September 7, 2025 • 46 mins
Dan Hoard recaps a week one win in Cleveland with radio replays, locker room comments, and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in this week’s “Fun Facts” conversation, Dan visits with one of the greatest players in team history – AJ Green.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth Podcast. The I guess you just want
I needed addition as the Bengals opened the season with
a road win in Cleveland. Coming up radio replays, locker
room comments, and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in
this week's fun Facts Conversation, it's a visit with an
(00:25):
all time favorite, Adriel Jeremiah Green. The Bengals Booth Podcast
is brought to you by pay Corps, proud to be
the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future
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best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is the
(00:46):
official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick
reminder that you can have the latest edition of this
podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by
subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing
since Don Giller. Okay, this is going to take me
a few minutes because it falls under the heading of
(01:09):
story Time with Dan. About fifteen years ago, while I
was in New York City to broadcast the Big East Tournament.
I attended my first taping of The David Letterman Show
with former Cincinnati Inquirer beat writer Bill Cook, and we
(01:31):
learned that Dave would come out and take a question
or two from the audience before the show began. The
following year, I was able to get tickets again, and
for whatever reason, I was picked to sit in the
front row. So when Dave came out to take questions
from the audience, I stuck up my hand and began
frantically waving like horse Shack from Welcome Back Cotter. Sure enough,
(01:53):
Dave picked me and asked where I was from. I
told him Cincinnati and that I was in New York
to broadcast It's the Big East Tournament on WLW Radio,
knowing that Dave had listened to the station as a
kid growing up in Indiana. After he informed the audience
that WLW was one of the nation's most legendary radio stations,
I invited him to be a guest color commentator on
(02:16):
the UC Bearcat's Big Eiaest Tournament game the next day,
and added that I might actually need him because my
broadcast partner had once been kicked out of an NCAA
tournament game for yelling at the referees. If you don't
know that story, my pal, the late great Chuck Mayshock
got kicked out for yelling at official Mike Kits in
(02:37):
a tournament game between Cincinnati and Gonzaga. Well, David Letterman
began laughing hysterically and asked me for all of the details.
By the time I finished telling the story about Chuck
getting tossed out, the opening theme song started and it
was time for the show to begin. About thirty seconds later,
Dave ran out onto the stage, and here's how his
(02:59):
opening monologue began.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Gentlemen, I don't usually do this, but because it's a
Friday night, you're all in such a great mood, I
thought I would kick off the program this evening with
an impression is my impression of a basketball radio color commentator.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
At that point, the camera cut to me, laughing like
a hyena in the front row.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Getting tossed out of his coverage of the NCAA double
basketball MC double. Okay's a It's gonna be good, ain't
His partner or seated court side broadcasting the game back
to well, let's just say Cincinnati the color commentator is
(03:42):
such a homer that when there's trouble for the home team,
the Cincinnati Bearcats, he becomes so incensed that he jumps
to his feet and starts heckling the referee.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Okay and go something like this.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Are you crazy?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Thank you very much?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And just like that. Dave's ad libbed imitation of Chuck
Mayshock became a running gag throughout the rest of the episode,
complete with the addition of Cincinnati sponsors.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Yeah, he wasn't traveling. What are you blind? That's not traveling.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Okay, we'll be right back after this message from Kroger's.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
After each condition of Dave's out of control basketball announcer,
the camera cut to me doubled over in laughter at
the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Anderson brings the ball up the half court, takes a dribble.
Nobody open, bounce past to Johnson.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Johnson dribbles for the key, comes back out.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Oh from three point range.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
He takes a shot.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It's good.
Speaker 6 (05:10):
His foot was on the line. His foot was on
the line. What's the matter with you? Hey was on
the line.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Okay, we'll be right back after this message from Queen
City Tires.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It went like that for the rest of the episode,
and just before doing the top ten list, Dave read
a card that explained what happened to Chuck and introduced
me in the audience. So let me go back to
where we started. It's the greatest thing since Don Giller.
I've been trying to get my hands on the videotape
of that episode for years, and recently learned that Don
(05:55):
has archives of nearly every show that Letterman hosted, more
than six thousand in all. So I looked him up
on Facebook and sent a message explaining the situation. One
day later, he sent the video to me with permission
from Letterman's production company. So Don and Dave, thanks for
(06:17):
a great memory. All right, the Bengals are one to zero.
Let's get to the radio replays from Sunday's win in Cleveland.
After months of talking about and hearing about the need
to get off to a fast start, the Cincinnati Bengals
finally get the opportunity to do it as they look
(06:38):
to kick off the season with a road win in Cleveland.
It's the Bengals and Browns on Opening Day, and it
is time for the pigskin to fly. Here at Huntington
bank field second and a long yard. The ball is
in between the four and the five of Cleveland. Burrow
waits for a shotgun snap at the ten goes in motion.
(07:01):
They hand it off to Chase Brown. He's running left.
He'll go into the end zone. Touchdown. Chase Brown in
the Bengals. As Cincinnati begins the season with a twelve
play touchdown drive that took half of the first quarter
off the clock. The Browns are going to go for
it on fourth downend goal from the one. Flacco hands
(07:23):
it off Rocket Sanders into the end zone for a
Cleveland touchdown. But there's a penalty flag at the five
yard live.
Speaker 7 (07:31):
Yeah, and let's see it's called from the other side
of the formation.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
The play was run to the right.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Was a Cleveland Brown offensive lineman with a off side
to the lineup off side.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Let's see it is a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
There's no fire. Had two extra offensive linemen are coming
into the game. The Bengals will have seven offensive linemen
on the field.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Boy, that field is sinking now, it's not tilted his sinking.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Cody Ford lines up like a full back at about
three hundred and fifty pounds. Third down, end goal inside
the one. Burrow wants to throw his pass, caught by
a wide open Noah Fant, who throws the ball high
into the air in celebration as the Bengal score their
(08:18):
second touchdown. And this will be a forty five yard
try for a kicker with the number twenty five. That's unusual.
The kick is on its way, it has the distance,
and it is good. So the Browns pull within four
with twenty three seconds left in the half, and Cleveland's
going to get the ball to begin the third quarter
(08:39):
with an opportunity to potentially take the lead. On first
and goal from the five, Flacco looking to pass his
throw caught in the middle of the end zone by
Cedric Tillman for a Cleveland go ahead touchdown. Second down
and sixteen after that six yard sack for Trey Hendrickson,
Flacco fakes a hand off. Here comes the rush his
(09:01):
pass over the middle and it is intercepted offer ricochet
by Jordan Battle. He's running it back at the twenty
five and he'll be tackled after getting down to the
twenty five yard line. Evan McPherson will try to give
Cincinnati the lead. This will be a thirty five yard
field goal attempt from the right hash out of the
hold of Ryan Rico. Two fifty two remaining, third quarter,
(09:25):
Cincinnati trails by two. Here comes the thirty five yard kick,
the swing of the right leg, a high spinning, end
over end kick, and it gives Cincinnati a one point lead.
Flacco catches the shotgun snap passes over the middle, dropped
by Judy. I'm the Bengals takeover back to back drops
(09:46):
by the Cleveland brown amazing.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
And two very fine throws from Joe Flacco.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
With two thirty to go, the Browns trying to take
the lead. Bojorquez catches, puts it down. It's kick on
the way, No, no good. He missed it wide right.
He missed a pat wide right, and Schmidt misses a
go ahead field goal tried wide right. Two twenty two
(10:15):
to go.
Speaker 7 (10:16):
I mean go to the sideline right now. It's tough
for him to look teammates in the eye.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
No prouds go no huddle, yep, two minutes drill, no huddle,
and have it at their own forty three yard line.
Flacco looking to throw his pass.
Speaker 8 (10:29):
And is intercepted. It went off the finger tips of Tillman.
DJ Turner comes up with a football him that is
coffin nails.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Bam bam bam about Turner Man.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Thirty seconds to go, the rookie snapper Wagner fires it back.
Here comes a high end, over end punt. It's going
to bounce at the nine, nice and the Bengals will
down it at the one. And it also took eleven
seconds off the clock.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Man p J.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Jewles standing in perfect position. He gambled a bit, allowing
that oblong ball to bounce in his direction, but ultimately
he played it perfectly. Forty nine yard punt, eleven seconds
taken off the clock, and the Browns have to start
from their own one. Eight seconds to go. Flacco back
to throw from the end zone. Now he throws up
(11:23):
the field, bobbled and caught. The Bengals make the tackle
at the twenty nine yard line and that ends the game.
The Cincinnati Bengals are one and oh doesn't that sound good? Yes,
it does, as they come to Cleveland and win on
opening day seventeen to sixteen. So the Bengals obviously got
(11:47):
some help from Brown's rookie kicker Andre Schmid, but if
you think about it, Cincinnati wouldn't have lost an opening
Day in twenty twenty two to Pittsburgh if Evan McPherson
didn't miss an extra point and a chip shot field
goal in overtime. In money max case, it was due
to an injury to long snapper Clark Harris. The key
(12:08):
to the win on Sunday in Cleveland was a defense
that bent at times but rarely broke, holding the Browns
to forty nine rushing yards on twenty four carries while
intercepting Joe Flacco twice. Jordan Battle had the first of
those picks and I talked to him after the game.
Gave up sixteen points and got two takeaways on defense,
(12:30):
What did you think you guys did best on defense today?
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Stopped the run. I think they had like a two
point zero average rushing today.
Speaker 10 (12:38):
So d Lion frous seven did a great job, you know,
stopping run.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
So Joker put the ball in their so give us
a chance to make plays on the ball.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Your interception was huge. It ultimately led to the field
goal that gave the Bengals to lead back for good.
Describe that play.
Speaker 9 (12:53):
Yeah, it was great play obviously, you know playing cover two,
you know, just breaking on the ball.
Speaker 10 (12:59):
A quarterback made up throw inside, was forced to receive.
