October 31, 2025 • 37 mins
The Bengals to bounce back from last week’s loss to the Jets as they host Chicago at Paycor Stadium. Dan Hoard’s guests include offensive line coach Scott Peters, Adam Archuleta from CBS Sports, and “Know the Foe” with the Voice of the Bears Jeff Joniak.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, get everybody on Dan Hord and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth podcast. The move Along Move Along like
a new You Do addition, as the Bengals look to
bounce back from last week's loss to the Jets as
they host the Chicago Bears coming up, the Bengals have
rushed for more than one hundred and forty yards in
two straight games. I'll ask offensive line coach Scott Peters
(00:27):
to explain why former Rams safety Adam Archiletta is calling
the Bengals game for the second straight week on CBS
and shares his thoughts on the team. And in this
week's Know the Faux segment, we'll hear from the voice
of the Chicago Bears, Jeff Joniak. The Bengals Booth Podcast
is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be
the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future
(00:51):
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 Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a
quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
(01:14):
thing since the miked up segments on Bengals dot com.
Every week, the Bengals video crew puts a microphone on
a player or two and then puts together a video
for the team's website. Here's a snippet of Ted Carris's
micd up segment following the Thursday night win over Pittsburgh.
Let's go, let's go, hud huddle, huddle, hudd up.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Hey, no one relaxes from session.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Me and you mimsy, Me you moby, Me and you mimsy.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The kick is off. Yeah, good, good, great job.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Great job.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I love you, man, I love I love you.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I love you too, man.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Great job, Scott Riach job, great job, matters. Let's finish
you saw me.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I'm not there yet. Yeah yeah. That Ted talk was
highly amusing, and last week Joe Flacco and t Higgins
were both miked up in the game against the Jets,
and their three and a half minute segment is outstanding.
The Bengals have been doing these videos for years, but
(02:23):
I think they've been better than ever this season. You
can watch all of them by going to Bengals dot com,
clicking video, and then clicking miked up. Now let's get
to my first guest. The Bengals offensive line has taken
a share of criticism in recent years, so how about
giving credit when credits due. In the last two weeks,
(02:45):
Cincinnati has averaged thirty five and a half points and
more than four hundred and thirty yards of offense. And
it hasn't just been Joe Flacco to Jamar Chase, the
Bengals have averaged more than one hundred and sixty rushing
yards in the last two weeks while surrendering a total
of three sacks. That success begins up front, and I
(03:07):
discussed it this week with offensive line coach Scott Peters. Scott,
you are not much older than your quarterback Joe Flack.
What's impressed you since he arrived three weeks ago. Well,
part of it's I mean that I'm not that much
older than him.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean for a guy to come in and do
what he's been able to do to help our team
is impressive. I've seen it before when I was in Cleveland.
He joined us late in the year and really helped
the team. Gave us a boost. And the thing that's
most impressive is that he can just walk in with calmness,
coolness and just you know, learn a new system and
be able to go out there and play ball at.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
A high level.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
It's a lot of confidence for the unit. And I think,
you know, he's obviously done a good job for us
so far.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
He's a pocket passer. He's not going to be running
around a lot back there at age forty, but he's
only been sacked four times so far in three games.
How his Joe, even with limited mobility at this stage,
help the offensive line.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
Well, I think every line coach will tell you it's
probably getting the ball out on time, but that always helps.
But I think, you know, being able to manage a
run game two, you know, get the run game up
and going and helping us there making the right checks
and things like that. But yeah, it's all the above.
I think there's a lot of factors that play into that.
But we're we're excited about, you know, the direction.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Let's talk about the run game. Two weeks ago, one
hundred and forty two yards against Pittsburgh. Last week one
against the Jets, you've averaged seven yards per run during
that two game stretch.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
What changed, you know, I think it's it's kind of
getting you know, the run game is a something that
you got to develop. And I think it's combination blocks,
it's phasing, timing the backs, understanding how we're blocking, and
their vision. I think they did an incredible job of
playing off of us and you know, the guys that
you know, you get new people in there, and I
think as far as the line goes, just the way
(04:54):
we want our combinations run, the where our blocking structures
is run, and again just kind of repetition. I think,
you know, obviously starting the year out with Joe in there, Burrow,
you're you know, you're going to throw the ball a lot.
So it's feeding the running game. It's like you got
to feed it for it to grow. And I think
that's part of it. But no, I think the guys
bought in and we've done a nice job and played
(05:14):
hard and I think they take great pride in it.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We're visiting the offensive line, Kirk Scott Peters. Right now,
You're starting lineup includes a twenty three year old and
his second year at right tackle and a couple of
rookies at the guard positions. What are the biggest challenges
that go with inexperience.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Up front, it's the getting past the inexperience because at
some point we expect them to be experienced. You know,
you got to take that each each measure you got
to you know, you got to be able to leave
each game with you know something, you know, an upgrade
and knowledge upgrade to be able to take each lesson
as they come. So then the next time you see it.
Because you see a lot of things in this league,
but really you start to see patterns and so when
(05:49):
the players start to grow, that's when you start to
see results in success. So not every day is a
new day, and I think that's what's challenging, is getting
that off the ground where guys truly can grow and
you want to see those players, young players in particular,
to us end, that's really what makes a difference, where
where they get the exposure and the experience, and that's
really how players do improve is getting experience in the game.
(06:10):
It's a challenge for them, and I think that they've
done a nice job so far, and we expect them
to continue to grow. That's the expectation and we hope
they do that.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I was talking to Ted Carriss last week, and he
said that he thinks the three young guys Mims, Delan
Fairchild and Jalen Rivers could start together on this offensive
line for ten years, like it's the nucleus of a
really good offensive line. Are you seeing signs that that
could be the case.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
You know, you'd love that, You'd love that. I mean,
I think that's what every line dreams of is. You
want continuity. And those three men have have done everything
we've asked of them, and again there's there's learning curve,
but yeah, that would be that would be exceptional because
they're good people. They're good, you know, good men, they're
smart guys, they're they're tough, they're physically capable, you know,
(06:56):
getting the exposure and the comfortability there together itself to success.
I mean, you really want continuity at the line position,
and I think that would be great if those guys
were able to play that along together. It's not not
very common these days in this in this realm in
the NFL, but but that certainly would be an awesome thing.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I asked you about a Marius Mims during training camp.
You said the following quote, you have to be greedy
about how good you want to be. It's not enough
to block people, you have to dominate them. I know
you've said the same thing to him. Do you see
him developing that mindset?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You do?
Speaker 5 (07:27):
And and that's it. That doesn't happen immediately either overnight.
And I think for him it's been incremental to growth.
And the last game excited us. You know, we see
one one step more. He's starting to get that greed
and that hunger to that can really be really good
at this, you know, And and he can be. And
I think you know what you've seen early on as
a guy that's raw, that you know, didn't play a
ton in college, came here, played a little bit. Last year,
(07:49):
played you know, he played with an injury and and
you know his development was probably stunted that way. But
I think what he's done is, uh, he's he's just
continually ascended with experience. And then when you get a
chance to go out there against the top rushers in
the league and and you've played well and then you
see mistakes that you made, He's he's taken to the
to the you know, the classroom and on the field,
he's working extra with me. And so yeah, I think
(08:10):
he's got all the potential to be the best, and
and you see that spark in his eye. I think
a lot of it's about the confidence that you need
to feel like you can truly.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Dominate in this game. And I think he sees it.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
It's possibility for him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Your techniques are a little bit different from what most
of these guys have done before. Did they embrace it
right away or is there a little bit of reluctance
to change when you've made it to the highest level
doing things one way.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
I don't know that they've like outwardly embraced it or
not embraced it. I think that they've all attempted to
do it early on. I think the issue is when
you when you get certain, you know you have to
build movement patterns in the body. So what's happened is
you understand that takes some time, and you get guys
that have done it successfully at a high level for
a long time. It's even harder yet for those guys.
