December 4, 2025 • 41 mins
The Bengals look for their second straight win as they head to Buffalo to face the Bills. Dan Hoard’s guests include defensive captain B.J. Hill, University of Cincinnati Hall of Fame quarterback Tony Pike, Joe Davis from Fox Sports, and “Know the Foe” with Bills' radio analyst Eric Wood.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden. Thanks for downloading The
Bengals Booth Podcast. The One at a Time addition as
the Bengals look for their second straight win as they
head to Buffalo to face the Bills. Coming up, we'll
discuss Joe Burrow's successful return from toe surgery with another
quarterback who overcame numerous injuries, University of Cincinnati Hall of
(00:26):
Famer Tony Pike. My one on one player interview is
with b J Hill, who explains why the Bengals defense
is getting better. And I'll talk to two broadcasters, Joe Davis,
who will call this week's game on Fox and former
Pro Bowl center Eric Wood, who is now the radio
analyst for the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals Booth Podcast is
(00:47):
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healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder
(01:07):
that you can have the latest edition of this podcast
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wherever you get your podcasts. It's the greatest thing since
Scrub Mommy sponges. I am the primary dishwasher in the
Horde household, and I have become a big fan of
(01:28):
scrub Mommy sponges. It's an offshoot of the scrub Daddy,
which was one of the most successful products ever to
launch on Shark Tank because of its innovative flex texture
foam which changes stiffness and scrubbing power based on water temperature,
firm in cold water and soft in hot. It also
(01:51):
has a smiley face cut into it that is helpful
for cleaning both sides of knives, forks, and other utensils.
The Scrub Mommy is a little different because it's double sided,
with a scrubber on one side and a softer sponge
on the other. You probably didn't expect to get a
sponge breakdown on a football podcast, but I suspect the
(02:14):
most innovative coach in pro sports history, Paul Brown, would
have appreciated the technology behind the Scrub Mommy, not to
mention having very clean dishes. Now, let's get to football
quarterback Tony Pike led the University of Cincinnati to back
to back appearances in the Orange and Sugar Bowls despite
(02:37):
serious injuries to his left forearm. In both seasons. He
was able to keep playing after having a plate inserted
into his arm that was held in place with six screws.
So if anybody can identify with what Joe Burrow did
on Thanksgiving night, it's Tony and he joined Dave Lapham
and me to discuss it this week. Scale of one
(03:01):
to ten, all things considered, the rust coming back with
a plate in his shoe. How impressed were you by
what Joe Burrow did in Baltimore twelve?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I mean the.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Scale of that's good, Like every professional has been blown
away that he came back as early as he did. Yep,
And to not only come back, he goes under center
on the first nap play action and rolls out to
his left. It's the hardest thing your quarterback can do, right,
going across your body. And then he drops back forty
six times in the game. So are you thinking, like,
all right, game plan, you got to kind of work
(03:34):
around maybe some deficiencies. Is his mobility limited? He was fantastic.
He do the ball thirty two times in the first half.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Now there's credit where credits do He was only sacked once.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So o.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Line play has been so much better as the season
has gone on. Chase Brown's been a monster. Another one
hundred yard game from scrimmage, but he spreads the ball
out to nine different targets. Coming back from this long
of arrest after a major surgery for a quarterback, I
was concerned about him pushing away from the pocket, getting
out under center. He checked that box, he threw on
(04:09):
the run. He showed no limitations. I'm still shocked, Like
looking back watching the tape, I'm still shocked that he
operated physically and what I was even more impressed with mentally,
the checks he got on the right call, the touchdown
to Yoshibash He brings in a tight end, he brings
in a running back like Max protect the mental and
(04:29):
the physical match and it looked like a guy that
played all.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Year, no doubt, no question. I mean, he played a
phenomenal football game. But you know he proved beyond a
shadow of doubt that he is the straw that stirs
the drink. I mean the football team. It's a different
animal with Joe Borrow at the quarterback position. I mean,
he elevates everybody. Everybody just feels like, Okay, we got it,
our boys back, we got our guy. We're in high
(04:54):
cotton right now. All we have to do is is play,
play hard, make plays, you know, go out there with
some some emotions, some energy, some enthusiasm, because we got
our we got our leader, we got our guy back.