Speaker 9 (13:02):
I think it was three to tip it and then
you know just to focus to you know, maintain and
catch the ball, you know, and uh put us.
Speaker 10 (13:09):
Put the office in striking position.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
And DJ got the one that more or less clinched
to win the first of his NFL career. That's what
al it's been preaching.
Speaker 9 (13:17):
Yeah, yeah, exactly plus two getting takeaways, you know, ball disrupting.
We've been working at the whole camp and uh, they
sold today.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Describe your emotions on the Browns final field goal attempt.
Speaker 10 (13:30):
Uh, Hey, I was.
Speaker 9 (13:31):
I was super excited, you know obviously you know, just
coming off the coming off the field, you know, getting
to stop.
Speaker 10 (13:37):
They had good field position.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (13:39):
And then obviously you're gonna stop, get off the field
on fourth down and then you see a kicker go
out there and you know miss a kick. Uh, It's
it's very relieving and it's very you know, that's cheerful
for us.
Speaker 10 (13:49):
That's joy and that means hard. Especially know on the office.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
We got he had missed the pat from roughly the
same distance. In your mind, does that make you think
he might miss again?
Speaker 5 (13:59):
So sure?
Speaker 9 (14:00):
You know obviously, Uh, with the way the game is going. Uh,
obviously it's a division game, you know, you know, all
all tension is up. You know when he goes out there,
it's just him, you know, he has to he has
to make a tough kit and obviously is always going.
Speaker 10 (14:13):
You don't know how it's gonna go. It can be
a make, it can be a miss.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
You're one and h for the first time in your
NFL career. Hey, describe how it feels in this room.
Speaker 9 (14:21):
Hey, it feels excellently, you know, especially being one to
know on a division. Uh that that can that can
put us on top, you know, based on how the
other games go. But uh, yeah, that was that was
the main thing coming in the weakue one you know. Uh,
like you said, my first time at the bingals, being one.
Speaker 10 (14:34):
To O to start the season. So it's obviously great.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And grants on the win.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
That's Jordan Battle. Battle finished the game of the team
high twelve tackles. Demetrius Knight had ten in his first
NFL game, and Trey Hendrickson had a sack and three
quarterback hits. The offensive numbers weren't as good. Joe Burrow
is held to one hundred and thirteen passing yards, and
the Bengals only managed forty six yards on the ground
(15:00):
gone twenty three carries like Cleveland. That's two yards per attempt.
But are you really worried about the Bengals offense figuring
it out? I'm not. Here's Burrow.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
We'll take it.
Speaker 11 (15:12):
Anytime you can win like this, you kind of steal one.
So we stole one today and we're gonna have to
be better. These early games are always tough. You got
to be able to establish the run, and that's what
we want to be on offense. We want to be
able to run the ball. On first half it was great,
and then you the second half, the all pasts of
(15:32):
the offense just weren't good enough.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
So we gotta get better.
Speaker 11 (15:36):
Even win any of these games last year, and so
usually when you can win a game like this, that's
a recipe for success and it means you're going to
be some a good team if you can find a
lot of different ways to win than we did today.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Joe's first touchdown pass of the year went to newcomer
Noah Fan who led the team with four catches in
his Bengals debut. Here's my conversation with a twenty seven
year old tight end. Not a bad debut in a
Bengals uniform. Noah caught a pass in the first play
of the game and caught a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow.
Describe your emotions after your Bengals debut.
Speaker 12 (16:10):
It's been a whirlwind the last month for me, but
I've been super excited to be able to come in
and work and get to know the offense and all
those things and be able to make some place today
was really cool. I'm more focused on, like, like first
and for us, we got to win. There was some
things that we can clean up out there, so it's
like it's gonna be nice to go back to the
film and watch that and like get to pick up
(16:31):
on all those things where we can improve on to
like really put us in a good position to like close.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Out games a lot better than we did.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
So there were some good things.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
There were some bright spots, but I was that I
was happy about.
Speaker 12 (16:40):
But definitely looking forward to to getting back to the
drawing board and improving on some of these things.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
That feel like we kind of left out there a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I wondered if you would be a bit of a
hidden weapon today in the sense that the opponent didn't
see you much in a Bengals uniform in the preseason.
Did do you feel like they used you in a
sense that way?
Speaker 12 (16:58):
Well, I think, which is one of the reasons why
I wanted to come here, is like I think that's
it's hard to like, you have so many really good
players on the offense, It's like it's hard to just
like hone in on anybody, and like it gives me
an opportunity to find like the nooks and crannies of
the defense that might not be covered.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So it was.
Speaker 12 (17:17):
It was a cool experience for me, and I've been
trying to kind of find my footing there and find
my way and doing that. But I'm excited, like I
said before, I'm excited to really get this thing going
on offense and really score a lot of points.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
So it'll be good.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It'll be good.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
The touchdown was interesting. Seven offensive lineman Cody Ford three
hundred and fifty pounds lining up at full back. They're
obviously thinking the Bengals are going to try and stuff
it down their throat and there you are. Wide though.
Speaker 12 (17:43):
Yeah, no, that was a great play design by our
offensive staff and.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
We detailed it up and obviously those are.
Speaker 12 (17:50):
The nice ones right now in the goal line, It's
like that's those are the pretty ones of the nice ones.
There's a lot of dirty work to be done down there,
so looking forward to that and looking forward to getting
to that all.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So, so, how happy are you for the defense considering
how heavily scrutinized they've been to only give up sixteen points,
to get two takeaways and opening down.
Speaker 12 (18:08):
I mean, I don't know what more you could ask
for them. Two takeaways, like you said, held them to
sixteen points. I think they they held into two yards
per carry or something like that. It's like, that's a
great showing for a defense. So I'm happy for all
those guys. They've put the work in and here disfe
Like from the time I've been there, been here, they
bust their butts.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
So I'm happy for him.
Speaker 12 (18:28):
It was expected, like I think that they're gonna put
keep putting great games together. So yeah, it's been it's
it's been awesome, and I'm looking forward to the rest
of the season.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
For the last question for Noah Fant on the missed
field goal by Cleveland, he had missed a pat from
roughly the same distance. Do you think there's a chance
they'll miss again.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
I mean, I don't. I'm not sure it helped us.
So that's all I really care about.
Speaker 12 (18:54):
I don't wish bad things on anybody, but that was
a great miss that we needed. So it was it
was a good thing for us, and we came out
with the win. That definitely helped us a lot because
of that. So I was happy with that and happy
to be able to get the win in the win column.
So that's what that mattered to us.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Congrats on a great debut and a win.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
So the Bengals practiced in the morning a training camp,
played their starters in the preseason games, and had more
physical practices. It didn't produce a masterpiece, but it did
result in a Week one win. Dave Lapham discussed it
with head coach Zach Taylor.
Speaker 7 (19:31):
Coach, that was a physical football game. Do you think
training camp, the way you conducted your training camp this
year helped you in this encounter.
Speaker 13 (19:40):
Our guys were ready, you know, physically, they were ready,
mentally they were ready. We knew there was gonna be
times or it wasn't clean. There was gonna be times
We faced adversity, we're just gonna have to stick together
and someone's gonna have to rise up and win it.
Our defense made some huge plays for us down the
stretch that allow us to win that game. So just
really proud of the effort all those guys gave. And
there's plenty to clean up and I'm happy, more than
happy to clean it up after a win.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
That's exactly right. I mean, win makes things so everything
tastes better, everything looks better. A win is what it's
all about. Plus two in the turnover department, that's big.
I mean, in the AFC North, games are going to
be won by teams that are a plus one plus
two plus three in the turnover battle. How proud are
you are?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
That?
Speaker 13 (20:20):
Extremely proud. That's a week one winning stat right there
is When it's a one score game like that, just
look at the turnover margin and see who won the
turnover managin, that's probably who won the game. And you
look at the New England game last year, that's exactly
what happened. You look at the Cleveland game this year.
That's how we got to turn in our favor.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Joe Burrow had what I would call in a fishing
day at the quarterback position. I mean, he did what
he had to do for you to win the football game,
had a touchdown, passed, no turnovers, kind of operated within
the confines of what you wanted to do game plan
wise and structure wise. How would you evaluate his performance today?
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Good? Good?
Speaker 13 (20:56):
Week one is no slouch, you know, especially playing defense.
Really proud of the guys up front. You know, they
really kept him clean. We had a three play stretch
there at the end of the game that was not
our best. All we're all accountable for that. But at
the same time, I thought, over the course of the day,
they gave us what we needed to be able to win,
and we know offensively will improve him. Before that was
(21:17):
not our best. We left a lot of meat on
the bone. But again I'm more than happy to make
those corrections coming out of a win.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
When you go against that type of a defensive unit
where they have an unbelievable coach, they have a tremendous
defensive coordinator, great position coaches, they're good teachers, and they
have all their guys on the same page doing, you know,
things exactly the way they're supposed to be done. That's
a difficult way to start, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
It's challenging.
Speaker 13 (21:41):
You had an experienced coordinator, experience defense, and again it
starts as ninety five. You know, he had to count
for him on every single play. He tries to find
a way to wreck every run, every pass, run at him,
run away from him, chip him, lick him, whatever you
got to do. He's difficult, and he finds a way
to affect the game at a key moment. And he
did it today and we're fortunate that we were able
(22:02):
to come some of that.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
Two of the best edge defensive guys in the National
Football League, maybe in the history of the National Football
League in Miles Garrett and Trea Hendrickson. Both of them,
I thought put on a show. I mean, you know,
they're not playing against each other, they're not lining up
against each other. It's not that type of mono a
mono battle.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Bit man.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
They did a lot of things to help their football teams,
didn't they.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
They sure did.
Speaker 13 (22:23):
And Trey again is a huge piece of what we're doing.
Just his presidence out there and to be able to
play with a lead at the end of the game
allows him to do what he does best. You know,
and Key got to throw at situations he's going to
affect the passer, they got to account for him with
somebody that can get down in the route. And so
I was happy with what he gave us today.