(08:57):
And I got to say, like, like Ted Carris has
has done an exceptional job for someone that has played
this many games in his life, come in and here's
a new coach tell him to do things just a
little differently, and sometimes it's quite different from what he's
done in the past, and that takes a lot of
reps into his credit. He's really worked hard at it
and he's embraced it and he's seeing results with it.
(09:17):
So it's been really positive that way. And I think
it's just like anything, it's not so much that that
guys reject or embrace. It's more about just what the
unconscious body will do and that just takes time to
time and repetition.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
A couple more questions for Scott Peters. You were an
NFL player for eight years. I'm sure there were times
where one side of the ball performed better than the other.
When that happens, how do you avoid whitting fingers? Essentially?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Well, I reminded our guys, you know, it wasn't too
long ago when we were the ones that weren't playing
up to our standard, and we got to be there
to support our team because it's a team game, so
it can't do it without everybody, and our guys are
fully aware of that.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
That's what they.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Are their leadership, and that's what we expect of our players.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Good, We have a really good room of guys and
it takes a whole team to win, so as frustrating
as it might be, and it was very frustrating to
lose the game, it's a team effort and where you know,
and it's always going to be the case in football,
So we just need some group to step up if
somebody's not playing well or not it didn't have a
good performance day. It's a team that makes this happen.
(10:21):
So our guys are fully embraced of the defense and
the players on that side of the ball because it's
going to take all of.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Us to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
You face the Bears this week. They've had some issues
stopping the run. They're giving up more than one hundred
and forty rushing yards per game. After what you've done
the last two weeks, how important is the running game
against Chicago?
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Well, it's always important. You know, when you have great
receivers like we do and a good quarterback that's able
to distribute the ball, you know, you want to be
a balanced outfit, and when you can run the ball effectively,
it really opens you up to a lot of good possibility.
So of course we're putting a lot of premium on
every week. You know, it's always the case, nothing's really
changed from that perspective. It's just a matter of us
(11:01):
going out and executing. And each week is different based
on the opponent you face and they're the problems that
they present. But certainly certainly is an emphasis, like I said,
every week. So hopefully we're able to get that done
this week.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Appreciate your time, best of luck against the Bears.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I began my interview with Scott by asking him about
Joe Flaco and as you probably know, Joe Calm's status
is a bit up in the air this week after
he sprained his shoulder against the Jets. Here's Zach Taylor.
Speaker 6 (11:29):
He wants to play in the game, and so kudos
to him. Man, he's been here three weeks. He wants
to play. He's speaking for him, but that's what he's
told me. We'll have to work through the week to
see if that's that's able to do that. It's a
throwing shoulder, it's painful, but I mean, call the guy
who wants to do that, wants to get out there
and play with something like that. Credit to him. So
(11:50):
we'll go through the week and see what it ends
up and have Jake ready to go to and just
see how it plays out for him to come in,
and it would be easy to make a decision that
there's no way, you know, I just I've got ac joint.
We got a bye week next week. Let's just let
this think. Heel up and that has not been the
communication he's given to me at all.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Now.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
Ultimately he may not be able to play. We may
make that decision, but for him just to want to
put it out there for our team himself. Like you
said before, he's just a football player. That's what he does.
That certainly goes along with me.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Flacco is limited at practice on Thursday. If he can't
play against the Bears, Jake Browning will start in Former
Saint Xavier High school quarterback Sean Clifford will move up
from the practice squad to be the backup. Sunday's game
will be televised by CBS, and the announcers will be
the same as last week. I caught up with one
(12:40):
of them to discuss the loss to the Jets and
this week's game against the Bears, but the second straight week,
former NFL safety Adam Archiletto will be in the booth
broadcasting the Bengals game on CBS Adam. Last week's game
was obviously a disappointing one for the Bengals, particularly on defense.
What stood out on that side of the ball as
(13:01):
the Bengals were unable to hold on to their lead
against the Jets.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Yeah, you know, it's a good reminder that as much
as you you think you know and understand these teams
before the game starts, and I'm specifically talking about the
New York Jets, we thought, man, it's going to be
hard for them to generate any offense whatsoever. How are
they going to do it without Wilson and you know,
fields with the situation that he was dealing with. And
(13:25):
then they just score thirty nine points, which is is
pretty crazy. But I just you know, what stands out
obviously is the trend here for Cincinnati's defense and their
inability to stop the run. That's where it all starts.
You know, if you can't stop the run, well forget
about trying to rush the passer and get to the quarterback,
(13:47):
because you're just now all of a sudden, your defense,
you're just thinking about how do we stop the bleeding?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
And I credit the Jets.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
They came in with a really good game plan, and
for Cincinnati, they got a lot of work to do.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Adam, the Bengals are playing a lot of young guys
on defense, including a couple of rookies that are starting
at linebacker. You started as a rookie for the Rams
back in your day. What was the learning curve like
for you in the NFL?
Speaker 4 (14:15):
It was pretty natural for me because I had a
defensive coordinator that really understood how to use me and
play to my strengths, and we kind of saw the
game the same way, so it was a natural transition.
One of the things that I was taught early, especially
with Lovey Smith, is the importance of understanding and knowing
what your keys are, because if you're seeing too much
(14:38):
in the game, you're making the game more complex. Well
then you can't play fast, and it doesn't really matter
how good you are, it doesn't matter what you're ceiling is.
If you're not making fast, decisive decisions based on your keys,
well then you're going to struggle. And certainly the game
now in this day and age, has gotten a little
bit more complex, but to me, it really comes down
(14:58):
to that. And when I watched these young players play,
they're not even getting to a place where they can
use their talent, because in my eyes, they're seeing too much.
They're not playing decisive and these little mistakes are getting
them in bad positions. And now you know that's why
you're seeing some of these big plays against his defense.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
You are a defensive back, what do you think of
Bengals cornerback DJ Turner, who's currently leading the NFL and
passes defense.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
What I'm seeing as a player that in man coverage
is really starting to trust himself and he's really starting
to play with great patients. He's playing with good leverage.
I mean, that's the key for any defensive back is
understanding where is your help?
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Where can I be strong and.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Knowing that, yes, I've got this great speed, so I
can be more patient, especially at the top of the route.
And then I think every cornerback the better you can
go and play the football and you can go take
that ball away and not just be a cover guy.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
But really look for the football.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
I mean, the interception he had in that Pittsburgh game
was just incredible. So I'm seeing a player that's starting
to believe in his abilities and play at a much
more confident level than we've seen him play.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
We are visiting with Adam Archalletta from CBS. I'm sure
in your seven NFL seasons there were times where the
offense played great and the defense struggled and vice versa.
How do you keep the group together when that happens.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I think that's always interesting, because you know, when I
played for the Rams, that was the greatest show on
turf on the other side of the ball, my rookie
year when we went to the Super Bowl. It was
the year in two thousand and one we lost to
the Patriots. We actually played pretty good. It was one
of the best offenses in NFL history, and I think
we were number one and number two in total defense
that season. That wasn't the case in the subsequent years,
(16:47):
and I think it can be hard. I think, you know,
it's really easy to fall into a trap of saying, hey,
we're doing our job. Those guys aren't doing their job,
especially when one side of the ball is so elite,
and that's the situation you have right now in Cincinnati
with the offense that they have, whether it's Burrow or Flacco.
So it can be difficult, especially when you're trying to
(17:07):
claw back into this season and you score thirty eight points,
you figure you should be able to win that football game.
But that's what team building is about, that's what culture
is about, that's what leadership and accountability. And I think
if you get to a point where you do become
a fractured locker room, you aren't going to be able
(17:28):
to win. But you are fighting against the human element
and the human nature of being a high end competitor.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You're not much older than Joe Flacco. Are you amazed
by what he's done in his first three weeks in Cincinnati?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
It is incredible, And you know, it's interesting talking to Joe.
Obviously he's still got the arm to be able to
play at a high level, But to me, it's his mentality.
I marvel at. You know, it's so easy when you
play sports to be if things don't go your way.
And let's face it, there's a point in this career
where it didn't go his way. He was a Super
(18:02):
Bowl winning quarterback that was basically relegated to backup status
the rest of his career, and it would be it's
so easy to be disgruntled, it's so easy to turn bitter,
it's so easy to blame everybody else, But I think
it's so refreshing and such a good lesson. When you
talk to him, you really feel this, and it's authentic.
