna stay. Of course, you know that's
who he is. And and uh, you know he just
got here a week ago, you know, I mean barely that,
I guess. And it's be able to come out here
and call the game like he did and show up
when we needed the most. I mean, hass off to him.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
It looked like his comfort level grew as the game
went along. Was it like that in the huddle?
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:20):
Absolutely, And you know, to be honest, I feel like
he was comfortable early. Uh, just just getting settled down
in being himself. And you know, as he gets more
time with you know, coach Pitch and coach Taylor. I mean,
Scot's a limit.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
The way the offense performed in the second half, does
it give you growing confidence that going home for three
straight home games, you guys can go on a run?
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Yeah, no, man, I mean we we're close. We're not
close enough who we are close? And you know, we
got to figure out a way to start faster and
be a more effective early man. And a lot of
these games that we've been in, it won't be dogfights
in the fourth quarter will be we'll be playing four
minute offense.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Is there something you can put your finger on for
the first half and and why the first half struggles
have happened?
Speaker 4 (11:01):
To watch the film, but you know it always comes
down to finish an execution.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
You know it's on us as players to do that.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Jamar Chase ten catches an incredible touchdown catch at the
end of the game, t had five catches as well.
It looked like Joe did a great job of saying,
all right, we've got two of the best in the league.
Let's get him the ball.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
Oh yeah, for sure. And I mean, honestly, if I
was at quarterback, I'll take the samlpros.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
So, all right, what are your feelings with a quick
turnaround and a huge game coming up against the division
rival on Thursday?
Speaker 4 (11:31):
Excited to be home? You know, so you got a
divisional opponent. Let's take care of business.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Appreciate it, thanks Orlanto. Orlando mentioned the need to start
faster on offense. The Bengals have not scored a first
half touchdown in the four games they've played since Joe
Burrow hurt his toe, and they've been down by double
digits at the break in all four. That will be
a major point of emphasis for Zach Taylor this week,
(11:56):
and he spent a few minutes after Sunday's game with
Dave Lapham.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
I thought that your quarterback, he's a special obviously forty
year old guy, eighteen years in a league to still
be competing the way he competes, He's obviously a special guy.
In a lot of ways, what did he give you today? Yeah,
he gave us a lot of confidence. I mean he
made some big time throws, tight windows, able to lead
us on several scoring drives there at the end of
(12:21):
the half, potentially piggybacked into the second half, got us
in scoring zones all ever drive, and I think that
really lifted the team up. And again, it's unfortunate. We're
all looking for constellations or silver linings, but the truth
of it is he got here five days ago and
to play like that on the road, silent cadence, all
the noise, great pass rushers. You know, that's something we're
(12:42):
going to continue to piggyback on and it'll pay dippendence
for us. Yeah, you just went through a good laundry
list of what he was facing. It is remarkable how
well he did play to go on a scoring drive
every drive in the second half of this football game
against that defense, very solid unit. They have players everye
and the fans making all the noise that are making.
(13:03):
You know, like you said, I had to go silent
snapcount of what does this say about him?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
This says a lot.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
I mean, he's he worked to put himself in that position.
He didn't come in here and assume he was gonna
know it all. He really worked and you could see,
even the stuff behind the scenes, how much he had
to have done. Because when he walked into a meeting,
he walked into a huddle, he was prepared. He gave
the guest confidence. He said it all cleanly. And when
he got a quarterback that just walks in and says
it as clean as he does, it gives us guy's
confidence holdability. This guy knows what he's doing, and he
(13:29):
showed that, you know, and we'll continue to capitalize on that.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
When did you as a coaching staff realize that, I mean,
obviously he's special, but when did you realize you had
something that was pretty darn unique to work with?
Speaker 5 (13:40):
Well, I think you just watched him throw. You watch
them other football. He's capable of doing it all. And
so again you get a chance to attack all parts
of the field. And I thought our protection for the
most part, did a good job giving him some opportunities.