And he is He's a he's a football savant. He
understands the game of football like not many. There's no question.
He just he gets every single little nuance about the
(05:17):
game of football. And uh and and nobody does better
than the belief. Like you know, you've been in the
locker room before he walks in. It doesn't matter if
it's a long snapper, if it's a dB, a linebacker.
Everyone says, all right, like there's a calmness about Joe Burrow,
And now your preparation changes. Now I'm more locked in
because I saw that guy come back in the locker
(05:38):
room and I know what he expects of me and
what he expects of himself. It does it it.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think confidence is one of the most important things
in football, and that whole team is confident when number
nine is in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Yeah, I mean I think confidence is probably you know,
I don't want to get overly philosophically.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Confidence.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
Confidence is the biggest thing in life, you know. I mean,
you don't think you can do it, and I got
no shot, you know. I mean, if you think you
can do it, you always have a shot, always have
a chance. And that's what he does. He gives the
team hope. That's what it boils down to keep hope alive.
And Joe Burrow keeps hope alive, and everybody responds to her.
Everybody ups their level of play. And when this next game,
(06:20):
when they when they go to battle against Buffalo, when
he's got both Higgins and Jamar Chase back, he should
be even in higher cotton than he was against the
Baltimore Ravens because the trio is back.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
You know, It's not just a duo here and a
duo there.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
It's all three of those guys, and all three of
them are amongst the best in the NFL at their
respective positions.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
All Right, that's a perfect segue.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Let's hear from head coach Zach Taylor on Joe Burrow's
impact on everybody in the building when he came back
last week.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
I mean, he's one of the greatest players in the world,
you know, and so I think anytime you get player
like that back on the field, absolutely it was there.
It's subconsciously or consciously. I mean it's you're excited to
watch that and you're excited to rally behind that and
see where he can take you.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It was funny because when Joe was out and people
started to speculate, well, when could he possibly come back,
one thing that you heard a lot of skeptics say was, well,
he doesn't play defense. Yeah, I mean there's still scoring
plenty of points. He doesn't play defense. Well, that's true,
but when he comes back, the defense gets five takeaways.
So there was an impact on the defense for the
(07:29):
exact reasons that you guys are talking about. He lifts
all boats.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Yeah he does.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I mean, you know, defense really the thing you're thinking, Oh,
I'm not going to be out in the field as
many snaps as we've been because Joe's going to keep
the offense out in the football field. They're going to
convert first downs, they're going to move the chains, they're
gonna be on the football field running a bunch of
snaps and then like you said, you know, forcing the turnovers,
taking possessions away from the opponent, and giving extras to
Joe Burrow. That's a good formula to win a lot
(07:56):
of football games, with no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It goes to I think it credits what the defense
has been building to because they've put the work in
as well. Al Golden has put the work in. But again,
nine walks back in and you feel like, you know what,
we gave up a touchdown there, but we're gonna get
it back, so let's work on the next possession. Let's
look ahead. I thought it was remarkable just the scene
(08:19):
after the game with not only Joe Burrow, but so
many of his teammates. You don't see that much, see
a couple guys out there. Zach Taylor's probably in the
locker room, like where's my team? But like I thought,
I thought, for a private guy like Joe is, you
got for the first time to kind of see the
raw emotion of how much it meant to him and
the work it took to get back on the field,
(08:40):
the mental strain of what an injury does to you.