(18:24):
He has a great gratitude for the game, He has
a great gratitude for where he at, where he's at
in this position in his career, and he's able to
go out there and really genuinely enjoy playing the game.
And to me, that is as rare as it gets
because unfortunately, and what I see in a lot of players,
(18:45):
and most players don't leave the game on their terms,
but a lot of players unfortunately had a chance to
live out their dream and play this game, and I
see them bitter at the end of their career because
things didn't go the way they felt either they were
injured or they just didn't feel like they got a
fair shake. And it's really refreshing and it's a great
reminder how we should approach everyday life. So I think
(19:06):
that's what I appreciate about Joe more than anything, is
not only his ability to come in and play, but
really his mentality towards the game and how he lives
every day.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
He's getting a ton of credit for what he's done
the last few weeks and deservedly so. But what about
the job that Zach Taylor and the offensive coaches have
done in getting him up to speed under these circumstances.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Listen, I think it's an incredible story.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
And you know, the game is the NFL game is complex,
There's no doubt about it. And to be able to
mix in different quarterbacks to try and come up with
a productive game plan, to devise an offense that in
just a few short weeks your players, not just the quarterback,
but everybody can still go out there and play fast,
(19:50):
is really incredible. And really, you know, I another place
where I credit Joe and you know I've had a
chance to cover him now when he was in Indianapolis
and in Cleveland and in a similar role is his
ability to simplify the game so that he plays fast.
I do think that coaches naturally try to overcomplicate things
(20:10):
because there's so much information that goes into playing at
a high level and it's your job as a player,
and I think coaches as well to strip away all
the extra minutia and get back to what are the
common denominators so we can go out and execute and
play fast. I know Joe does that and I really
credit Zach Taylor and his staff for understanding that. Listen,
(20:33):
with Burrow and that bank of knowledge and all the
different things that he can do, let's not try to
do that. What does Joe know? How can we simplify
it and let him play faster? And really, at the
end of the day, how can we get the ball
to our best players? And I think they've done an
incredible job of that in just a short time.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Adam arche letter from CBS is our guest. The Bengals
have had one hundred and forty two and one hundred
and eighty one rushing yards in the last two weeks.
The Bears are giving up more than one forty on
the ground per game this season. How important do you
view that for this Sunday?
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I think it's critically important, just the ability to have balance. Listen,
this is going to be a passing football team with
the way your offense is built. What I thought, and
really what I've seen Cincinnati do a great job of,
especially in this last game against the New York Jets,
is teams are going to dedicate their resources to stop
(21:27):
and chase in Higgins. Defense to me is all about
how do you use the extra man. You have an
extra guy on defense, do you use them in coverage?
Do you use them in the back end, do you
use them and put them on the defensive line, do
you blitz them, do you put them in the box.
How do you allocate that extra person? And you saw
many times in that game on Sunday where the Jets
(21:49):
use the extra person to cover Chase or to double Higgins.
And many times you saw Joe check to a run
and when you have your safeties back and you have
the advantageous position and check to that run, you saw
it had devastating consequences and they were able to run it. Well,
same thing happened in the Pittsburgh game. So to have
(22:11):
a quarterback that can manage that, you obviously have that
in Joe. Well they're both Joe, but you obviously have
that in Burrow. But with Flacco, he made several checks
in that game that put them in an advantageous position
to give it to Chase Brown, and he took advantage
of it. So just being able to play the game
within the game and be able to capitalize and get
those explosive runs gives you one more thing that you
(22:33):
have to think about on defense.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Whose name is not Chase in Higgins.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Chicago has sixteen takeaways. The Bears lead the NFL in
turnover ratio. What jumps out when you watch that Bears
d Well.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
That's been their calling card.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
We had the Bears in I don't know it was
Week three or four when they played the Raiders, and listen,
in their four wins, they've had three games with four takeaways,
in one game with three takeaways, and their losses they
had they had no takeaways.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And so give you just simple math.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
You give your offense more possessions, you take possessions away
from the other team, you have a much better chance
of winning. They have some ballhawks on that defense. Kevin
Byer has been one of the NFL's best as a
free safety for a long now, almost a decade now
and taking away the football, and so to me, that
is going to be essential. Now, who knows who's going
(23:27):
to play quarterback this week, hopefully Flacco for the Bengals.
He's going to be healthy and he can play. I mean,
that's certainly one of the best things that he has
done is take care of the football and not give
it to the other team. So that has been the
Bears formula. That's been the Bears what they've done, and
they didn't do it this last week against Baltimore and
(23:48):
they ended up losing that game.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Final thing for Adam Archialetta. It's been a crazy first
half of the season in the AFC North. The first
place Steelers only have one more win than the Bengals.
Is your view of the state of affairs in this division?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
You know what, I have no no idea what's gonna happen.
Like like I said, I I did not expect the Jets.
I thought they were gonna struggle. And you say, listen,
and this is where I I. You know, people talk
about strength of schedule, Well it doesn't really apply because
the Jets hadn't won a game. So tell me that
game was easy for the Bengals, right, Neither team.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I think.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Obviously of Joe's health, that's gonna be a factor in this.
I do think at the end of the day, it's
gonna it's gonna come down to December football. Both teams
have glaring holes on one part of their team. The Steelers,
even though they're highly paid on defense, can't seem to
stop anybody. And right now the Bengals, they they have
(24:52):
their own issues on the defensive side of the ball,
So to me, I still think the Bengals have a
chance to find themselves in this. I think baltim More still,
if they get Lamar back, has a chance to find
themselves in it. You can't necessarily trust that the Steelers
are going to go on any sort of a run.
So every single team here in the NFC or the
AFC North, outside of the Browns, they have some issues
(25:15):
they have to fix and they have to play perfect
football down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Adam Save travels back to Cincinnati this weekend and thanks
so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
No problem. Can't wait for another good one.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,
Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business,
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. The Bengals are
(25:47):
a two and a half point underdog this week against
the four and three Chicago Bears. Under new head coach
Ben Johnson. The highly creative former offensive coordinator in Detroit.
Last year with the Lion, Johnson had a play called
stumblebum where quarterback Jared Goff pretended to be falling down,
running back Jamiir Gibbs dove to the ground as if
(26:09):
he was recovering the fumble, and then Goff straightened up
and threw a touchdown pass. Perhaps it was no coincidence
that the victim on that play was the team that
hired him to be their head coach, the Chicago Bears.
Johnson worked with Zach Taylor for four years in Miami.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
Incredibly smart. I mean, this is no surprise where he's
at in his career, the job he's doing. I think
anyone who's ever interacted with him and worked with him
would see this coming. You know, one of the easily
one of the smartest people I've ever been around, great
outside the box thinker. He's worked his way up the
hard way. You know, when he got to Detroit, he
(26:49):
had to work up even though he was way overqualified
for where he started. That's just where you do. And
he just kept earning the trust of people and working
on his way all the way up through the ranks.
Did it all the hard Way did a great job
at every level he's been at tight end coach to
coordinator or Tom now the head coach, and so I'm
not surprised at all the job that has done.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Johnson had his pick of several head coaching jobs, and
one of the reasons why he chose Chicago was the
opportunity to work with the number one pick in last
year's draft, Caleb Williams. The voice of the Bears, Jeff Joniak,
joined Dave Lapham and me on the Bengals Game Plan
Show this week, and I started our conversation by asking
him about Williams play this season.
Speaker 7 (27:31):
Well, he's definitely making progress. And you know, I can
look at statistics many different ways as we all can.
And Ron Rivera, my good friend and former Bears linebacker
and former head coach, in a couple of spots that
figures lieon Liar's figure. But I'm going to go with
the positives and Caleb, when you look at key situational football,
(27:52):
whether it be first down performance, what he does on
third down, what he done in the fourth quarter games.
You know, his quarterback ratings here have been up over
one hundred, so you know that's just one simple breadcrumb
leading to a bigger picture. But despite the loss last week,
and it was a tough one to take, no question
(28:13):
about it, Ben Johnson said he made major progress last week.