Speaker 7 (22:42):
Coach, I thought you did an unbelievable job the way
you handled training camp in that the physicality like we
talked about. But with that said, you didn't overdo it.
You didn't beat guys up, you didn't knock guys heads
off and all that sort of thing. Everybody came into
this football game all hands on deck. How big was that?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Huge?
Speaker 13 (23:00):
You know where you needed everybody in this game. And
so again proud of the way the guys have taken
care of it, embraced it. They understand why we practiced
the way we did. They understood when we were going
to get them a chance to get their bodies back,
and they came out and gave us their best effort.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Evan McPherson, I mean, in a game where it came
down to special teams, came down to kicking, Kevin McPherson
stepped up for you.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Didn't he he did?
Speaker 13 (23:20):
You know, Evan's had a great consistent camp and we
got a lot of trust in him.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Up next, the home opener is The Bengals open in
Orange next Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are also
one to zero after beating Carolina twenty six to ten.
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,
(23:46):
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health,
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider off the Bengals. Now time for
the radio guys recap lap. I can't believe I'm about
to say this, but the Bengals won on opening day
in spite of their offense. The offense scored touchdowns on
(24:08):
two of the first three drives. Really struggled after that,
but defense and special teams turned out to be the difference.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
Absolutely, And the biggest difference was the pitiful performance of
the kicker for the Cleveland Brown special teams.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I mean, he left four points out.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
There for that's a Syracuse grad. Be kind Yeah, I know, really.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Man, Let's go Orange. Well, let's go he did it
for us.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
I love it, but man, that was a hard fought,
very physical football game. I mean, both teams left it
out there. They gave superlative effort. Everybody played every snap
as hard as they possibly could. Nobody gave up on
any snaps. It was a typical AFC North football game
(24:55):
and had to play it on the road in Cleveland
to open the season, so I mean there was some
brutality to it. It was not pretty. In fact, it
was brutally ugly. But I'll take a UW and ugly
win anytime over a pl a pretty lost.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Love a good u W. And to the Bengals, credit
special team's great play at the end of the game
to down the ball at the one and take eleven
seconds off the clock. I mean, other than some penalties,
they played mistake free football.
Speaker 7 (25:25):
They did, and Darren Simmons has to be excited about
how they went out and performed. There were some new
guys on his special teams units, there always are, but
you know, I thought that the Bengals basically handled the
field position part of it. They never put themselves in
harm's way from a field position standpoint. And then Cleveland,
you know, I mean they get the ball down on
(25:46):
him at the one yard line. It was just a
phenomenal effort to down that football. I mean, had total
field awareness, knew exactly where he had to go to
keep that ball out of the end zone.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
It was close.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
I mean he was kind of tight roping that tight
roping that goal line a little bit. I mean, if
you stepped on it, it would have been a two
point play.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
But it worked out.
Speaker 7 (26:09):
And the Cincinnati Bengals, you know, are are winners in
this football game, and honestly, then I think they're gonna
win a lot of football games.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
I'm thinking about all the practices where the Bengals begin
with these ball disruption drills like four stations where guys
are punching it out and knocking up into the air,
et cetera, all in hopes of winning the turnover battle. Well,
they're up to zip to begin the season. Great reactions
by Jordan Battle and DJ Turner to come up with
those picks.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Absolutely, I mean those were not, you know, easy picks.
They had a lot of work to do there. First
of all, their coverage was right on point, and that's
the first thing that I think jumps out at me
when I think about those plays and look forward to
watching them. Again, I thought that their coverage was dynamic
on those plays. And you know, if if a receivers
(27:00):
going to tip the ball, you know, defensive backs or ballhawks, man,
they're trained. They do all kinds of drills every single
day on you know, if the ball's airborne, it's your ball,
go up and get it. And the Bengals did that twice.
And that's you know, you can say a lot of
things about Joe in the game. It was not a
pretty game for Joe. In fact, Joe probably would not
(27:21):
say it's one of his better performances, obviously, but the
biggest thing that Joe did was not put the ball
in harm's way.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
He gave his team a chance.
Speaker 7 (27:30):
Every time they had the football, you know that they
had a chance to do something with it because he
wasn't giving it back to the Cleveland Browns right away.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
The offense was so sharp in training camp and in
the preseason games, at least when the starters were out there.
Did we more or less learn today that the Browns
defense is back? Is that why the offense struggled to
the extent that it did.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I really believe that.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
I mean, I think Cleveland has the ability with the
personnel that they have and the defensive coordinator they have,
the scheme that he puts out there with those players.
And in doing the post game show a Zach he said,
believe me, they got plenty of players, and they got
plenty of really good football players, and they can do
(28:12):
a lot of things very well, and their coordinator puts
them in good position to take advantage of their physical
and mental skill sets. So uh that that was a
good defensive football team. They may not face, you know,
uh another defense as good as that Cleveland defense till
they play the other AFC North teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers
(28:32):
in the Baltimore Ravens. That's what this that's what this
division is all about. That's why I think it's so
encouraging to everybody in Bengal fans in particular, that the
Bengals did so much to improve their defense and to
you know, get get closer to what is going on
in the the other cities in the AFC North on
on that side of the football, and I think, uh,
(28:54):
I think they got the right guy to put it
all together. I'm very encouraged by what I've seen out
of Al Golden.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Give a hat tip to Duke Tobin in the personnel department,
because after training camp began, they signed Noah Fan four
catches in a touchdown today. They added Dalton Rise near late.
He winds up playing most of the game at right guard.
They picked up Mike Knell a week ago. Less than
a week ago. He played a chunk of snaps today.
So you usually don't think about guys added after the
(29:22):
start of training camp being huge factors on opening Day,
but they were.
Speaker 7 (29:27):
They were, and some of them, you know, right before
the game. I mean literally had very little time to
familiarize themselves, you know, with the scheme and their teammates,
you know. And it hats off to the position coaches
and coordinators that spent time with those guys getting them
up to speed where they could go out there and
handle business, you know, against a defense of this caliber
(29:48):
up in Cleveland. I've seen a lot of AFC North
games up here, and it's always tough letting this defense
never bolds their tent. They never they never rolled over
and played dead. I mean, they're gonna make you earn
every center meter that you that you gain out there
in the stat sheets. So I think that those guys,
(30:10):
you know, made significant contributions, and and one of them inside.
You know, we talked about the interior of the offensive
line being a big key to success. I mean to
go out there and play with I mean very little
time to get familiar in acquainted with what was going on,
that's a.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
That's a huge, huge plus.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
And you know, to work as efficiently as you did
next to mems And and next to Ted Carris, that's
that's big time. That's that's NFL football right there, and
that's an NFL football player.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
I'm sure in you're playing days, there were games like
this where the offense didn't play nearly as well as
you anticipated, but the breaks went your way, the other
team missed the field goal or an extra point. What's
the emotion as an offensive player when you you sneak
out of the stadium with a win like that?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Yeah, I mean I've been in you know, many games
over the years, NFL, college, high school, where you know,
it's like you go into the locker room after the
game and you know it didn't you didn't play all
that great individually and as a unit, and you just
go up to defensive players and you're hugging and you say, man, thanks,
I appreciate your man for saving our hide, saving our tail,
(31:18):
because you know, we didn't we didn't do what we
thought we were going to do today.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
We had higher hopes, bigger.
Speaker 7 (31:23):
Aspirations than than the you know, than the the bad
performance that we put out there today. So but the
good news is, you know it'll the warm will turn
the other way too, and the offense will you know,
save the save the defense on more than one occasion.
That's what good teams do. And in my mind, this
(31:44):
is a good football team.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Well here you go. They gave up sixteen and opening
day last year and lost. They gave up sixteen and
opening day this year, and what I love it?
Speaker 7 (31:53):
I love That's That's about as simple, you know, uh
a statement as you can make. And and you know,
I feel like defensively played winning football. Special teams played
winning football. Offensively didn't play winning football, but you know,
didn't do anything you know that was such a you know,
a bad scenario that you put the defense in a
(32:17):
situation that they couldn't crawl out of.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
So all in all, it's a win.
Speaker 7 (32:24):
What you want to do is you want to come
up to Cleveland on opening Day, do your rival quiet
the fans get a win. When we get on the bus,
as we drive out of this stadium, they'll all be
going nuts. I'm sure we'll see a lot of middle fingers.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
It will be fun. They'll all be real happy and excited.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
And as I have to say, you won by one, and
now what that fingers.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
That's a good call, Dan, They'll be flipping us off
like crazy. But you know it's everybody will be laughing
and smiling in that in those buses.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
We remember when Cleveland was thought to be Joe Burrow's kryptonite.
He lost his first four starts of his career against
the Browns four and one since, so that narrative is
long gone.
Speaker 7 (33:03):
It is, it's long gone, and you know, chuck up
another one. Joe Burrow is a class act. Joe Burrow
is a phenomenal football player. It means everything to him.
His life is his football. You know, he's got a
dad that was a successful coach at the collegiate level.
(33:25):
I mean that family is all about the game of football,
and I think it.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Always will be.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Could to be one and no, my man.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Excellent, awesome to be one and oh again the man.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Last time the Bengals started the season with a win.
They finished the season in the Super Bowl. My first
game is the Bengals radio announcer was also in Cleveland,
a game that Cincinnati won on a fourth quarter touchdown
pass from Bruce Gradkowski to the subject of this week's
(33:57):
fun Fact segment. Time for some fun facts with one
of the greatest players in Bengals history, aj Green. If
a Bengals game is on, are you watching or does
it depend on what you have going on in your
regular life.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm always watching at some point, you know what I mean.
But uh yeah, most part I'm watching that all times.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
You played in ten games with Joe Burrow his rookie
year year, last year in Cincinnati. A year later he
was in the Super Bowl. What was different about Joe
from just about anybody else you played with.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
I think his his leadership, not the aspect of him
just talking so much, is more leading that example, And
you want a quarterback who's the same guy every day,
and I think that's what separates him from the other
guys because you're gonna, you know what you're gonna get
out of Joe every week. And to play that position,
(34:52):
you have to be that low key. You can't be
a guy that's gonna be ra ra ra rao doing
a game because you have so much on your plate.