He got the bottle of his hand what he needed
to to avoid some some pressure looks. I mean, these
people have teed off on people now and put a
lot of pressure in quarterback, and I thought our line
(14:01):
given him a chance to make the decisions he.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Needed Tobate Parsons, Gary, no sacks, You had no turnovers,
no interceptions, no fumbles. This has a lot to come
on the road a place like this with the crowd,
noise and everything you're dealing with.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Yeah, three penalties as well, you know, And I think
the field position, when you look at the field position
battle and really assess it, I don't think we did
well enough there. And then that's the key is you're
going to reflect back on how much of a difference
that might have made for us if we've done a
better job there. But we took care of the football.
We're always trying to be plus two in that battle.
So we only got one off of them three penalties.
So I thought our guys were disciplined on the road
(14:36):
in a tough environment. And so again there's things to
build on. But we don't expect to come in anywhere
and lose, and we're going to continue to find ways
to get in that winning callum, build some confidence, build
some momentum. We're right in the thick of the division
right now, with a perfect opportunity lane right in front
of us. This Thursday, night against Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Yeah, the Bengals can beat the Steelers on Thursday, they
would be three and four overall, two and zero in
the division, with a head to head win in their
pocket against Pittsburgh. It is a huge game for Week
seven of the season. Now, time for the radio guys
recap lapped. Joe Flacco finished with two hundred and nineteen
(15:16):
passing yards two touchdowns, both in the second half. The
Bengals scored on every drive in the second half until
that long missed field goal at the end. Did we
see a guy in the second half that has given
this entire team confidence going forward?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
I think so based on the reactions that I saw
in the locker room. Talk to Joe, and he seemed
very confident in what he was doing, particularly in the
second half, and they could give him a big shot
of confidence, big shot in the arm. And he said
he could see his teammates in their eyes. He could
see it, you know, their shoulders lifted up, everything, you know,
(15:51):
was operating in a much more proficient level, a lot
more smoothly. And I just I give the guy a
ton of credit. I mean to come in five days
ago and play on a game in the National Football
League on sunny on the road in Green Bay, against
that noise in that crowd, and that's a good football team,
good solid football team. I tell you, it's pretty remarkable
(16:14):
what he's able to get done.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
He got better during the course of the game. I
thought the protection got better during the course of the game.
That probably goes hand in hand. What did you think?
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, I agree with you. I think you know, one
plus one equals to there. You know, I thought that
the protection was pretty spotty to start the football game,
and I think he felt that. I mean, any human
being would you know you got a bunch of behemos
in your face. You know, credit everybody. They didn't throw
in the towel. You know, everybody just kept sawing wood.
(16:46):
And you know, I made a commitment to have a
better performance in the second half, and that's exactly what
they did.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
How can they avoid slow starts offensively, because it's been
crippling them since the Joe Burrow injury.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
No question, I mean, it's been been unbelievable. I mean,
when you you don't get any first hounds, you know,
for a long stretch of time, that's that's just grinds
on you. Grinds on you as an offensive football player,
grinds on the defense. You know, the defense looks at
you like, geez, when you're gonna give me a break?
I mean, I'm killing myself and you feel horrible. You
(17:22):
feel like you're letting the whole team down. And you know,
defensive players especially, you know, you work hard at practice
all week to go out and play a complete football game.
You know, a game whereas complimentary football being played between offense, defense,
and special teams. I mean, that's what you strive for
every week, That's what your practice for, that's what you
(17:43):
play the games for, and right now, it's just not
happening often enough.
Speaker 1 (17:47):
I don't know if the stats will bear this out.