And as long as we keep pairing major progress for
a young quarterback, that's music to my ears.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
What about the Chicago Bears in general, you know, it
seems like they've had their moments where they're playing pretty
darn dude football. I think it's a solid football team,
and then they've had other moments where you know, it's
been a struggle. And I guess I don't know. I
don't know exactly what the anticipation was organizationally for the
(28:44):
season for the Chicago Bears. I don't know if they're
living up to it or whether they're not, or you know,
just right right in the middle of all those expectations
in terms of how they performed. What is it about
the Chicago Bears why? I guess consistency or inconsistency might
be the best way to put it. What's the reason
(29:05):
for the inconsistency do you think, Jeff?
Speaker 7 (29:08):
You know, and a lot of self inflicted wounds. I mean,
that would really sum up some of their losses here
Detroit was the exception that was just a steam rolling
walked into a hornet's nest there. But the penalties, you know,
they're one of the highest penalized teams in the NFL.
The false starts, they've got the most in the NFL.
Those pre snap things will drive any any coach crazy,
(29:29):
particularly an offensive coordinator who is the head coach in
this case, Ben Johnson, So he's challenged much like Zach
Taylor's challenged the defensive leaders of the football team there
in your neck of the woods. He's challenged the offensive
leaders in the Bears to clean it up and make
sure that they stop hurting themselves because it has happened
(29:50):
at critical moments. And there could be other penalties too,
including special teams that affected the balance of the field,
that put the team where they would back somebody up,
or you know, now it's a big penalty that that
wipes it out and now you get the football thirty
yards up down the field. So many of those types
of things, I think, you know, the first part of
the season, especially with the first time head coach and
(30:13):
a new staff, there's growing pains that come with learning
new schemes and particularly a very challenging and dynamic offensive
concepts that that Ben Johnson puts down the table.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
The Bears have sixteen takeaways. They are number one in
the NFL in turnover ratio. How are they doing it?
How are they getting that many takeaways on defense?
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Well, they're rallying to the ball, and you know, it's
a feeding frenzy when it starts to happen. They did
not have one last week and that was a tough
tell reason for the defeat. They were living on that
and they were turning those into points. Think they have
fifty points off takeaways. You know, I made a mistake.
I was talking. I was talking with the former All
(30:58):
Pro cornerback and Bears defensive back coach and passing game
coordinator Al Harris about, Hey, the ball is finding certain
players and it had been the case all throughout training
camp fellas, I mean guys like Tremaine Edmunds, guys like
Kevin Bayern and it spilled over into the regular season.
And I said, you know, why is the ball finding
these players? Is Is it just because of the And
(31:20):
he kept shaking his head. Am I on the run track?
He goes it's mindset, he corrected me, and I kept
trying to push that envelope. Nope, it's about mindset, and
I do believe this team plays with that mindset and
that fire and if they're able to cut it loose
and play physical and violent, that's what That's what every
coach wants. But that's been stated as one of the
(31:42):
key components of what they want the identity of this
team to be in all three phases. You know, the
ball is going to come out hard hits or ricochets,
or you know, making teams feel uncomfortable when that ball
is in the air, or if they're running at you
and you're getting raked every time you touch the ball.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
When I think Chicago Bears, I think Dick but Kis,
I think, you know, just stoning people. I think, you know,
Walter Payton running people over and you know, putting cleat
marks up their chest and their face mask as he
runs them over. You know, I just think about Top Bears,
the Chicago Bears, I mean, monsters are the Midway. Have
(32:22):
they got that mentality? Does this group have that type
of mentality, because historically the Bears have been all about that.
They've been one of the most physical teams in the
National Football League, is this group of guys. Are they
up to the task.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
Yeah, I mean they want to be. And I you know,
it's funny you brought that up because I've been banging
that drum for years. I don't know, call me a meathead,
I don't know what you want to call me, but
I guess I'm romanticizing the same thing of but just
peering over a guy on the ground after blasting him
and Mike Singletary in his eyes in that eighty five
defense in the sixty three championship team, those teams from
(32:59):
the forties. You know, I always feel that you should
reflect the city that you play in. And now this
is the city of broad shoulders. This is you know,
rough and tumble Chicago, the meat yards back in the day.
You know, just that kind of mentality, and I think
Bears fans expect it, they love it when it happens,
(33:21):
and I do too. And I think when you close
your eyes, especially in the AFC North, in the NFC North,
the old Black and Blue Division, in the NFC Central,
the AFC Central, and I go, I'm very familiar with
both of those divisions where I have grown up in
my life, and you can close your eyes and know
(33:45):
what a Steeler looks like, what a Raven looks like,
what a Cleveland Brown and ball in Cincinnati Bengal looked
like throughout the history of their franchise. And you can
say the same thing about the four teams in the
NFC North.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Jeff ben Johnson was the coach that every team with
a vacancy last year wanted to hire. How did the
Bears come out on top in that derby to come
away with Ben Johnson?
Speaker 7 (34:12):
In his first introduction, he simply said I want this
job and it was over. Got it. As soon as
he said I want this job. He got that job.
And he made it clear before they even uttered a
single question in the interview, I want this job, and
that passion connected and it didn't hurt that he's very
(34:33):
well paid in addition, but he was going to get
that no matter where you go. But the Bears dipped
into their vault and they paid what they believe was
the best candidate for the job in this hiring cycle.
And I listen, man, I think this is my eighth
head coach in my twenty nine years associated with a team.
(34:53):
In twenty five is play by play. I've met some
amazing coaches, all kinds of coaches, different personalities. Uh, this
this guy has me waking up every day excited about
what I'm going to see next and certainly on game day,
what what plan is going to be put together offensively
and and and I feel the same way frankly about
(35:14):
Dennis Allen right now. I'm just excited to see what
they bring to the table because they have They are
making new game plans every single week for their opponent.
And then that's just relying on, you know, a bunch
of plays thrown together. That they have a they have
a plan, and I do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
What are you expecting? What is the media expecting? What
do you think you're gonna see how the Chicago Bears
all season long? What's going to be their staple? What's
going to be the thing they hang their hat on?
No matter what, the Chicago Bears will be.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
This physical and violent. That's what they want to be.
They want to if you're if you're gonna get into
a fight, you know, and you're gonna win that fight
and you're gonna leave Chicago or they're gonna you're gonna
feel that game, and you want to feel them when
you watch and turn on the tape and you know
that you're going to be in for a long six minutes,
(36:06):
no matter what the outcome. I think that's kind of
the notion and all three phases, not just not just defense,
but offense and special teams. And I'm sure every coach
in the league want that right, but you've got to
speak it into existence and make it a thing. And
then believing because this has been a franchise obviously it
(36:27):
has had a roller coaster ride, and they have to
feel and understand what it takes to win, that every
play counts, that every play matters, and learn how to
do it. And they started that process during that four
game winning streak, and they want to make sure that
that feeling does not vacate the facility after one setback
(36:49):
last week.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
All right, thanks to Jeff joni Ack, And here's a
quick invitation to join Lap and Wayne box Miller for
the Bengals pep Rally show this week. They'll be at
the on the Rhine eatery that it's the food hall
on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on Friday
from three to six and their special guest in the
final hour will be Defensive tackle Chris Jenkins, That's going
(37:11):
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 elevate your home, business and community to
a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care
for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare
(37:32):
provider of the Bengals. If you haven't done so already,
please subscribe to this podcast and if you have them
in it, give it a rating or share a comment
that helps for Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde
and thank you for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast
Hi, get everybody on Dan Hord and thanks for downloading
The Bengals Booth podcast. The move Along Move Along like
a new You Do addition, as the Bengals look to
bounce back from last week's loss to the Jets as
they host the Chicago Bears coming up, the Bengals have
rushed for more than one hundred and forty yards in
two straight games. I'll ask offensive line coach Scott Peters
(00:27):
to explain why former Rams safety Adam Archiletta is calling
the Bengals game for the second straight week on CBS
and shares his thoughts on the team. And in this
week's Know the Faux segment, we'll hear from the voice
of the Chicago Bears, Jeff Joniak. The Bengals Booth Podcast
is brought to you by pay Corps, Proud to be
the Bengals official HR software provider, by Alta Fiber future
(00:51):
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 Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a
quick reminder that you can have the latest edition of
this podcast delivered right to your phone, tablet, or computer
by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest
(01:14):
thing since the miked up segments on Bengals dot com.