So for him to keep everything leveled, that would make
him so great.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You are a lead by example guy. Sounds like a
good match.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Yeah, it was. It was. This happened to be. I'm
a little older, coming up a couple of injuries, but
you know, I enjoyed my time playing with Joe and
I knew from day one that he's gonna be one
of the greatest that ever played this game. And never
put on the Bengal jersey.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
You didn't overlap with Jamar. What do you like about
his game and his approach?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I think he just very confident and the play that position,
you have to be very confident, and I think that's
how he he's so great. He doesn't talk that much,
but you can tell you know, he got he got
it in him, you know what I mean. But his
runs out the catch, he's just a playmaker, man. He's
just a especially when he gets the ball in no
(35:46):
balls in his hands, he can take it at any
point at a time.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So we're visiting with aj Green. Who do you have
and why the twenty fifteen skill position group, yourself, Marvin Jones,
Mohammed Sanu, Tyler, Riifert, Giovanni Bernard, Jeremy Hill or Jamar.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Chase, T.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Higgins, Mike Kasicki, Andre Yosi, vash Chase Brown, samajp.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Ryn, Oh Man, that's tough. I think I'm taking us
top to bottom. I think running back tight end, I
think we had what me my omarv Yeah, if was
a Pro Bowl tight end, uh Geo could do it all.
I think I'm taking us.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Hard to go wrong either way, that's for sure. We're
having this conversation during the NFL Draft. What do you
remember about the lead up to the twenty eleven draft,
your contact of the Bengals and then all culminating with
being the fourth pick overall.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Oh, for me, I just remember having my whole family
there just felt surreal, just because that's what you dream
of your whole whole life and there and then you're
there in that moment, this having my name called, it
was like, oh my gosh, like at number four that
it was very special. That's a big mess. Probably probably
(37:04):
one of the best moment of my life.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
You know, it was still back in New York then,
had you ever.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Been no no, haven't. That was my first time in
New York City. That's a lot. That was the first
time my family ever flew on a airplane, probably some
of them. So it was just so real experiences to
have everybody there that saw little Aj grow up into
this this first round pick AJ.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Do you know what team you caught the most touchdown
passes against?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Most touchdowns? Ravens?
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Ravens is correct, Yeah, okay, you caught nine against Baltimore.
John Harbaugh famously said, a couple of years into your career,
one of these days will figure out how to cover
Aj Green. What was it about the Ravens? Was it
how they covered you? Why did you dominate Baltimore so consistently?
Speaker 3 (37:57):
I think we played each other so much, and the
games are always tough, so it's like just a matter
who made the most plays. Is no out tricking anybody,
so it's like me versus you a lot of the times.
So and they played a lot of man, they had
a lot of great corners in there, so just got
the best of them sometimes, so it was.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Good pretty frequently. Do you have a most memorable touchdown catch?
Speaker 3 (38:21):
I think the playoff game Steelers, we should have won
that that was our chance. That's probably probably one of
the best moments of my career, just seeing the fans
and how close we were, just for pulling off that
that playoff win that we haven't had in there and
so long. So probably that that that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
Was so I hate to pick the scab, but we're
going to go back. You catch that touchdown with one
fifty to go, you've got a one point lead. On
the very next play, Vontez comes up with the interception,
So now it's basically a minute and a half to go.
You've got the ball and the lead. In your mind
is the drought over?
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Oh, the game's over. We celebrating already before we even
get to that locker room, like everybody's on the sideline
going crazy. And then the fumble happened, and then it
kept getting worse. I kept gott it getting worse after that,
And that's why the mostly disappointed time I in my
player career, just coming back into the locker room doing that.
We should have won that game.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Let me bring up another touchdown. This might have been
the most memorable in the regular season. Lent less than
ten seconds to go in Atlanta, I think seven seconds
to go you catch your touchdown pass from Andy and
what's become your hometown thirty seven thirty six win. Just
a crazy game and a game winning TD with less
than ten seconds to go.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Yeah, that was That was another big one, especially being
in Atlanta, all the Georgia fans. I had a lot
of family at that game and a lot of friends
at that game. So I remember straining like a little
bench route against cover two. I don't know what the
corner was doing, and he just put the ball placed
a great ball, and I slid and caught it.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
So and Joe Mixon, who wasn't active, came flying down
the field to try to tackle you.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I'm like, Joe, I thought you hurt. You're flying down there,
almost knock me over. But that was a great game
as well.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Aj who is the toughest cornerback he faced the toughest
Probably Patrick Peterson is the best corner I ever Well,
him and Dora Reebs, dere Riz pat P and uh
Joe Hayden.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
You know the my three top corners that I faced.
Patrick Peterson was your draft Yeah yep, actually yeah, you
just retired, and he's he'd be your first Battle Hall
of the Famer for sure.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
You and Andy Dalton will always be linked. What don't
people know or understand about Andy?
Speaker 3 (40:40):
I think how good he was. I think people really
you don't appreciate how good he was at at at
the time that he was starting. And you look around
the lead it's only what six seven great quarterbacks, you
know what I mean. But to have him the way
the way we was consistently winning each and every year
(41:01):
nine wins, nine wins plus every year. I think he's
very underrated and probably one of the smartest guy I've
ever been around.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
And he's still playing and.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Still playing and speaks volume. Man if like I said,
if you don't want to be a starter, to be
a backup quarterback, and I'll take that job any day.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
They need that for wide receivers where you don't take
care of.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Yeah, no, right, you once you get over thirty, it's like,
oh it's time, but you get out of here, buddy.
But when you turn thirty in your quarterback like, hey,
you can mentor this young guy. So but I'm happy
for him. I talked to Andy. We talk all the time,
and you know, I went to his game last year
when he played the Bengal So it was fun. Like
we can.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
We always talking, So who is your funniest teammate?
Speaker 3 (41:44):
Andrew Hawkins? No hesitation, no hesitation, Like we just talked
and he sent us a video and he was shooting
a two B movie and I'm like, it's just a
guy that he does everything like, So probably my fun
like my best teammate and the funny.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
You were uber competitive. Anybody that accomplishes the things you
accomplished has to be how do you get your competitive fix?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Now? Play a lot of golf and I think that's
that gets me because I'm not very good at it,
so it keeps me coming back each and every week.
But I think I just moved to a new phase
of my life just being now and just being a dad,
and that's probably I get that same feeling, you know,
especially when I see him playing well as well and
(42:28):
just watching them. They smile on the face when they
see me on the field or me coming to a game,
or we have those conversations coming back from a baseball
game when it's not so good and for him to
be like I'm telling him is okay, you know you eight,
You're gonna make mistakes. So just being a family man
and being a dad is probably the best joy in
my life right now.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Do you get nervous when you watch your boys play sports?
Speaker 3 (42:51):
Of course I get the same feeling like I get
I used to get on Sundays and I'm not even playing,
so but I don't show that to him. He's just
out there having fun. But I definitely get nervous sometimes.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Is there anything on your bucket list in retirement? A
place you'd like to go, something you would like to
do or see.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
I've hit some of those those buckles that I went
snowboarding for the first time last year, So the family
and I we went to Aspens for uh a couple
of days and got the snowboard and got the ski.
So I do all the adventure stuff. Now, go give
me another. I might give me an e bike, just
fly around downtown and just a little things like that.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Was that prohibited in your contract in your playing day,
stuff like that?
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Yeah, of course. And my wife wouldn't let me do that.
She wasn't gonna let me do that when I was playing.
So now that I'm not playing, I get to do.
Brought me a snowboard, so we go each year, go
and buy me an e bike, and I'm gonna go downtown,
get the boards. We're gonna e bikes, We're gonna ride
down the sidewalks and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
I'm imagining the Bengals fan that goes to a ski
resort and suddenly sees aj Green on skis. That's gonna
be quite the freak out moment.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
Yeah, but you know, I have all the masks on,
so it's right. They don't see me. They don't see
me falling all the time. They like, who's this guy?
Who's this baby on the baby on the bunny slopes? Oh,
just have a grown man over here.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
So I used to say your full name when you
caught touchdown passes. Do people randomly say Adriel Jeremiah Green.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
Oh? Yeah all the time, especially at the baseball fields now,
so it's like they are like Adril Jeremiah at first space.
I'm like, yeah, that's me.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Final question, This one's kind of deep. If you could
meet anybody in history, anybody living or deceased, who would
that person be?
Speaker 3 (44:34):
For me? It's probably I think my brother at my
stage of my life, because I had an older brother
got killed in a car accident. I think that would
be the person that I ad met because growing up together,
you know, losing him at I was five, he was nine.
Just to see how he would react to where I'm
at today and what I've accomplished probably would have been
(44:55):
something special.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
He would have been very proud and thrilled, no doubt,
as am I to a chance to visit with you again.
Welcome back to Cincinnati. It's always so great to see you.
Thanks for all the memories.
Speaker 3 (45:05):
Thanks Dan, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I hope you enjoyed that visit with a great AJ
Green as much as I did. 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
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(45:29):
for the best 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 a minute,
give it a rating or share a comment that helps
more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thank
you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Hoard and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth Podcast. The I guess you just want
I needed addition as the Bengals opened the season with
a road win in Cleveland. Coming up radio replays, locker
room comments, and postgame analysis from Dave Lapham. Then, in
this week's fun Facts Conversation, it's a visit with an
(00:25):
all time favorite, Adriel Jeremiah Green. 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
(00:46):
official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick
reminder that you can have the latest edition of this
podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer by
subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing
since Don Giller. Okay, this is going to take me
a few minutes because it falls under the heading of
(01:09):
story Time with Dan. About fifteen years ago, while I
was in New York City to broadcast the Big East Tournament.