I'm saying this based on my memory of the game
and how it felt. But it seemed like the Bengals
got the Packers into some third and long situations and
gave up back breaking type plays of forty five yard
pass on one I think at thirty two yard pass
on the other. If the defense gets those third long stops,
Cincinnati might walk out of here with a win.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Absolutely. I mean, if you can control the explosives, you know,
there were so many explosives in that football game at
the wrong time. I mean, they can never come at
the right time. Explosives are something that you know, every
team strives for and and when you don't get them,
you know, you notice a big difference. Uh, you know,
it's it's now now, all of a sudden, they can't
(18:30):
hit us deep. I'm gonna we're gonna We're gonna crowd everything.
We're gonna bring people up to the line of scrimmage.
We're gonna blitz. We're bringing linebackers up tight, We're bringing
safeties closer to the line of scrimmage. You know, we're
you don't know who's gonna blitz. We're gonna run his
own blitzes at you. You know, we're gonna do everything
there is under the sun that we have in our
in our game plan and our playbook to to make
it as tough as as possible for you to throw
(18:51):
the football, particularly if you're not running it well enough.
And right now, Dan, they're not running it well enough.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Five pass breakups are DJ Turner today. That's hard to
do in a single game. And it wasn't like, you know,
he gave up ten catches and had five pass breakups
because they were throwing it at him a million times.
It seems like when he was targeted he made a
good play.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
He stuffed up, man, he stuffed up big time. I
agree with you. And the thing, the other thing that
caught my eyes, man, he was hitting people. Now, I
mean he's a physical kid. He was tackling and in
the open field where you know, it's noticeable if you
make the tackling, very noticeable if you don't, and he
was making them. He made a high, high percentage of him.
And I think the Bengals are glad they have a
(19:31):
guy like DJ Turner back there.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
For sure. Thursday looms large. The Steelers are four and one.
They don't necessarily have a great win yet, although New
England's looking like the Patriots might be a pretty good team.
But if you can beat the Steelers at home, get
to two in on the division, hand them a division loss,
suddenly you're thinking, all right, we're still very much a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, it's a must. I mean, you know, every once
in a while you come up on must wins, must
win situations and scenarios. This is one of them. I mean,
every guy in that locker room, I don't care if
you're a rookie year, if you're you know, a ten
year veteran, you got to prepare for this football game
like it's the most important football game you ever played in.
It's the biggest game of your life because you are
(20:14):
you're fighting to stay alive. And like you said, there's
a lot of season left and nobody's running away with it.
You know. It's Pittsburgh's playing well, but they don't seem
to be world beaters. I mean, they're squeaking by, you know,
so it's not like they're they're crushing everybody and destroying people.
So Bengals are very much alive, very much in the
(20:34):
thick of it.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Beat the Steelers at home, beat the Jets, beat the Bears,
all at pay corps, get to five and four, going
to your bye week with Joe Flacca leading the way.
That's the scenario, right, I'd be perfect.
Speaker 2 (20:46):
I mean, that's that's a that's a nice little story,
short story there day. And I like that, you know,
and I think the Bengal fans would definitely like it
as well. You got to string some together, get some
get some victories on top of each other, pile them
up a little bit, stack them one by one, first thing,
No beat the Steelers. Don't just beat them smoke. The
(21:06):
Steelers kicked the dog crap out of the Steelers.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
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. One final note
(21:32):
from Sunday's game, The Bengals took a shot at history,
giving Evan McPherson a crack at a sixty seven yard
field goal, one yard longer than Justin Tucker's NFL record.
A split second before the snap, Green Bay head coach
Matt Lafleur called a time out. Money Mack went ahead
and kicked and made it as the ball hit the
(21:52):
crossbar and bounced over, But his second try, the one
that ultimately counted, came up a few yards short. Having
we've talked many times about your desire to have a
chance to kick one from sixty plus well turned out
to be an NFL record attempt that had you made
it of sixty seven yards? First, what did you think
(22:12):
when they called on you from that distance?