Every week, the Bengals video crew puts a microphone on
a player or two and then puts together a video
for the team's website. Here's a snippet of Ted Carris's
micd up segment following the Thursday night win over Pittsburgh.
Let's go, let's go, hud huddle, huddle, hudd up.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Hey, no one relaxes from session.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Me and you mimsy, Me you moby, Me and you mimsy.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
The kick is off. Yeah, good, good, great job.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Great job.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I love you, man, I love I love you.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
I love you too, man.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Great job, Scott Riach job, great job, matters. Let's finish
you saw me.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
I'm not there yet. Yeah yeah. That Ted talk was
highly amusing, and last week Joe Flacco and t Higgins
were both miked up in the game against the Jets,
and their three and a half minute segment is outstanding.
The Bengals have been doing these videos for years, but
(02:23):
I think they've been better than ever this season. You
can watch all of them by going to Bengals dot com,
clicking video, and then clicking miked up. Now let's get
to my first guest. The Bengals offensive line has taken
a share of criticism in recent years, so how about
giving credit when credits due. In the last two weeks,
(02:45):
Cincinnati has averaged thirty five and a half points and
more than four hundred and thirty yards of offense. And
it hasn't just been Joe Flacco to Jamar Chase, the
Bengals have averaged more than one hundred and sixty rushing
yards in the last two weeks while surrendering a total
of three sacks. That success begins up front, and I
(03:07):
discussed it this week with offensive line coach Scott Peters. Scott,
you are not much older than your quarterback Joe Flack.
What's impressed you since he arrived three weeks ago. Well,
part of it's I mean that I'm not that much
older than him.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean for a guy to come in and do
what he's been able to do to help our team
is impressive. I've seen it before when I was in Cleveland.
He joined us late in the year and really helped
the team. Gave us a boost. And the thing that's
most impressive is that he can just walk in with calmness,
coolness and just you know, learn a new system and
be able to go out there and play ball at.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
A high level.
Speaker 5 (03:42):
It's a lot of confidence for the unit. And I think,
you know, he's obviously done a good job for us
so far.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
He's a pocket passer. He's not going to be running
around a lot back there at age forty, but he's
only been sacked four times so far in three games.
How his Joe, even with limited mobility at this stage,
help the offensive line.
Speaker 5 (04:01):
Well, I think every line coach will tell you it's
probably getting the ball out on time, but that always helps.
But I think, you know, being able to manage a
run game two, you know, get the run game up
and going and helping us there making the right checks
and things like that. But yeah, it's all the above.
I think there's a lot of factors that play into that.
But we're we're excited about, you know, the direction.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Let's talk about the run game. Two weeks ago, one
hundred and forty two yards against Pittsburgh. Last week one
against the Jets, you've averaged seven yards per run during
that two game stretch.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
What changed, you know, I think it's it's kind of
getting you know, the run game is a something that
you got to develop. And I think it's combination blocks,
it's phasing, timing the backs, understanding how we're blocking, and
their vision. I think they did an incredible job of
playing off of us and you know, the guys that
you know, you get new people in there, and I
think as far as the line goes, just the way
(04:54):
we want our combinations run, the where our blocking structures
is run, and again just kind of repetition. I think,
you know, obviously starting the year out with Joe in there, Burrow,
you're you know, you're going to throw the ball a lot.
So it's feeding the running game. It's like you got
to feed it for it to grow. And I think
that's part of it. But no, I think the guys
bought in and we've done a nice job and played
(05:14):
hard and I think they take great pride in it.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
We're visiting the offensive line, Kirk Scott Peters. Right now,
You're starting lineup includes a twenty three year old and
his second year at right tackle and a couple of
rookies at the guard positions. What are the biggest challenges
that go with inexperience.
Speaker 5 (05:27):
Up front, it's the getting past the inexperience because at
some point we expect them to be experienced. You know,
you got to take that each each measure you got
to you know, you got to be able to leave
each game with you know something, you know, an upgrade
and knowledge upgrade to be able to take each lesson
as they come. So then the next time you see it.
Because you see a lot of things in this league,
but really you start to see patterns and so when
(05:49):
the players start to grow, that's when you start to
see results in success. So not every day is a
new day, and I think that's what's challenging, is getting
that off the ground where guys truly can grow and
you want to see those players, young players in particular,
to us end, that's really what makes a difference, where
where they get the exposure and the experience, and that's
really how players do improve is getting experience in the game.
(06:10):
It's a challenge for them, and I think that they've
done a nice job so far, and we expect them
to continue to grow. That's the expectation and we hope
they do that.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
I was talking to Ted Carriss last week, and he
said that he thinks the three young guys Mims, Delan
Fairchild and Jalen Rivers could start together on this offensive
line for ten years, like it's the nucleus of a
really good offensive line. Are you seeing signs that that
could be the case.
Speaker 5 (06:36):
You know, you'd love that, You'd love that. I mean,
I think that's what every line dreams of is. You
want continuity. And those three men have have done everything
we've asked of them, and again there's there's learning curve,
but yeah, that would be that would be exceptional because
they're good people. They're good, you know, good men, they're
smart guys, they're they're tough, they're physically capable, you know,
(06:56):
getting the exposure and the comfortability there together itself to success.
I mean, you really want continuity at the line position,
and I think that would be great if those guys
were able to play that along together. It's not not
very common these days in this in this realm in
the NFL, but but that certainly would be an awesome thing.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
I asked you about a Marius Mims during training camp.
You said the following quote, you have to be greedy
about how good you want to be. It's not enough
to block people, you have to dominate them. I know
you've said the same thing to him. Do you see
him developing that mindset?
Speaker 4 (07:26):
You do?
Speaker 5 (07:27):
And and that's it. That doesn't happen immediately either overnight.
And I think for him it's been incremental to growth.
And the last game excited us. You know, we see
one one step more. He's starting to get that greed
and that hunger to that can really be really good
at this, you know, And and he can be. And
I think you know what you've seen early on as
a guy that's raw, that you know, didn't play a
ton in college, came here, played a little bit. Last year,
(07:49):
played you know, he played with an injury and and
you know his development was probably stunted that way. But
I think what he's done is, uh, he's he's just
continually ascended with experience. And then when you get a
chance to go out there against the top rushers in
the league and and you've played well and then you
see mistakes that you made, He's he's taken to the
to the you know, the classroom and on the field,
he's working extra with me. And so yeah, I think
(08:10):
he's got all the potential to be the best, and
and you see that spark in his eye. I think
a lot of it's about the confidence that you need
to feel like you can truly.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Dominate in this game. And I think he sees it.
Speaker 5 (08:23):
It's possibility for him.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Your techniques are a little bit different from what most
of these guys have done before. Did they embrace it
right away or is there a little bit of reluctance
to change when you've made it to the highest level
doing things one way.
Speaker 5 (08:37):
I don't know that they've like outwardly embraced it or
not embraced it. I think that they've all attempted to
do it early on. I think the issue is when
you when you get certain, you know you have to
build movement patterns in the body. So what's happened is
you understand that takes some time, and you get guys
that have done it successfully at a high level for
a long time. It's even harder yet for those guys.
(08:57):
And I got to say, like, like Ted Carris has
has done an exceptional job for someone that has played
this many games in his life, come in and here's
a new coach tell him to do things just a
little differently, and sometimes it's quite different from what he's
done in the past, and that takes a lot of
reps into his credit. He's really worked hard at it
and he's embraced it and he's seeing results with it.
(09:17):
So it's been really positive that way. And I think
it's just like anything, it's not so much that that
guys reject or embrace. It's more about just what the
unconscious body will do and that just takes time to
time and repetition.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
A couple more questions for Scott Peters. You were an
NFL player for eight years. I'm sure there were times
where one side of the ball performed better than the other.