I attended my first taping of The David Letterman Show
with former Cincinnati Inquirer beat writer Bill Cook, and we
(01:31):
learned that Dave would come out and take a question
or two from the audience before the show began. The
following year, I was able to get tickets again, and
for whatever reason, I was picked to sit in the
front row. So when Dave came out to take questions
from the audience, I stuck up my hand and began
frantically waving like horse Shack from Welcome Back Cotter. Sure enough,
(01:53):
Dave picked me and asked where I was from. I
told him Cincinnati and that I was in New York
to broadcast It's the Big East Tournament on WLW Radio,
knowing that Dave had listened to the station as a
kid growing up in Indiana. After he informed the audience
that WLW was one of the nation's most legendary radio stations,
I invited him to be a guest color commentator on
(02:16):
the UC Bearcat's Big Eiaest Tournament game the next day,
and added that I might actually need him because my
broadcast partner had once been kicked out of an NCAA
tournament game for yelling at the referees. If you don't
know that story, my pal, the late great Chuck Mayshock
got kicked out for yelling at official Mike Kits in
(02:37):
a tournament game between Cincinnati and Gonzaga. Well, David Letterman
began laughing hysterically and asked me for all of the details.
By the time I finished telling the story about Chuck
getting tossed out, the opening theme song started and it
was time for the show to begin. About thirty seconds later,
Dave ran out onto the stage, and here's how his
(02:59):
opening monologue began.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
Gentlemen, I don't usually do this, but because it's a
Friday night, you're all in such a great mood, I
thought I would kick off the program this evening with
an impression is my impression of a basketball radio color commentator.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
At that point, the camera cut to me, laughing like
a hyena in the front row.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
Getting tossed out of his coverage of the NCAA double
basketball MC double. Okay's a It's gonna be good, ain't
His partner or seated court side broadcasting the game back
to well, let's just say Cincinnati the color commentator is
(03:42):
such a homer that when there's trouble for the home team,
the Cincinnati Bearcats, he becomes so incensed that he jumps
to his feet and starts heckling the referee.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
Okay and go something like this.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
Are you crazy?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Thank you very much?
Speaker 1 (04:24):
And just like that. Dave's ad libbed imitation of Chuck
Mayshock became a running gag throughout the rest of the episode,
complete with the addition of Cincinnati sponsors.
Speaker 5 (04:35):
Yeah, he wasn't traveling. What are you blind? That's not traveling.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Okay, we'll be right back after this message from Kroger's.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
After each condition of Dave's out of control basketball announcer,
the camera cut to me doubled over in laughter at
the Ed Sullivan Theater.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Anderson brings the ball up the half court, takes a dribble.
Nobody open, bounce past to Johnson.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Johnson dribbles for the key, comes back out.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Oh from three point range.
Speaker 5 (05:08):
He takes a shot.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
It's good.
Speaker 6 (05:10):
His foot was on the line. His foot was on
the line. What's the matter with you? Hey was on
the line.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Okay, we'll be right back after this message from Queen
City Tires.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
It went like that for the rest of the episode,
and just before doing the top ten list, Dave read
a card that explained what happened to Chuck and introduced
me in the audience. So let me go back to
where we started. It's the greatest thing since Don Giller.
I've been trying to get my hands on the videotape
of that episode for years, and recently learned that Don
(05:55):
has archives of nearly every show that Letterman hosted, more
than six thousand in all. So I looked him up
on Facebook and sent a message explaining the situation. One
day later, he sent the video to me with permission
from Letterman's production company. So Don and Dave, thanks for
(06:17):
a great memory. All right, the Bengals are one to zero.
Let's get to the radio replays from Sunday's win in Cleveland.
After months of talking about and hearing about the need
to get off to a fast start, the Cincinnati Bengals
finally get the opportunity to do it as they look
(06:38):
to kick off the season with a road win in Cleveland.
It's the Bengals and Browns on Opening Day, and it
is time for the pigskin to fly. Here at Huntington
bank field second and a long yard. The ball is
in between the four and the five of Cleveland. Burrow
waits for a shotgun snap at the ten goes in motion.
(07:01):
They hand it off to Chase Brown. He's running left.
He'll go into the end zone. Touchdown. Chase Brown in
the Bengals. As Cincinnati begins the season with a twelve
play touchdown drive that took half of the first quarter
off the clock. The Browns are going to go for
it on fourth downend goal from the one. Flacco hands
(07:23):
it off Rocket Sanders into the end zone for a
Cleveland touchdown. But there's a penalty flag at the five
yard live.
Speaker 7 (07:31):
Yeah, and let's see it's called from the other side
of the formation.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
The play was run to the right.
Speaker 7 (07:36):
Was a Cleveland Brown offensive lineman with a off side
to the lineup off side.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Let's see it is a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
There's no fire. Had two extra offensive linemen are coming
into the game. The Bengals will have seven offensive linemen
on the field.
Speaker 7 (07:52):
Boy, that field is sinking now, it's not tilted his sinking.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Cody Ford lines up like a full back at about
three hundred and fifty pounds. Third down, end goal inside
the one. Burrow wants to throw his pass, caught by
a wide open Noah Fant, who throws the ball high
into the air in celebration as the Bengal score their
(08:18):
second touchdown. And this will be a forty five yard
try for a kicker with the number twenty five. That's unusual.
The kick is on its way, it has the distance,
and it is good. So the Browns pull within four
with twenty three seconds left in the half, and Cleveland's
going to get the ball to begin the third quarter
(08:39):
with an opportunity to potentially take the lead. On first
and goal from the five, Flacco looking to pass his
throw caught in the middle of the end zone by
Cedric Tillman for a Cleveland go ahead touchdown. Second down
and sixteen after that six yard sack for Trey Hendrickson,
Flacco fakes a hand off. Here comes the rush his
(09:01):
pass over the middle and it is intercepted offer ricochet
by Jordan Battle. He's running it back at the twenty
five and he'll be tackled after getting down to the
twenty five yard line. Evan McPherson will try to give
Cincinnati the lead. This will be a thirty five yard
field goal attempt from the right hash out of the
hold of Ryan Rico. Two fifty two remaining, third quarter,
(09:25):
Cincinnati trails by two. Here comes the thirty five yard kick,
the swing of the right leg, a high spinning, end
over end kick, and it gives Cincinnati a one point lead.
Flacco catches the shotgun snap passes over the middle, dropped
by Judy. I'm the Bengals takeover back to back drops
(09:46):
by the Cleveland brown amazing.
Speaker 7 (09:49):
And two very fine throws from Joe Flacco.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
With two thirty to go, the Browns trying to take
the lead. Bojorquez catches, puts it down. It's kick on
the way, No, no good. He missed it wide right.
He missed a pat wide right, and Schmidt misses a
go ahead field goal tried wide right. Two twenty two
(10:15):
to go.
Speaker 7 (10:16):
I mean go to the sideline right now. It's tough
for him to look teammates in the eye.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
No prouds go no huddle, yep, two minutes drill, no huddle,
and have it at their own forty three yard line.
Flacco looking to throw his pass.
Speaker 8 (10:29):
And is intercepted. It went off the finger tips of Tillman.
DJ Turner comes up with a football him that is
coffin nails.
Speaker 7 (10:40):
Bam bam bam about Turner Man.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Thirty seconds to go, the rookie snapper Wagner fires it back.
Here comes a high end, over end punt. It's going
to bounce at the nine, nice and the Bengals will
down it at the one. And it also took eleven
seconds off the clock.
Speaker 9 (11:01):
Man p J.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Jewles standing in perfect position. He gambled a bit, allowing
that oblong ball to bounce in his direction, but ultimately
he played it perfectly. Forty nine yard punt, eleven seconds
taken off the clock, and the Browns have to start
from their own one. Eight seconds to go. Flacco back
to throw from the end zone. Now he throws up
(11:23):
the field, bobbled and caught. The Bengals make the tackle
at the twenty nine yard line and that ends the game.
The Cincinnati Bengals are one and oh doesn't that sound good? Yes,
it does, as they come to Cleveland and win on
opening day seventeen to sixteen. So the Bengals obviously got
(11:47):
some help from Brown's rookie kicker Andre Schmid, but if
you think about it, Cincinnati wouldn't have lost an opening
Day in twenty twenty two to Pittsburgh if Evan McPherson
didn't miss an extra point and a chip shot field
goal in overtime. In money max case, it was due
to an injury to long snapper Clark Harris. The key
(12:08):
to the win on Sunday in Cleveland was a defense
that bent at times but rarely broke, holding the Browns
to forty nine rushing yards on twenty four carries while
intercepting Joe Flacco twice. Jordan Battle had the first of
those picks and I talked to him after the game.
Gave up sixteen points and got two takeaways on defense,
(12:30):
What did you think you guys did best on defense today?
Speaker 9 (12:34):
Stopped the run. I think they had like a two
point zero average rushing today.
Speaker 10 (12:38):
So d Lion frous seven did a great job, you know,
stopping run.
Speaker 9 (12:42):
So Joker put the ball in their so give us
a chance to make plays on the ball.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
Your interception was huge. It ultimately led to the field
goal that gave the Bengals to lead back for good.
Describe that play.
Speaker 9 (12:53):
Yeah, it was great play obviously, you know playing cover two,
you know, just breaking on the ball.
Speaker 10 (12:59):
A quarterback made up throw inside, was forced to receive.
Speaker 9 (13:02):
I think it was three to tip it and then
you know just to focus to you know, maintain and
catch the ball, you know, and uh put us.
Speaker 10 (13:09):
Put the office in striking position.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
And DJ got the one that more or less clinched
to win the first of his NFL career. That's what
al it's been preaching.
Speaker 9 (13:17):
Yeah, yeah, exactly plus two getting takeaways, you know, ball disrupting.
We've been working at the whole camp and uh, they
sold today.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Describe your emotions on the Browns final field goal attempt.
Speaker 10 (13:30):
Uh, Hey, I was.
Speaker 9 (13:31):
I was super excited, you know obviously you know, just
coming off the coming off the field, you know, getting
to stop.