Because you're alone, you're away from the guys and to
see that just general excitement and I thought at times
emotion from Joe Burrow when he's doing that post game
of man, it's just I'm happy to be here. I'm
grateful to be here. And I think it gives validation
of the hard work it took mentally and physically for
(09:02):
him to get back, and then to celebrate that moment
with his teammates out on the field is an awesome,
awesome moment. And their mindset's the right one. Like right
when Joe came back, what he said, we know we
gotta do. We know what we got to do, right,
We got to go win every game. Yep, you know
the mindset's there. You know, no one's working harder to
get there than Joe Burrow. And each win that happens. Man,
(09:24):
these guys they believe more and more they do.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
And you know the other people you have to give
credit to is the trainers and medical staff. I mean
they were instrumental. I mean he obviously gave them. He
was effusive in his praise to those guys, how much
they meant to him coming back in a short period
of time, and he came back, you know, days and
days early, not just a little bit of time, but
a significant period of time earlier than people had thought
(09:49):
and anticipated.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
And you know, the.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Brace, the foot brace that they constructed, they designed and
put together for him so he couldn't bend that toe
and move that that turf tow which it was a
Grade three, which is significant. Man, that's painful. Joe's tough, dude. Man.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
He sucked it up. He sucked it up and played.
He played in some pain.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
And I just think that, you know, there's a lot
of people that need to take a bow and take
some credit. And uh, the medical staff, the training staff,
his parents, I mean, his dad, his dad, jamians mother,
I mean they're they're all over it too. And and
total support. Joe Burrow definitely has, you know, a support system,
there's no question about it. A big, a big support system.
(10:31):
But he has to do the work and and he
he's a grinder and he grounded out. Man, he did
the work.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
It's lonely. Oh yeah, that rehab process, Yeah, it's hard,
and you played through injuries before. The training staff, to
me is the most vital YEP. Coaches they're gonna say everything.
Coaches want you back. Yeah, hey, when you're coming back,
we need you, we need players. Hey, when you we
need you out here, you got friends, you got family.
Like when I went through my injuries, I knew that
(10:59):
I could trust the training staff that they were gonna
be honest with you, right right right. And as much
as everyone says, you got Joe Burrow in the locker room,
people want you back as quick as possible. But I knew,
and I know Joe like Joe knows if he asked
the training staff, can I do it, and they say, yes,
that's all you need. It's not your buddies, it's not
your teammates, it's not everyone else that that needs you back, right,
(11:20):
It's that trust in a training staff. You tell me
I'm good, and I'm good to go right right.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
And I think trust is a big word. And respect,
I mean there has to be a level of respect
there both ways. And I know the training staff respects
the hell out of Joe Burrow. I mean they think he's,
you know, one of one. He's a unique cat, and
no question about that. He definitely respects. Joey Bose and
everybody else know that was involved in his his rehab
and coming back as quickly as he did. So it
(11:46):
was It was good to see and they did a
hell of a job from top to bottom.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
And Joe, Joe worked.
Speaker 7 (11:54):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
One thing about Joe, he works his ass off.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
He's a worker Bee he's not He's not shy to
roll up sleeves and get after it.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
All right, speaking of comebacks, you reference t Higgins earlier.
Let's get to the Kettering health injury report. It came
out earlier today. T was limited at practice today as
he comes back from a concussion. Todz Brooks, same thing.
That is the normal process now for Wednesday. If you're
coming back from a concussion, typically if you're limited, you'll
(12:21):
ramp up the activity a little bit more the next day,
and hopefully that is a good sign that he's going
to be able to play on Sunday in Buffalo. I
would expect him to.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
I agree with you one hundred thousand percent, Dan. I
think I'd be shocked if he doesn't. Honestly, I think
he's gonna play. It's an important football game. It's a
good football team, multimo. I mean, the Buffalo Bills are
definitely a team that's got weapons. They got plenty of weapons.
Gotta win this game. They got to run the table.
They know they have to run the table. There's very
little margin for her. There's no margin for her. So
(12:53):
I do think that those guys will be back and
playing in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So we agree on that. We know that Trey Hendrick
is going to be out. He did not practice today.
As for Buffalo, their starting tackles did not play last
week against Pittsburgh. Both of those guys were limited today.
The left tackle Dion Dawkins, he's coming back from a concussion.
The right tackle Spencer Brown, he's coming back from his
shoulder injury. Joey Bosa, the great pass rusher, did not
(13:20):
practice today. He's dealing with a hamstring wrist Combo. Dalton Kinka,
the tight end, missed the last several games. He was
limited today. He's coming back from a hamstring knee issue.