Speaker 6 (22:15):
Me and Darren had a conversation, I feel like before
the drive started, and I was just like, if you
give me to the fifty, I feel confident that there's
a good chance it's going to go in. So we
had a good idea of like what the offense was
trying to do and get to, and so as soon
as I saw skip past fifty, I was like, all right,
good to go. It's a lot of excitement. You don't
(22:39):
get those opportunities often, And to be honest, it's like
I didn't hit the first one great. I kind of
towed it a little bit, and that thing just took
off and it carried and I was honestly surprised that
it got there. And then the second one, maybe a
little bit of adrenaline pushed off a little bit harder
and just got under it a little bit. You know.
(23:02):
I feel like in that situation and the win that
we had today is you're not gonna get that often,
because I, honestly, I feel like that was just kind
of a gift of a kick, like perfect scenario to
break the NFL record. I just got under it just
to touch. It was cool to see the first one
(23:24):
go in, but I wish the second one would have.
But uh, I guess it'll have to wait.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Were you thinking, were you cognizant of the fact, all right,
this is an NFL record potentially? Oh?
Speaker 6 (23:38):
Yeah, I mean you definitely understand the kick that you're
going out there to hit. And I realized, you know,
as soon as we got out there, you know there
it's sixty seven yards. Just put a good a hit
on it and should have a good chance of going in.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
When you saw the first one hit the crossbar and
bounce over, are you thinking, right, I know I can
do this.
Speaker 6 (24:01):
Yeah, definitely with I feel like with how poor I
hit it, I thought for sure. I was like, oh,
I just have to get this sing up in the
air and then it'll go in. So super confident going
into the second one. Like I said, it's just it's
just pretty tough to make two sixty seven yarders back
to back, But definitely capable of doing it, and we'll
(24:25):
get the next time.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I hope you get another shot.
Speaker 6 (24:27):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Bengals are now zero for three from sixty plus in
their history. Doug Pelfrey missed a sixty three yarder and
Shane Graham missed from sixty two. Now time for this
week's fun fact segment as we get to know one
of the guys involved in sundays sixty seven yard attempt.
Time for some fun facts with rookie long snapper Will
(24:50):
Wagner from Alfaretta, Georgia, near Atlanta. How did you get
your start as a long snapper?
Speaker 7 (24:57):
I played center like from sixth grade or actually not
like fourth grade till I was a senior in high school.
And like, my brother played at Mercer University and he
was a linebacker. And one of the things is like
I want to play college ball because just watching him
play every Saturday, I was like, this is something I
(25:19):
want to do. And like he was an all state
linebacker in Georgia, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
I knew I wasn't gonna be like six', four so
like being a center would be really hard for. Me
SO i was like a long snap, too how ABOUT
i go to some of these camps and, uh that's
(25:42):
that's really HOW i started BECAUSE i wanted to play college.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
Ball aside from long snapping at football. Practices did you
do it on your? Own did you have a target
in the backyard or anything like. That?
Speaker 7 (25:54):
Oh, Yeah LIKE i had a target in our side
yard And i'd go out there almost like every other
day and go snap like twenty balls into it and then,
yeah and then also at practice as, Well so, yeah
almost every other Day i'd be.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Snapping if you go on, YouTube there are a bunch
of long snap trick shot type videos where guys are
snapping through the window of a moving car or you,
know trying to hit some sort of tiny target a
long distance. Away have you tried anything along those.
Speaker 7 (26:24):
Lines, Yeah i've done the bottle. CAP i did. THAT
i did that one was a freshman in. College people
saw it and there's, like why can you do? THAT
i was, like, yeah it's like like show us and
it took me like three, tries and we're using like
like a regular water, bottle so there's a small bottle
cap and they're, like oh my. God so that's pretty
(26:47):
much the only One i've. Done i've seen people like
snap it off of the stadium into a trash. CAN
i haven't really done.
Speaker 1 (26:53):
That we'll have to do the open window moving car. Sometimes.