Speaker 10 (13:37):
They had good field position.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (13:39):
And then obviously you're gonna stop, get off the field
on fourth down and then you see a kicker go
out there and you know miss a kick. Uh, It's
it's very relieving and it's very you know, that's cheerful
for us.
Speaker 10 (13:49):
That's joy and that means hard. Especially know on the office.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
We got he had missed the pat from roughly the
same distance. In your mind, does that make you think
he might miss again?
Speaker 5 (13:59):
So sure?
Speaker 9 (14:00):
You know obviously, Uh, with the way the game is going. Uh,
obviously it's a division game, you know, you know, all
all tension is up. You know when he goes out there,
it's just him, you know, he has to he has
to make a tough kit and obviously is always going.
Speaker 10 (14:13):
You don't know how it's gonna go. It can be
a make, it can be a miss.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
You're one and h for the first time in your
NFL career. Hey, describe how it feels in this room.
Speaker 9 (14:21):
Hey, it feels excellently, you know, especially being one to
know on a division. Uh that that can that can
put us on top, you know, based on how the
other games go. But uh, yeah, that was that was
the main thing coming in the weakue one you know. Uh,
like you said, my first time at the bingals, being one.
Speaker 10 (14:34):
To O to start the season. So it's obviously great.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
And grants on the win.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
That's Jordan Battle. Battle finished the game of the team
high twelve tackles. Demetrius Knight had ten in his first
NFL game, and Trey Hendrickson had a sack and three
quarterback hits. The offensive numbers weren't as good. Joe Burrow
is held to one hundred and thirteen passing yards, and
the Bengals only managed forty six yards on the ground
(15:00):
gone twenty three carries like Cleveland. That's two yards per attempt.
But are you really worried about the Bengals offense figuring
it out? I'm not. Here's Burrow.
Speaker 5 (15:10):
We'll take it.
Speaker 11 (15:12):
Anytime you can win like this, you kind of steal one.
So we stole one today and we're gonna have to
be better. These early games are always tough. You got
to be able to establish the run, and that's what
we want to be on offense. We want to be
able to run the ball. On first half it was great,
and then you the second half, the all pasts of
(15:32):
the offense just weren't good enough.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
So we gotta get better.
Speaker 11 (15:36):
Even win any of these games last year, and so
usually when you can win a game like this, that's
a recipe for success and it means you're going to
be some a good team if you can find a
lot of different ways to win than we did today.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Joe's first touchdown pass of the year went to newcomer
Noah Fan who led the team with four catches in
his Bengals debut. Here's my conversation with a twenty seven
year old tight end. Not a bad debut in a
Bengals uniform. Noah caught a pass in the first play
of the game and caught a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow.
Describe your emotions after your Bengals debut.
Speaker 12 (16:10):
It's been a whirlwind the last month for me, but
I've been super excited to be able to come in
and work and get to know the offense and all
those things and be able to make some place today
was really cool. I'm more focused on, like, like first
and for us, we got to win. There was some
things that we can clean up out there, so it's
like it's gonna be nice to go back to the
film and watch that and like get to pick up
(16:31):
on all those things where we can improve on to
like really put us in a good position to like close.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Out games a lot better than we did.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
So there were some good things.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
There were some bright spots, but I was that I
was happy about.
Speaker 12 (16:40):
But definitely looking forward to to getting back to the
drawing board and improving on some of these things.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
That feel like we kind of left out there a
little bit.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
I wondered if you would be a bit of a
hidden weapon today in the sense that the opponent didn't
see you much in a Bengals uniform in the preseason.
Did do you feel like they used you in a
sense that way?
Speaker 12 (16:58):
Well, I think, which is one of the reasons why
I wanted to come here, is like I think that's
it's hard to like, you have so many really good
players on the offense, It's like it's hard to just
like hone in on anybody, and like it gives me
an opportunity to find like the nooks and crannies of
the defense that might not be covered.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
So it was.
Speaker 12 (17:17):
It was a cool experience for me, and I've been
trying to kind of find my footing there and find
my way and doing that. But I'm excited, like I
said before, I'm excited to really get this thing going
on offense and really score a lot of points.
Speaker 5 (17:30):
So it'll be good.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
It'll be good.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
The touchdown was interesting. Seven offensive lineman Cody Ford three
hundred and fifty pounds lining up at full back. They're
obviously thinking the Bengals are going to try and stuff
it down their throat and there you are. Wide though.
Speaker 12 (17:43):
Yeah, no, that was a great play design by our
offensive staff and.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
We detailed it up and obviously those are.
Speaker 12 (17:50):
The nice ones right now in the goal line, It's
like that's those are the pretty ones of the nice ones.
There's a lot of dirty work to be done down there,
so looking forward to that and looking forward to getting
to that all.
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So, so, how happy are you for the defense considering
how heavily scrutinized they've been to only give up sixteen points,
to get two takeaways and opening down.
Speaker 12 (18:08):
I mean, I don't know what more you could ask
for them. Two takeaways, like you said, held them to
sixteen points. I think they they held into two yards
per carry or something like that. It's like, that's a
great showing for a defense. So I'm happy for all
those guys. They've put the work in and here disfe
Like from the time I've been there, been here, they
bust their butts.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
So I'm happy for him.
Speaker 12 (18:28):
It was expected, like I think that they're gonna put
keep putting great games together. So yeah, it's been it's
it's been awesome, and I'm looking forward to the rest
of the season.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
For the last question for Noah Fant on the missed
field goal by Cleveland, he had missed a pat from
roughly the same distance. Do you think there's a chance
they'll miss again.
Speaker 5 (18:49):
I mean, I don't. I'm not sure it helped us.
So that's all I really care about.
Speaker 12 (18:54):
I don't wish bad things on anybody, but that was
a great miss that we needed. So it was it
was a good thing for us, and we came out
with the win. That definitely helped us a lot because
of that. So I was happy with that and happy
to be able to get the win in the win column.
So that's what that mattered to us.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Congrats on a great debut and a win.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
So the Bengals practiced in the morning a training camp,
played their starters in the preseason games, and had more
physical practices. It didn't produce a masterpiece, but it did
result in a Week one win. Dave Lapham discussed it
with head coach Zach Taylor.
Speaker 7 (19:31):
Coach, that was a physical football game. Do you think
training camp, the way you conducted your training camp this
year helped you in this encounter.
Speaker 13 (19:40):
Our guys were ready, you know, physically, they were ready,
mentally they were ready. We knew there was gonna be
times or it wasn't clean. There was gonna be times
We faced adversity, we're just gonna have to stick together
and someone's gonna have to rise up and win it.
Our defense made some huge plays for us down the
stretch that allow us to win that game. So just
really proud of the effort all those guys gave. And
there's plenty to clean up and I'm happy, more than
happy to clean it up after a win.
Speaker 7 (20:00):
That's exactly right. I mean, win makes things so everything
tastes better, everything looks better. A win is what it's
all about. Plus two in the turnover department, that's big.
I mean, in the AFC North, games are going to
be won by teams that are a plus one plus
two plus three in the turnover battle. How proud are
you are?
Speaker 3 (20:20):
That?
Speaker 13 (20:20):
Extremely proud. That's a week one winning stat right there
is When it's a one score game like that, just
look at the turnover margin and see who won the
turnover managin, that's probably who won the game. And you
look at the New England game last year, that's exactly
what happened. You look at the Cleveland game this year.
That's how we got to turn in our favor.
Speaker 7 (20:37):
Joe Burrow had what I would call in a fishing
day at the quarterback position. I mean, he did what
he had to do for you to win the football game,
had a touchdown, passed, no turnovers, kind of operated within
the confines of what you wanted to do game plan
wise and structure wise. How would you evaluate his performance today?
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Good? Good?
Speaker 13 (20:56):
Week one is no slouch, you know, especially playing defense.
Really proud of the guys up front. You know, they
really kept him clean. We had a three play stretch
there at the end of the game that was not
our best. All we're all accountable for that. But at
the same time, I thought, over the course of the day,
they gave us what we needed to be able to win,
and we know offensively will improve him. Before that was
(21:17):
not our best. We left a lot of meat on
the bone. But again I'm more than happy to make
those corrections coming out of a win.
Speaker 7 (21:23):
When you go against that type of a defensive unit
where they have an unbelievable coach, they have a tremendous
defensive coordinator, great position coaches, they're good teachers, and they
have all their guys on the same page doing, you know,
things exactly the way they're supposed to be done. That's
a difficult way to start, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
It's challenging.
Speaker 13 (21:41):
You had an experienced coordinator, experience defense, and again it
starts as ninety five. You know, he had to count
for him on every single play. He tries to find
a way to wreck every run, every pass, run at him,
run away from him, chip him, lick him, whatever you
got to do. He's difficult, and he finds a way
to affect the game at a key moment. And he
did it today and we're fortunate that we were able
(22:02):
to come some of that.
Speaker 7 (22:03):
Two of the best edge defensive guys in the National
Football League, maybe in the history of the National Football
League in Miles Garrett and Trea Hendrickson. Both of them,
I thought put on a show. I mean, you know,
they're not playing against each other, they're not lining up
against each other. It's not that type of mono a
mono battle.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
Bit man.
Speaker 7 (22:20):
They did a lot of things to help their football teams,
didn't they.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
They sure did.
Speaker 13 (22:23):
And Trey again is a huge piece of what we're doing.
Just his presidence out there and to be able to
play with a lead at the end of the game
allows him to do what he does best. You know,
and Key got to throw at situations he's going to
affect the passer, they got to account for him with
somebody that can get down in the route. And so
I was happy with what he gave us today.
Speaker 7 (22:42):
Coach, I thought you did an unbelievable job the way
you handled training camp in that the physicality like we
talked about. But with that said, you didn't overdo it.
You didn't beat guys up, you didn't knock guys heads
off and all that sort of thing. Everybody came into
this football game all hands on deck. How big was that?