When that happens, how do you avoid whitting fingers? Essentially?
Speaker 5 (09:43):
Well, I reminded our guys, you know, it wasn't too
long ago when we were the ones that weren't playing
up to our standard, and we got to be there
to support our team because it's a team game, so
it can't do it without everybody, and our guys are
fully aware of that.
Speaker 6 (09:55):
That's what they.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
Are their leadership, and that's what we expect of our players.
Speaker 7 (10:00):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:00):
Good, We have a really good room of guys and
it takes a whole team to win, so as frustrating
as it might be, and it was very frustrating to
lose the game, it's a team effort and where you know,
and it's always going to be the case in football,
So we just need some group to step up if
somebody's not playing well or not it didn't have a
good performance day. It's a team that makes this happen.
(10:21):
So our guys are fully embraced of the defense and
the players on that side of the ball because it's
going to take all of.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
Us to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
You face the Bears this week. They've had some issues
stopping the run. They're giving up more than one hundred
and forty rushing yards per game. After what you've done
the last two weeks, how important is the running game
against Chicago?
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Well, it's always important. You know, when you have great
receivers like we do and a good quarterback that's able
to distribute the ball, you know, you want to be
a balanced outfit, and when you can run the ball effectively,
it really opens you up to a lot of good possibility.
So of course we're putting a lot of premium on
every week. You know, it's always the case, nothing's really
changed from that perspective. It's just a matter of us
(11:01):
going out and executing. And each week is different based
on the opponent you face and they're the problems that
they present. But certainly certainly is an emphasis, like I said,
every week. So hopefully we're able to get that done
this week.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Appreciate your time, best of luck against the Bears.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
Appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
I began my interview with Scott by asking him about
Joe Flaco and as you probably know, Joe Calm's status
is a bit up in the air this week after
he sprained his shoulder against the Jets. Here's Zach Taylor.
Speaker 6 (11:29):
He wants to play in the game, and so kudos
to him. Man, he's been here three weeks. He wants
to play. He's speaking for him, but that's what he's
told me. We'll have to work through the week to
see if that's that's able to do that. It's a
throwing shoulder, it's painful, but I mean, call the guy
who wants to do that, wants to get out there
and play with something like that. Credit to him. So
(11:50):
we'll go through the week and see what it ends
up and have Jake ready to go to and just
see how it plays out for him to come in,
and it would be easy to make a decision that
there's no way, you know, I just I've got ac joint.
We got a bye week next week. Let's just let
this think. Heel up and that has not been the
communication he's given to me at all.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Now.
Speaker 6 (12:07):
Ultimately he may not be able to play. We may
make that decision, but for him just to want to
put it out there for our team himself. Like you
said before, he's just a football player. That's what he does.
That certainly goes along with me.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Flacco is limited at practice on Thursday. If he can't
play against the Bears, Jake Browning will start in Former
Saint Xavier High school quarterback Sean Clifford will move up
from the practice squad to be the backup. Sunday's game
will be televised by CBS, and the announcers will be
the same as last week. I caught up with one
(12:40):
of them to discuss the loss to the Jets and
this week's game against the Bears, but the second straight week,
former NFL safety Adam Archiletto will be in the booth
broadcasting the Bengals game on CBS Adam. Last week's game
was obviously a disappointing one for the Bengals, particularly on defense.
What stood out on that side of the ball as
(13:01):
the Bengals were unable to hold on to their lead
against the Jets.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
Yeah, you know, it's a good reminder that as much
as you you think you know and understand these teams
before the game starts, and I'm specifically talking about the
New York Jets, we thought, man, it's going to be
hard for them to generate any offense whatsoever. How are
they going to do it without Wilson and you know,
fields with the situation that he was dealing with. And
(13:25):
then they just score thirty nine points, which is is
pretty crazy. But I just you know, what stands out
obviously is the trend here for Cincinnati's defense and their
inability to stop the run. That's where it all starts.
You know, if you can't stop the run, well forget
about trying to rush the passer and get to the quarterback,
(13:47):
because you're just now all of a sudden, your defense,
you're just thinking about how do we stop the bleeding?
Speaker 3 (13:53):
And I credit the Jets.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
They came in with a really good game plan, and
for Cincinnati, they got a lot of work to do.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Adam, the Bengals are playing a lot of young guys
on defense, including a couple of rookies that are starting
at linebacker. You started as a rookie for the Rams
back in your day. What was the learning curve like
for you in the NFL?
Speaker 4 (14:15):
It was pretty natural for me because I had a
defensive coordinator that really understood how to use me and
play to my strengths, and we kind of saw the
game the same way, so it was a natural transition.
One of the things that I was taught early, especially
with Lovey Smith, is the importance of understanding and knowing
what your keys are, because if you're seeing too much
(14:38):
in the game, you're making the game more complex. Well
then you can't play fast, and it doesn't really matter
how good you are, it doesn't matter what you're ceiling is.
If you're not making fast, decisive decisions based on your keys,
well then you're going to struggle. And certainly the game
now in this day and age, has gotten a little
bit more complex, but to me, it really comes down
(14:58):
to that. And when I watched these young players play,
they're not even getting to a place where they can
use their talent, because in my eyes, they're seeing too much.
They're not playing decisive and these little mistakes are getting
them in bad positions. And now you know that's why
you're seeing some of these big plays against his defense.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
You are a defensive back, what do you think of
Bengals cornerback DJ Turner, who's currently leading the NFL and
passes defense.
Speaker 4 (15:27):
What I'm seeing as a player that in man coverage
is really starting to trust himself and he's really starting
to play with great patients. He's playing with good leverage.
I mean, that's the key for any defensive back is
understanding where is your help?
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Where can I be strong and.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Knowing that, yes, I've got this great speed, so I
can be more patient, especially at the top of the route.
And then I think every cornerback the better you can
go and play the football and you can go take
that ball away and not just be a cover guy.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
But really look for the football.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
I mean, the interception he had in that Pittsburgh game
was just incredible. So I'm seeing a player that's starting
to believe in his abilities and play at a much
more confident level than we've seen him play.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
We are visiting with Adam Archalletta from CBS. I'm sure
in your seven NFL seasons there were times where the
offense played great and the defense struggled and vice versa.
How do you keep the group together when that happens.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
I think that's always interesting, because you know, when I
played for the Rams, that was the greatest show on
turf on the other side of the ball, my rookie
year when we went to the Super Bowl. It was
the year in two thousand and one we lost to
the Patriots. We actually played pretty good. It was one
of the best offenses in NFL history, and I think
we were number one and number two in total defense
that season. That wasn't the case in the subsequent years,
(16:47):
and I think it can be hard. I think, you know,
it's really easy to fall into a trap of saying, hey,
we're doing our job. Those guys aren't doing their job,
especially when one side of the ball is so elite,
and that's the situation you have right now in Cincinnati
with the offense that they have, whether it's Burrow or Flacco.
So it can be difficult, especially when you're trying to
(17:07):
claw back into this season and you score thirty eight points,
you figure you should be able to win that football game.
But that's what team building is about, that's what culture
is about, that's what leadership and accountability. And I think
if you get to a point where you do become
a fractured locker room, you aren't going to be able
(17:28):
to win. But you are fighting against the human element
and the human nature of being a high end competitor.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You're not much older than Joe Flacco. Are you amazed
by what he's done in his first three weeks in Cincinnati?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
It is incredible, And you know, it's interesting talking to Joe.
Obviously he's still got the arm to be able to
play at a high level, But to me, it's his mentality.
I marvel at. You know, it's so easy when you
play sports to be if things don't go your way.
And let's face it, there's a point in this career
where it didn't go his way. He was a Super
(18:02):
Bowl winning quarterback that was basically relegated to backup status
the rest of his career, and it would be it's
so easy to be disgruntled, it's so easy to turn bitter,
it's so easy to blame everybody else, But I think
it's so refreshing and such a good lesson. When you
talk to him, you really feel this, and it's authentic.