Speaker 7 (26:57):
Yeah, yeah, Yeah i'll. Volunteer my car's twenty fourteen to
coma things almost beating.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
It, well it's about the same as. Mine we're visiting
with long Snapper Will. Wagner did you play any other
sports other than being a center for the high school football.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
Team, YEAH i played. LACROSSE i also played flag. Football
it was some of my soccer. BUDDIES i played in mule,
basketball but those are pretty much the only other SPORTS i.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Played, so as you, said the dream was to play college,
football and you did for six years At. Michigan Long
snappers typically don't get a scholarship to begin. With if
you go to the school and you turn out to
be the, guy you get. One how did that process
go for?
Speaker 7 (27:38):
You SO i got there in twenty, NINETEEN i didn't
start until twenty, twenty and then after the twenty twenty,
SEASON i didn't get put on. Scholarship, so but then
after the twenty twenty one that, SPRING i got put on.
Scholarship SO i started for two seasons BEFORE i got
put on, scholarship and THEN i was on scholarship the
rest of the.
Speaker 1 (27:56):
Time michigan's not.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Cheap, oh it's not cheap at. All, no my dad
helped me very, much so with the.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Loans how excited was he when you got the news
that you were going on scholarship and how excited were? You,
oh he was so.
Speaker 7 (28:12):
Excited it's, like, oh thank, GOD i can retire.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Early now we're doing fun. Facts we Have bengals long
Snapper Will. Wagner you had a red shirt year and
then THE covid exception. Year, so AS i, mentioned you
got to split spend six years with The. Wolverine you
played in fifty three. Games you were part of a
national championship. Team describe what it means to have been
part of a fifteen AND o team that won it.
Speaker 7 (28:35):
ALL i, mean it's a. BLESSING i mean that whole
that whole season just felt like a. Dream like you,
going like we were going into Like Oha state, game
And i'm, like we're winning this. One like you just
kind of knew that just because because of the culture
THAT i was, there and, like you, know you got
(28:55):
some dogs on the team in your, cycle they're gonna pall,
out they're gonna bowl. Out SO i, mean it was
just a pleasure to be on that, team be a
part of.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
History you Beat Ohio state the last four times you
played The. Buckeyes how obnoxious are you when you are
Around Ohio state?
Speaker 7 (29:13):
People how obnoxious AM? I i don't rub it, IN
i caress. It Then i'm not too. Obnoxious but if
they throw something at, Me i'll throw it.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Back i'm going to remember THAT i caress it. In
that's a good. One your head coach was the famously
Quirky Jim. Harbaugh what's your Best harbass?
Speaker 7 (29:36):
Story so there's like one practice where we HAD i
think we had like two people like break a wrist
in like one practice and then like the team meeting
the next. Morning sometimes he just goes on these tangents
and he's just like he's, like, GUYS i don't know
what to. Say we had two people break the risk.
(29:58):
Yesterday there's only there's only one way to prevent.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
That.
Speaker 7 (30:03):
Milk you gotta drink your. MILK i have a cup every.
Day and then he brought in his sign that was
LIKE i got milk sign and he put it over
like the milk dispenser in the in the eating.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Room did you drink milk as a?
Speaker 7 (30:21):
Result oh, yeah, yeah but milk is nature.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
STEROID i didn't realize it was a miracle. Drug we're
visiting With Will. Wagner you graduated with a degree in mechanical,
engineering and in a scouting report on nfl dot com
before the draft that, says quote engineering background fuels a thoughtful.
Approach how do you use engineering and snapping of?
Speaker 7 (30:47):
FOOTBALL i feel, like especially with, engineers it's not like
you like mindfully like that's gonna. Happen it's more like
you mindlessly, like oh, damn that snap was Highs LIKE
i THINK i extended my hips and, like but it
wasn't really the. Hips it was that your hips extended
early and your follow through came. High so it's more
(31:09):
of like kind of knowing how motion happens and like
what happens when something else. Happens it's an engineering. School
we did a ton of like, linkages and that's all
long snapping. Is it's just. Linkages SO i actually did
a report on. It i'm like a dynamic of report
(31:30):
among long, snapping and LIKE i calculated the power that
i'd like produce from it from throwing the ball between my,
legs and it was LIKE i think it was two
kill watts or something like that of your.