Where do you guys stand. If you could pick somebody
that you don't want to come back for Buffalo this week,
who would it be?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
If Dean Dawkins is listening, I wouldn't push the concussion,
take another week off, relaxed. Yeah, very important to me.
It's Joey bos He leaves the team in sacks. He's
their sock leader and He's a guy that's dealt with
injuries a lot of his career. Hamstrings are always a
tricky thing. It's it's going to be cold. I that's
that's a tricky injury. And he was labeled as week
to week by Sean McDermott. That that changes a lot, right,
(14:02):
if you're talking about getting T. Higgins back and then
possibly not having Joey Bosa on that side. Chase Brown
not only the running game, he was seven for seven
targets and receptions another hundred yard day. We know what
Jamar Chase is. T Higgins gets pair back up with
number nine, and they lose a piece of that pass rush.
It's it's all systems go for this Bengals offense.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
I think losing that piece of pass rush you just
mentioned is huge because what it does is it diminishes
the entire thing. You know, Now all of a sudden,
other guys are gonna have to step up and do things.
Are they capable of it? Are they are they being
asked to do things outside of their limitation, outside of
what they can do?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
You know?
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Now, do we have to scheme differently? Do we have
to think about blitzing more because we don't have our
best pass.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Rush and you got to blitz Joe. Yeah, good luck, right,
Joe'll pick you apart.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
So uh, he gets a pre snap read and it's
over man that balls out and it's and it's it's completed.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
So yeah, I mean, I I do think.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
I think, honestly, the Buffalo Bill's injury are more of
a concern I would think to Buffalo than the Bengals
injuries are of the Cincinnati Bengals done.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
I like it that.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Way, and I want Dalton Kincaid out. Yeah. Yeah. Josh
Allen has thrown ten picks this year. None With Dalton
Kincaid on the field. They're like a different passing attack
when he's out there. Kincaid has missed the Bill's last
three games and was listed as limited at Thursday's practice.
The Bills enter Sunday's game with a number one rushing
(15:27):
attack in the NFL. They averaged one hundred and fifty
six rushing yards per game, and that's basically what the
Bengals defense has been giving up. The average is one
fifty three, but the Bengals have held their last three
opponents to well below that average as the defense has
drastically improved. I discussed that and more with defensive tackle
(15:50):
BJ Hill. Bj. You've been Joe burrows teammate for five years.
When a guy comes back ahead of schedule from an injury,
what statement does that make to it teammates?
Speaker 7 (16:01):
It means a lot, man, even guys who fight through
injuries each and every day, seeing them out there, practicing,
seeing them out on the games, meaning that they care
for the guys. Some instance like you can't be out there,
but guys that you know try to be out there,
try to do everything's possible to get out there. It
means a lot to the teammates.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So I was watching the postgame celebration after the victory
in Baltimore. The big tur ducan spread out there on
the field. You were right in the middle of the celebration,
and then it looked like you bailed before getting a bite.
What happened.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
I was just ready to go go home.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Man.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
It was a long two days for us, and I
was like, you know what, let me get in the
locker room, take a shower, and I'm ready to go
home to get to my family.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You got the feast the next night.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
I did got up early, even though we got back
of late, got up early, and I smoked a turkey.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
All right, good to know. We're visiting with bj Hill.
Over the last three weeks, the defense has given up
an average of seventeen point six points. That would be
number three in the NFL if it was for the
entire season. What are the biggest reasons for the defensive improvement.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
You gotta do the little things right. This was really
was killing us at the beginning of the year or
halfway through year whatever. That was a little stretch. We
just want to do in the little things right. And
we came back and just skip on work and keep
on tipping at the things that we had to get better.
And we have a point that we turned around. We
just gotta keep the moment and going, keep on playing defense,
communicating and just playing as a team. If we keep
(17:28):
on doing that, man, I think a lot of things
to take care of itself.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Are you seeing the light come on for some of
your younger teammates.