(18:24):
He has a great gratitude for the game, He has
a great gratitude for where he at, where he's at
in this position in his career, and he's able to
go out there and really genuinely enjoy playing the game.
And to me, that is as rare as it gets
because unfortunately, and what I see in a lot of players,
(18:45):
and most players don't leave the game on their terms,
but a lot of players unfortunately had a chance to
live out their dream and play this game, and I
see them bitter at the end of their career because
things didn't go the way they felt either they were
injured or they just didn't feel like they got a
fair shake. And it's really refreshing and it's a great
reminder how we should approach everyday life. So I think
(19:06):
that's what I appreciate about Joe more than anything, is
not only his ability to come in and play, but
really his mentality towards the game and how he lives
every day.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
He's getting a ton of credit for what he's done
the last few weeks and deservedly so. But what about
the job that Zach Taylor and the offensive coaches have
done in getting him up to speed under these circumstances.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Listen, I think it's an incredible story.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
And you know, the game is the NFL game is complex,
There's no doubt about it. And to be able to
mix in different quarterbacks to try and come up with
a productive game plan, to devise an offense that in
just a few short weeks your players, not just the quarterback,
but everybody can still go out there and play fast,
(19:50):
is really incredible. And really, you know, I another place
where I credit Joe and you know I've had a
chance to cover him now when he was in Indianapolis
and in Cleveland and in a similar role is his
ability to simplify the game so that he plays fast.
I do think that coaches naturally try to overcomplicate things
(20:10):
because there's so much information that goes into playing at
a high level and it's your job as a player,
and I think coaches as well to strip away all
the extra minutia and get back to what are the
common denominators so we can go out and execute and
play fast. I know Joe does that and I really
credit Zach Taylor and his staff for understanding that. Listen,
(20:33):
with Burrow and that bank of knowledge and all the
different things that he can do, let's not try to
do that. What does Joe know? How can we simplify
it and let him play faster? And really, at the
end of the day, how can we get the ball
to our best players? And I think they've done an
incredible job of that in just a short time.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Adam arche letter from CBS is our guest. The Bengals
have had one hundred and forty two and one hundred
and eighty one rushing yards in the last two weeks.
The Bears are giving up more than one forty on
the ground per game this season. How important do you
view that for this Sunday?
Speaker 4 (21:06):
I think it's critically important, just the ability to have balance. Listen,
this is going to be a passing football team with
the way your offense is built. What I thought, and
really what I've seen Cincinnati do a great job of,
especially in this last game against the New York Jets,
is teams are going to dedicate their resources to stop
(21:27):
and chase in Higgins. Defense to me is all about
how do you use the extra man. You have an
extra guy on defense, do you use them in coverage?
Do you use them in the back end, do you
use them and put them on the defensive line, do
you blitz them, do you put them in the box.
How do you allocate that extra person? And you saw
many times in that game on Sunday where the Jets
(21:49):
use the extra person to cover Chase or to double Higgins.
And many times you saw Joe check to a run
and when you have your safeties back and you have
the advantageous position and check to that run, you saw
it had devastating consequences and they were able to run it. Well,
same thing happened in the Pittsburgh game. So to have
(22:11):
a quarterback that can manage that, you obviously have that
in Joe. Well they're both Joe, but you obviously have
that in Burrow. But with Flacco, he made several checks
in that game that put them in an advantageous position
to give it to Chase Brown, and he took advantage
of it. So just being able to play the game
within the game and be able to capitalize and get
those explosive runs gives you one more thing that you
(22:33):
have to think about on defense.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
Whose name is not Chase in Higgins.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
Chicago has sixteen takeaways. The Bears lead the NFL in
turnover ratio. What jumps out when you watch that Bears
d Well.
Speaker 3 (22:46):
That's been their calling card.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
We had the Bears in I don't know it was
Week three or four when they played the Raiders, and listen,
in their four wins, they've had three games with four takeaways,
in one game with three takeaways, and their losses they
had they had no takeaways.
Speaker 3 (23:03):
And so give you just simple math.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
You give your offense more possessions, you take possessions away
from the other team, you have a much better chance
of winning. They have some ballhawks on that defense. Kevin
Byer has been one of the NFL's best as a
free safety for a long now, almost a decade now
and taking away the football, and so to me, that
is going to be essential. Now, who knows who's going
(23:27):
to play quarterback this week, hopefully Flacco for the Bengals.
He's going to be healthy and he can play. I mean,
that's certainly one of the best things that he has
done is take care of the football and not give
it to the other team. So that has been the
Bears formula. That's been the Bears what they've done, and
they didn't do it this last week against Baltimore and
(23:48):
they ended up losing that game.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Final thing for Adam Archialetta. It's been a crazy first
half of the season in the AFC North. The first
place Steelers only have one more win than the Bengals.
Is your view of the state of affairs in this division?
Speaker 4 (24:04):
You know what, I have no no idea what's gonna happen.
Like like I said, I I did not expect the Jets.
I thought they were gonna struggle. And you say, listen,
and this is where I I. You know, people talk
about strength of schedule, Well it doesn't really apply because
the Jets hadn't won a game. So tell me that
game was easy for the Bengals, right, Neither team.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
I think.
Speaker 4 (24:30):
Obviously of Joe's health, that's gonna be a factor in this.
I do think at the end of the day, it's
gonna it's gonna come down to December football. Both teams
have glaring holes on one part of their team. The Steelers,
even though they're highly paid on defense, can't seem to
stop anybody. And right now the Bengals, they they have
(24:52):
their own issues on the defensive side of the ball,
So to me, I still think the Bengals have a
chance to find themselves in this. I think baltim More still,
if they get Lamar back, has a chance to find
themselves in it. You can't necessarily trust that the Steelers
are going to go on any sort of a run.
So every single team here in the NFC or the
AFC North, outside of the Browns, they have some issues
(25:15):
they have to fix and they have to play perfect
football down the stretch.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
Adam Save travels back to Cincinnati this weekend and thanks
so much for your time.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
No problem. Can't wait for another good one.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,
Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
Alta Fiber, future proof Fiber Internet designed to elevate your home, business,
and community to a new level, and by Kettering Health
the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health is
the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. The Bengals are
(25:47):
a two and a half point underdog this week against
the four and three Chicago Bears. Under new head coach
Ben Johnson. The highly creative former offensive coordinator in Detroit.
Last year with the Lion, Johnson had a play called
stumblebum where quarterback Jared Goff pretended to be falling down,
running back Jamiir Gibbs dove to the ground as if
(26:09):
he was recovering the fumble, and then Goff straightened up
and threw a touchdown pass. Perhaps it was no coincidence
that the victim on that play was the team that
hired him to be their head coach, the Chicago Bears.
Johnson worked with Zach Taylor for four years in Miami.
Speaker 6 (26:27):
Incredibly smart. I mean, this is no surprise where he's
at in his career, the job he's doing. I think
anyone who's ever interacted with him and worked with him
would see this coming. You know, one of the easily
one of the smartest people I've ever been around, great
outside the box thinker. He's worked his way up the
hard way. You know, when he got to Detroit, he
(26:49):
had to work up even though he was way overqualified
for where he started. That's just where you do. And
he just kept earning the trust of people and working
on his way all the way up through the ranks.
Did it all the hard Way did a great job
at every level he's been at tight end coach to
coordinator or Tom now the head coach, and so I'm
not surprised at all the job that has done.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
Johnson had his pick of several head coaching jobs, and
one of the reasons why he chose Chicago was the
opportunity to work with the number one pick in last
year's draft, Caleb Williams. The voice of the Bears, Jeff Joniak,
joined Dave Lapham and me on the Bengals Game Plan
Show this week, and I started our conversation by asking
him about Williams play this season.
Speaker 7 (27:31):
Well, he's definitely making progress. And you know, I can
look at statistics many different ways as we all can.
And Ron Rivera, my good friend and former Bears linebacker
and former head coach, in a couple of spots that
figures lieon Liar's figure. But I'm going to go with
the positives and Caleb, when you look at key situational football,
(27:52):
whether it be first down performance, what he does on
third down, what he done in the fourth quarter games.