Speaker 5 (22:59):
Huge?
Speaker 13 (23:00):
You know where you needed everybody in this game. And
so again proud of the way the guys have taken
care of it, embraced it. They understand why we practiced
the way we did. They understood when we were going
to get them a chance to get their bodies back,
and they came out and gave us their best effort.
Speaker 7 (23:12):
Evan McPherson, I mean, in a game where it came
down to special teams, came down to kicking, Kevin McPherson
stepped up for you.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Didn't he he did?
Speaker 13 (23:20):
You know, Evan's had a great consistent camp and we
got a lot of trust in him.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
Up next, the home opener is The Bengals open in
Orange next Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are also
one to zero after beating Carolina twenty six to ten.
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,
(23:46):
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health,
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider off the Bengals. Now time for
the radio guys recap lap. I can't believe I'm about
to say this, but the Bengals won on opening day
in spite of their offense. The offense scored touchdowns on
(24:08):
two of the first three drives. Really struggled after that,
but defense and special teams turned out to be the difference.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
Absolutely, And the biggest difference was the pitiful performance of
the kicker for the Cleveland Brown special teams.
Speaker 3 (24:23):
I mean, he left four points out.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
There for that's a Syracuse grad. Be kind Yeah, I know, really.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Man, Let's go Orange. Well, let's go he did it
for us.
Speaker 7 (24:32):
I love it, but man, that was a hard fought,
very physical football game. I mean, both teams left it
out there. They gave superlative effort. Everybody played every snap
as hard as they possibly could. Nobody gave up on
any snaps. It was a typical AFC North football game
(24:55):
and had to play it on the road in Cleveland
to open the season, so I mean there was some
brutality to it. It was not pretty. In fact, it
was brutally ugly. But I'll take a UW and ugly
win anytime over a pl a pretty lost.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Love a good u W. And to the Bengals, credit
special team's great play at the end of the game
to down the ball at the one and take eleven
seconds off the clock. I mean, other than some penalties,
they played mistake free football.
Speaker 7 (25:25):
They did, and Darren Simmons has to be excited about
how they went out and performed. There were some new
guys on his special teams units, there always are, but
you know, I thought that the Bengals basically handled the
field position part of it. They never put themselves in
harm's way from a field position standpoint. And then Cleveland,
you know, I mean they get the ball down on
(25:46):
him at the one yard line. It was just a
phenomenal effort to down that football. I mean, had total
field awareness, knew exactly where he had to go to
keep that ball out of the end zone.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
It was close.
Speaker 7 (25:58):
I mean he was kind of tight roping that tight
roping that goal line a little bit. I mean, if
you stepped on it, it would have been a two
point play.
Speaker 3 (26:07):
But it worked out.
Speaker 7 (26:09):
And the Cincinnati Bengals, you know, are are winners in
this football game, and honestly, then I think they're gonna
win a lot of football games.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
I'm thinking about all the practices where the Bengals begin
with these ball disruption drills like four stations where guys
are punching it out and knocking up into the air,
et cetera, all in hopes of winning the turnover battle. Well,
they're up to zip to begin the season. Great reactions
by Jordan Battle and DJ Turner to come up with
those picks.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Absolutely, I mean those were not, you know, easy picks.
They had a lot of work to do there. First
of all, their coverage was right on point, and that's
the first thing that I think jumps out at me
when I think about those plays and look forward to
watching them. Again, I thought that their coverage was dynamic
on those plays. And you know, if if a receivers
(27:00):
going to tip the ball, you know, defensive backs or ballhawks, man,
they're trained. They do all kinds of drills every single
day on you know, if the ball's airborne, it's your ball,
go up and get it. And the Bengals did that twice.
And that's you know, you can say a lot of
things about Joe in the game. It was not a
pretty game for Joe. In fact, Joe probably would not
(27:21):
say it's one of his better performances, obviously, but the
biggest thing that Joe did was not put the ball
in harm's way.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
He gave his team a chance.
Speaker 7 (27:30):
Every time they had the football, you know that they
had a chance to do something with it because he
wasn't giving it back to the Cleveland Browns right away.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
The offense was so sharp in training camp and in
the preseason games, at least when the starters were out there.
Did we more or less learn today that the Browns
defense is back? Is that why the offense struggled to
the extent that it did.
Speaker 3 (27:50):
I really believe that.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
I mean, I think Cleveland has the ability with the
personnel that they have and the defensive coordinator they have,
the scheme that he puts out there with those players.
And in doing the post game show a Zach he said,
believe me, they got plenty of players, and they got
plenty of really good football players, and they can do
(28:12):
a lot of things very well, and their coordinator puts
them in good position to take advantage of their physical
and mental skill sets. So uh that that was a
good defensive football team. They may not face, you know,
uh another defense as good as that Cleveland defense till
they play the other AFC North teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers
(28:32):
in the Baltimore Ravens. That's what this that's what this
division is all about. That's why I think it's so
encouraging to everybody in Bengal fans in particular, that the
Bengals did so much to improve their defense and to
you know, get get closer to what is going on
in the the other cities in the AFC North on
on that side of the football, and I think, uh,
(28:54):
I think they got the right guy to put it
all together. I'm very encouraged by what I've seen out
of Al Golden.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Give a hat tip to Duke Tobin in the personnel department,
because after training camp began, they signed Noah Fan four
catches in a touchdown today. They added Dalton Rise near late.
He winds up playing most of the game at right guard.
They picked up Mike Knell a week ago. Less than
a week ago. He played a chunk of snaps today.
So you usually don't think about guys added after the
(29:22):
start of training camp being huge factors on opening Day,
but they were.
Speaker 7 (29:27):
They were, and some of them, you know, right before
the game. I mean literally had very little time to
familiarize themselves, you know, with the scheme and their teammates,
you know. And it hats off to the position coaches
and coordinators that spent time with those guys getting them
up to speed where they could go out there and
handle business, you know, against a defense of this caliber
(29:48):
up in Cleveland. I've seen a lot of AFC North
games up here, and it's always tough letting this defense
never bolds their tent. They never they never rolled over
and played dead. I mean, they're gonna make you earn
every center meter that you that you gain out there
in the stat sheets. So I think that those guys,
(30:10):
you know, made significant contributions, and and one of them inside.
You know, we talked about the interior of the offensive
line being a big key to success. I mean to
go out there and play with I mean very little
time to get familiar in acquainted with what was going on,
that's a.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
That's a huge, huge plus.
Speaker 7 (30:29):
And you know, to work as efficiently as you did
next to mems And and next to Ted Carris, that's
that's big time. That's that's NFL football right there, and
that's an NFL football player.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
I'm sure in you're playing days, there were games like
this where the offense didn't play nearly as well as
you anticipated, but the breaks went your way, the other
team missed the field goal or an extra point. What's
the emotion as an offensive player when you you sneak
out of the stadium with a win like that?
Speaker 7 (30:57):
Yeah, I mean I've been in you know, many games
over the years, NFL, college, high school, where you know,
it's like you go into the locker room after the
game and you know it didn't you didn't play all
that great individually and as a unit, and you just
go up to defensive players and you're hugging and you say, man, thanks,
I appreciate your man for saving our hide, saving our tail,
(31:18):
because you know, we didn't we didn't do what we
thought we were going to do today.
Speaker 3 (31:22):
We had higher hopes, bigger.
Speaker 7 (31:23):
Aspirations than than the you know, than the the bad
performance that we put out there today. So but the
good news is, you know it'll the warm will turn
the other way too, and the offense will you know,
save the save the defense on more than one occasion.
That's what good teams do. And in my mind, this
(31:44):
is a good football team.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Well here you go. They gave up sixteen and opening
day last year and lost. They gave up sixteen and
opening day this year, and what I love it?
Speaker 7 (31:53):
I love That's That's about as simple, you know, uh
a statement as you can make. And and you know,
I feel like defensively played winning football. Special teams played
winning football. Offensively didn't play winning football, but you know,
didn't do anything you know that was such a you know,
a bad scenario that you put the defense in a
(32:17):
situation that they couldn't crawl out of.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
So all in all, it's a win.
Speaker 7 (32:24):
What you want to do is you want to come
up to Cleveland on opening Day, do your rival quiet
the fans get a win. When we get on the bus,
as we drive out of this stadium, they'll all be
going nuts. I'm sure we'll see a lot of middle fingers.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
It will be fun. They'll all be real happy and excited.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
And as I have to say, you won by one, and
now what that fingers.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
That's a good call, Dan, They'll be flipping us off
like crazy. But you know it's everybody will be laughing
and smiling in that in those buses.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
For sure.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
We remember when Cleveland was thought to be Joe Burrow's kryptonite.
He lost his first four starts of his career against
the Browns four and one since, so that narrative is
long gone.
Speaker 7 (33:03):
It is, it's long gone, and you know, chuck up
another one. Joe Burrow is a class act. Joe Burrow
is a phenomenal football player. It means everything to him.
His life is his football. You know, he's got a
dad that was a successful coach at the collegiate level.
(33:25):
I mean that family is all about the game of football,
and I think it.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
Always will be.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Could to be one and no, my man.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Excellent, awesome to be one and oh again the man.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Last time the Bengals started the season with a win.
They finished the season in the Super Bowl. My first
game is the Bengals radio announcer was also in Cleveland,
a game that Cincinnati won on a fourth quarter touchdown
pass from Bruce Gradkowski to the subject of this week's
(33:57):
fun Fact segment. Time for some fun facts with one
of the greatest players in Bengals history, aj Green. If
a Bengals game is on, are you watching or does
it depend on what you have going on in your
regular life.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I'm always watching at some point, you know what I mean.
But uh yeah, most part I'm watching that all times.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
You played in ten games with Joe Burrow his rookie
year year, last year in Cincinnati. A year later he
was in the Super Bowl. What was different about Joe
from just about anybody else you played with.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
I think his his leadership, not the aspect of him
just talking so much, is more leading that example, And
you want a quarterback who's the same guy every day,
and I think that's what separates him from the other
guys because you're gonna, you know what you're gonna get
out of Joe every week. And to play that position,
(34:52):
you have to be that low key. You can't be
a guy that's gonna be ra ra ra rao doing
a game because you have so much on your plate.