Speaker 8 (31:41):
POWER i hope your professor was. Impressed they gave me
a be all, right a few wild card topics to
wrap this up, With Will, Wagner are you a science? Nerd?
Speaker 7 (31:54):
Yes very much.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
So.
Speaker 7 (31:56):
YEAH i love just like learning new things because it's
with like.
Speaker 1 (32:00):
Science who's your all time favorite athlete in any?
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Sport Probably Michael, Phelps and the reason is that there's
a there's a story to. It SO i was getting
TREATMENT i tore MY acl twenty twenty, two AND i
was getting treatment AND i fell asleep in the training
room And Michael phelps was coming to Our Penn state.
Game he was gonna be honorary, captain And i'm passed
(32:29):
out on the training. Table i'm getting like stem and,
ice and my my, buddy who actually tore his ac
on the same, play was, Like, wax get, Up, wax
get up right. Now And i'm, like, no why DO
i need to do? That and he's like and then
he brings out his dad. Voice he Goes wax getting,
(32:52):
up AND i go all, right AND i look up
and It's Michael phelps and he's got his hand out for,
me And i'm just, like oh my, god how's it
going to My? Phelps, yeah it's just, like and he's
definitely probably one of the most of the athletes it's ever,
met Like, ben no, Doubt SO i think you'd definitely
be one of them.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Wags get up was good. Advice When Darren simmons contacted
you to let you know that you won the long snapper,
job he initially SAID i need you to bring your
iPad to my, office making it sound like you were
possibly getting. Cut did your heart sink before you got
the good.
Speaker 7 (33:30):
News it's actually kind of a funny story to that.
Too SO i actually Saw cal the previous song snapper
that was battling with right before, that AND i was,
like oh my, gosh have you heard? Anything and he
goes it's like you've won the, job AND i was,
like oh. DAMN i talk for five minutes to, him, like,
(33:51):
hey you're a great Snap you're gonna end up, somewhere
which he ended up on The, Eagles so we. TALKED
i talked to him for five. MINUTES i was, like oh,
gosh and THEN i WENT i want to go to my.
Locker and THEN i get a call From darren and
he says that And i'm just LIKE.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
I was.
Speaker 7 (34:12):
THINKING i was, like did he lie to me, like
Did gal lie to me and then he goes to
go over The cleveland scouting. ORFO i was, like, oh thank.
God it was a ton of. Emotion one he told
ME i had the.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
JOB i bet all. Right final fun fact For Will,
Wagner this one's kind of. Deep if you could meet
anybody in, history living or, deceased who would that person.
Be i'd have to.
Speaker 7 (34:40):
See Jesus christ is definitely one of. Them but IF i,
had like the choice of three, Is i'd Go Jesus
christ and then both my. Grandfathers i've never met my,
grandfathers so that would definitely be.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
IT i think they'd be very proud of where you
are right.
Speaker 7 (34:59):
Now, YEAH i think so.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Too, well this has been. Fun really appreciate your. Time
best of luck the rest of the.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Year thank.
Speaker 1 (35:05):
You here's an invitation to Join Dave lapham and me
for The Bengals Game Plan show This wednesday night at
THE Mvp Sports bar In. Silverton we'll be there from
six to eight and our scheduled guest in the first
hour Is Sam. Hubbard if you can't make, it you
can listen ON espn fifteen thirty or by searching for that.
(35:25):
Station on the 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.
(35:46):
Fans Kettering health is the official healthcare provider of The.
Bengals if you haven't done so, already please subscribe to
this podcast and if you have them in, it give
it a rating or share a comment that helps More
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