You know, his quarterback ratings here have been up over
one hundred, so you know that's just one simple breadcrumb
leading to a bigger picture. But despite the loss last week,
and it was a tough one to take, no question
(28:13):
about it, Ben Johnson said he made major progress last week.
And as long as we keep pairing major progress for
a young quarterback, that's music to my ears.
Speaker 2 (28:23):
What about the Chicago Bears in general, you know, it
seems like they've had their moments where they're playing pretty
darn dude football. I think it's a solid football team,
and then they've had other moments where you know, it's
been a struggle. And I guess I don't know. I
don't know exactly what the anticipation was organizationally for the
(28:44):
season for the Chicago Bears. I don't know if they're
living up to it or whether they're not, or you know,
just right right in the middle of all those expectations
in terms of how they performed. What is it about
the Chicago Bears why? I guess consistency or inconsistency might
be the best way to put it. What's the reason
(29:05):
for the inconsistency do you think, Jeff?
Speaker 7 (29:08):
You know, and a lot of self inflicted wounds. I mean,
that would really sum up some of their losses here
Detroit was the exception that was just a steam rolling
walked into a hornet's nest there. But the penalties, you know,
they're one of the highest penalized teams in the NFL.
The false starts, they've got the most in the NFL.
Those pre snap things will drive any any coach crazy,
(29:29):
particularly an offensive coordinator who is the head coach in
this case, Ben Johnson, So he's challenged much like Zach
Taylor's challenged the defensive leaders of the football team there
in your neck of the woods. He's challenged the offensive
leaders in the Bears to clean it up and make
sure that they stop hurting themselves because it has happened
(29:50):
at critical moments. And there could be other penalties too,
including special teams that affected the balance of the field,
that put the team where they would back somebody up,
or you know, now it's a big penalty that that
wipes it out and now you get the football thirty
yards up down the field. So many of those types
of things, I think, you know, the first part of
the season, especially with the first time head coach and
(30:13):
a new staff, there's growing pains that come with learning
new schemes and particularly a very challenging and dynamic offensive
concepts that that Ben Johnson puts down the table.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
The Bears have sixteen takeaways. They are number one in
the NFL in turnover ratio. How are they doing it?
How are they getting that many takeaways on defense?
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Well, they're rallying to the ball, and you know, it's
a feeding frenzy when it starts to happen. They did
not have one last week and that was a tough
tell reason for the defeat. They were living on that
and they were turning those into points. Think they have
fifty points off takeaways. You know, I made a mistake.
I was talking. I was talking with the former All
(30:58):
Pro cornerback and Bears defensive back coach and passing game
coordinator Al Harris about, Hey, the ball is finding certain
players and it had been the case all throughout training
camp fellas, I mean guys like Tremaine Edmunds, guys like
Kevin Bayern and it spilled over into the regular season.
And I said, you know, why is the ball finding
these players? Is Is it just because of the And
(31:20):
he kept shaking his head. Am I on the run track?
He goes it's mindset, he corrected me, and I kept
trying to push that envelope. Nope, it's about mindset, and
I do believe this team plays with that mindset and
that fire and if they're able to cut it loose
and play physical and violent, that's what That's what every
coach wants. But that's been stated as one of the
(31:42):
key components of what they want the identity of this
team to be in all three phases. You know, the
ball is going to come out hard hits or ricochets,
or you know, making teams feel uncomfortable when that ball
is in the air, or if they're running at you
and you're getting raked every time you touch the ball.
Speaker 2 (31:59):
When I think Chicago Bears, I think Dick but Kis,
I think, you know, just stoning people. I think, you know,
Walter Payton running people over and you know, putting cleat
marks up their chest and their face mask as he
runs them over. You know, I just think about Top Bears,
the Chicago Bears, I mean, monsters are the Midway. Have
(32:22):
they got that mentality? Does this group have that type
of mentality, because historically the Bears have been all about that.
They've been one of the most physical teams in the
National Football League, is this group of guys. Are they
up to the task.
Speaker 7 (32:37):
Yeah, I mean they want to be. And I you know,
it's funny you brought that up because I've been banging
that drum for years. I don't know, call me a meathead,
I don't know what you want to call me, but
I guess I'm romanticizing the same thing of but just
peering over a guy on the ground after blasting him
and Mike Singletary in his eyes in that eighty five
defense in the sixty three championship team, those teams from
(32:59):
the forties. You know, I always feel that you should
reflect the city that you play in. And now this
is the city of broad shoulders. This is you know,
rough and tumble Chicago, the meat yards back in the day.
You know, just that kind of mentality, and I think
Bears fans expect it, they love it when it happens,
(33:21):
and I do too. And I think when you close
your eyes, especially in the AFC North, in the NFC North,
the old Black and Blue Division, in the NFC Central,
the AFC Central, and I go, I'm very familiar with
both of those divisions where I have grown up in
my life, and you can close your eyes and know
(33:45):
what a Steeler looks like, what a Raven looks like,
what a Cleveland Brown and ball in Cincinnati Bengal looked
like throughout the history of their franchise. And you can
say the same thing about the four teams in the
NFC North.
Speaker 1 (33:57):
Jeff ben Johnson was the coach that every team with
a vacancy last year wanted to hire. How did the
Bears come out on top in that derby to come
away with Ben Johnson?
Speaker 7 (34:12):
In his first introduction, he simply said I want this
job and it was over. Got it. As soon as
he said I want this job. He got that job.
And he made it clear before they even uttered a
single question in the interview, I want this job, and
that passion connected and it didn't hurt that he's very
(34:33):
well paid in addition, but he was going to get
that no matter where you go. But the Bears dipped
into their vault and they paid what they believe was
the best candidate for the job in this hiring cycle.
And I listen, man, I think this is my eighth
head coach in my twenty nine years associated with a team.
(34:53):
In twenty five is play by play. I've met some
amazing coaches, all kinds of coaches, different personalities. Uh, this
this guy has me waking up every day excited about
what I'm going to see next and certainly on game day,
what what plan is going to be put together offensively
and and and I feel the same way frankly about
(35:14):
Dennis Allen right now. I'm just excited to see what
they bring to the table because they have They are
making new game plans every single week for their opponent.
And then that's just relying on, you know, a bunch
of plays thrown together. That they have a they have
a plan, and I do appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
What are you expecting? What is the media expecting? What
do you think you're gonna see how the Chicago Bears
all season long? What's going to be their staple? What's
going to be the thing they hang their hat on?
No matter what, the Chicago Bears will be.
Speaker 7 (35:46):
This physical and violent. That's what they want to be.
They want to if you're if you're gonna get into
a fight, you know, and you're gonna win that fight
and you're gonna leave Chicago or they're gonna you're gonna
feel that game, and you want to feel them when
you watch and turn on the tape and you know
that you're going to be in for a long six minutes,
(36:06):
no matter what the outcome. I think that's kind of
the notion and all three phases, not just not just defense,
but offense and special teams. And I'm sure every coach
in the league want that right, but you've got to
speak it into existence and make it a thing. And
then believing because this has been a franchise obviously it
(36:27):
has had a roller coaster ride, and they have to
feel and understand what it takes to win, that every
play counts, that every play matters, and learn how to
do it. And they started that process during that four
game winning streak, and they want to make sure that
that feeling does not vacate the facility after one setback
(36:49):
last week.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
All right, thanks to Jeff joni Ack, And here's a
quick invitation to join Lap and Wayne box Miller for
the Bengals pep Rally show this week. They'll be at
the on the Rhine eatery that it's the food hall
on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on Friday
from three to six and their special guest in the
final hour will be Defensive tackle Chris Jenkins, That's going
(37:11):
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 elevate your home, business and community to
a new level, and by Kettering Health the best care
for the best fans. Kettering Health is the official healthcare
(37:32):
provider of the Bengals. If you haven't done so already,
please subscribe to this podcast and if you have them
in it, give it a rating or share a comment
that helps for Bengals fans find us. I'm Dan Horde
and thank you for listening to The Bengals Booth Podcast
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