So for him to keep everything leveled, that would make
him so great.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You are a lead by example guy. Sounds like a
good match.
Speaker 3 (35:05):
Yeah, it was. It was. This happened to be. I'm
a little older, coming up a couple of injuries, but
you know, I enjoyed my time playing with Joe and
I knew from day one that he's gonna be one
of the greatest that ever played this game. And never
put on the Bengal jersey.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
You didn't overlap with Jamar. What do you like about
his game and his approach?
Speaker 3 (35:25):
I think he just very confident and the play that position,
you have to be very confident, and I think that's
how he he's so great. He doesn't talk that much,
but you can tell you know, he got he got
it in him, you know what I mean. But his
runs out the catch, he's just a playmaker, man. He's
just a especially when he gets the ball in no
(35:46):
balls in his hands, he can take it at any
point at a time.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So we're visiting with aj Green. Who do you have
and why the twenty fifteen skill position group, yourself, Marvin Jones,
Mohammed Sanu, Tyler, Riifert, Giovanni Bernard, Jeremy Hill or Jamar.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Chase, T.
Speaker 1 (36:05):
Higgins, Mike Kasicki, Andre Yosi, vash Chase Brown, samajp.
Speaker 3 (36:09):
Ryn, Oh Man, that's tough. I think I'm taking us
top to bottom. I think running back tight end, I
think we had what me my omarv Yeah, if was
a Pro Bowl tight end, uh Geo could do it all.
I think I'm taking us.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Hard to go wrong either way, that's for sure. We're
having this conversation during the NFL Draft. What do you
remember about the lead up to the twenty eleven draft,
your contact of the Bengals and then all culminating with
being the fourth pick overall.
Speaker 3 (36:44):
Oh, for me, I just remember having my whole family
there just felt surreal, just because that's what you dream
of your whole whole life and there and then you're
there in that moment, this having my name called, it
was like, oh my gosh, like at number four that
it was very special. That's a big mess. Probably probably
(37:04):
one of the best moment of my life.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
You know, it was still back in New York then,
had you ever.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Been no no, haven't. That was my first time in
New York City. That's a lot. That was the first
time my family ever flew on a airplane, probably some
of them. So it was just so real experiences to
have everybody there that saw little Aj grow up into
this this first round pick AJ.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Do you know what team you caught the most touchdown
passes against?
Speaker 3 (37:33):
Most touchdowns? Ravens?
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Ravens is correct, Yeah, okay, you caught nine against Baltimore.
John Harbaugh famously said, a couple of years into your career,
one of these days will figure out how to cover
Aj Green. What was it about the Ravens? Was it
how they covered you? Why did you dominate Baltimore so consistently?
Speaker 3 (37:57):
I think we played each other so much, and the
games are always tough, so it's like just a matter
who made the most plays. Is no out tricking anybody,
so it's like me versus you a lot of the times.
So and they played a lot of man, they had
a lot of great corners in there, so just got
the best of them sometimes, so it was.
Speaker 1 (38:15):
Good pretty frequently. Do you have a most memorable touchdown catch?
Speaker 3 (38:21):
I think the playoff game Steelers, we should have won
that that was our chance. That's probably probably one of
the best moments of my career, just seeing the fans
and how close we were, just for pulling off that
that playoff win that we haven't had in there and
so long. So probably that that that touchdown.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
Was so I hate to pick the scab, but we're
going to go back. You catch that touchdown with one
fifty to go, you've got a one point lead. On
the very next play, Vontez comes up with the interception,
So now it's basically a minute and a half to go.
You've got the ball and the lead. In your mind
is the drought over?
Speaker 3 (38:58):
Oh, the game's over. We celebrating already before we even
get to that locker room, like everybody's on the sideline
going crazy. And then the fumble happened, and then it
kept getting worse. I kept gott it getting worse after that,
And that's why the mostly disappointed time I in my
player career, just coming back into the locker room doing that.
We should have won that game.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Let me bring up another touchdown. This might have been
the most memorable in the regular season. Lent less than
ten seconds to go in Atlanta, I think seven seconds
to go you catch your touchdown pass from Andy and
what's become your hometown thirty seven thirty six win. Just
a crazy game and a game winning TD with less
than ten seconds to go.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
Yeah, that was That was another big one, especially being
in Atlanta, all the Georgia fans. I had a lot
of family at that game and a lot of friends
at that game. So I remember straining like a little
bench route against cover two. I don't know what the
corner was doing, and he just put the ball placed
a great ball, and I slid and caught it.
Speaker 1 (39:55):
So and Joe Mixon, who wasn't active, came flying down
the field to try to tackle you.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
I'm like, Joe, I thought you hurt. You're flying down there,
almost knock me over. But that was a great game
as well.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Aj who is the toughest cornerback he faced the toughest
Probably Patrick Peterson is the best corner I ever Well,
him and Dora Reebs, dere Riz pat P and uh
Joe Hayden.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
You know the my three top corners that I faced.
Patrick Peterson was your draft Yeah yep, actually yeah, you
just retired, and he's he'd be your first Battle Hall
of the Famer for sure.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
You and Andy Dalton will always be linked. What don't
people know or understand about Andy?
Speaker 3 (40:40):
I think how good he was. I think people really
you don't appreciate how good he was at at at
the time that he was starting. And you look around
the lead it's only what six seven great quarterbacks, you
know what I mean. But to have him the way
the way we was consistently winning each and every year
(41:01):
nine wins, nine wins plus every year. I think he's
very underrated and probably one of the smartest guy I've
ever been around.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
And he's still playing and.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
Still playing and speaks volume. Man if like I said,
if you don't want to be a starter, to be
a backup quarterback, and I'll take that job any day.
Speaker 1 (41:21):
They need that for wide receivers where you don't take
care of.
Speaker 3 (41:23):
Yeah, no, right, you once you get over thirty, it's like,
oh it's time, but you get out of here, buddy.
But when you turn thirty in your quarterback like, hey,
you can mentor this young guy. So but I'm happy
for him. I talked to Andy. We talk all the time,
and you know, I went to his game last year
when he played the Bengal So it was fun. Like
we can.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
We always talking, So who is your funniest teammate?
Speaker 3 (41:44):
Andrew Hawkins? No hesitation, no hesitation, Like we just talked
and he sent us a video and he was shooting
a two B movie and I'm like, it's just a
guy that he does everything like, So probably my fun
like my best teammate and the funny.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
You were uber competitive. Anybody that accomplishes the things you
accomplished has to be how do you get your competitive fix?
Speaker 3 (42:08):
Now? Play a lot of golf and I think that's
that gets me because I'm not very good at it,
so it keeps me coming back each and every week.
But I think I just moved to a new phase
of my life just being now and just being a dad,
and that's probably I get that same feeling, you know,
especially when I see him playing well as well and
(42:28):
just watching them. They smile on the face when they
see me on the field or me coming to a game,
or we have those conversations coming back from a baseball
game when it's not so good and for him to
be like I'm telling him is okay, you know you eight,
You're gonna make mistakes. So just being a family man
and being a dad is probably the best joy in
my life right now.
Speaker 1 (42:48):
Do you get nervous when you watch your boys play sports?
Speaker 3 (42:51):
Of course I get the same feeling like I get
I used to get on Sundays and I'm not even playing,
so but I don't show that to him. He's just
out there having fun. But I definitely get nervous sometimes.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Is there anything on your bucket list in retirement? A
place you'd like to go, something you would like to
do or see.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
I've hit some of those those buckles that I went
snowboarding for the first time last year, So the family
and I we went to Aspens for uh a couple
of days and got the snowboard and got the ski.
So I do all the adventure stuff. Now, go give
me another. I might give me an e bike, just
fly around downtown and just a little things like that.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
Was that prohibited in your contract in your playing day,
stuff like that?
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Yeah, of course. And my wife wouldn't let me do that.
She wasn't gonna let me do that when I was playing.
So now that I'm not playing, I get to do.
Brought me a snowboard, so we go each year, go
and buy me an e bike, and I'm gonna go downtown,
get the boards. We're gonna e bikes, We're gonna ride
down the sidewalks and stuff like that.
Speaker 1 (43:47):
I'm imagining the Bengals fan that goes to a ski
resort and suddenly sees aj Green on skis. That's gonna
be quite the freak out moment.
Speaker 3 (43:54):
Yeah, but you know, I have all the masks on,
so it's right. They don't see me. They don't see
me falling all the time. They like, who's this guy?
Who's this baby on the baby on the bunny slopes? Oh,
just have a grown man over here.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
So I used to say your full name when you
caught touchdown passes. Do people randomly say Adriel Jeremiah Green.
Speaker 3 (44:14):
Oh? Yeah all the time, especially at the baseball fields now,
so it's like they are like Adril Jeremiah at first space.
I'm like, yeah, that's me.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
Final question, This one's kind of deep. If you could
meet anybody in history, anybody living or deceased, who would
that person be?
Speaker 3 (44:34):
For me? It's probably I think my brother at my
stage of my life, because I had an older brother
got killed in a car accident. I think that would
be the person that I ad met because growing up together,
you know, losing him at I was five, he was nine.
Just to see how he would react to where I'm
at today and what I've accomplished probably would have been
(44:55):
something special.
Speaker 1 (44:56):
He would have been very proud and thrilled, no doubt,
as am I to a chance to visit with you again.
Welcome back to Cincinnati. It's always so great to see you.
Thanks for all the memories.
Speaker 3 (45:05):
Thanks Dan, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (45:07):
I hope you enjoyed that visit with a great AJ
Green as much as I did. 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
(45:29):
for the best 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 a minute,
give it a rating or share a comment that helps
more Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde and thank
you for listening to the Bengals Booth Podcast
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