Speaker 7 (17:35):
Oh, for sure, especially the two regular linebackers, sitting them
fly around and having fun, being more confident, just being.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
There in their role.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
It's a lot when you come in have to play
a lot for NFL team and you can see how
they matured and take advantage of each and every rep
even in practice, the way they communicate, way they come
back to work. Actually just actually older got even asking
me questions like I'm like, all right, I think you're
gonna You're gonna be special in this league. Just just
(18:05):
keep on working, just doing the right things of whole
things over and over and never get tired of it.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Do you think linebacker is especially tough for a rookie.
I mean Barrett Carter for examples, wearing the green dot.
He's the guy communicating without golden.
Speaker 7 (18:18):
I think so. I think it's tough that in safety too,
playing playing those positions, especially mentally, you got a lot
on your plate. They're playing de tackle is a rookie,
I think it's very hard too. But playing a lot,
but you got a lot on your play. You gotta
get the calls, you gotta make sure you know what
you're doing other people are doing, make you in the
right spot, give me the right calls, the checks, and
(18:39):
just everything you got. You definitely got a lot on
the play, and you can see the way they just
improved over the last couple of weeks. Man's is very
exciting to see.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
We're chatting with b J. Hill. Joseph Osai might have
had the best game of his career in Baltimore. Two sacks,
four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. I remember you
raved about his effort when I asked you about him
during training camp. How excited were you to see him
have a game like that on Thanksgiving Night.
Speaker 7 (19:05):
I'd love to see my guys ball, no matter what
room they I love seeing Joseph just knowing the hard
work that he put in over the shoot the last
couple of years, even this off seasons, The way he
just attacked each and every day.
Speaker 8 (19:18):
It shoot me.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
I'm excited for him, man. It's it's really great to
see you love to see guys have success on the field.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You were voted one of three captains, win of three
defensive captains prior to the season, but you're kind of
the last man standing. Logan Wilson was traded. Trey's been hurt,
He's been rehabbing. He really really hasn't been in the
mix of late. How has that impacted you?
Speaker 7 (19:40):
Just I just want to come out here and be
the best leader I can be. Push your guys, communicate
to him, just you know, make sure we all on
the same on the same road. Make sure we all
go in the same direction. I think that's the most
important part. And make sure that we're prexing practicing right now,
just going through the motions, if the if that's a
walk through, full speed period, no matter what it is,
(20:00):
make sure we're always doing to the things right because
it's always going to show up on the field how
we practice, no matter like I said, it was four
s feed or not. So I I embraced it.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Man.
Speaker 7 (20:08):
At one point, it was kind of hard. I felt
like a lot was throwing on me, but I embracing out.
I love. I love coming to work and pushing them.
So they're pushing me to the that lived to that standard,
to play good ball, to be the best meEach in
every week.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
You face the Bills in Buffalo this Sunday, you have
faced Josh Allen three times before in your career, you
have sacked him once. What stands out to you about
the Bill's QB.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
Man, He's everything you want as a quarterback. He's one
of the best in the league. He's big, he's strong,
he's fast, got a good arm. He's one of the
guys that's like I said, he's one of the best
to do it in the league. Right now, we got
a hands full, but I believe we got the defense
the in in our room, the dude need to do
(20:55):
to win the game.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
What do you remember about that sack?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
I think I second more than you. Don't really count playoffs,
but you know saying we might go out the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Think I got them?
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Think I got them twice?
Speaker 8 (21:08):
I think so my apology.
Speaker 7 (21:09):
Now, remember I believe he's miss Samue run a text game.
I got vertical. Sam rapped around on a sacking.
Speaker 8 (21:17):
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Buffalo ran for two hundred and forty nine yards last
week and their win over Pittsburgh. James Cook has seven
one hundred yard games this year. What must do you
do to slow down that Buffalo rushing attack on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
He can do it all.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
Catch out of the backfield, run it make you miss,
hard to tackle strong, Like I said, we just got
to swim to the ball. Get all hats to the ball.
Tackle somebody missed the tackle, Max, sure somebody right there
hitting them right after. I'll be play technically sound. Make
sure we're standing our guess and playing good football together.
Build a wall so you know it's hard for him
(21:50):
to to you know, cutting them gaps and stuff like that.
So we played good football for what we can do
we need to do.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
There's still a path to win the AFC North, but
it's narrow. If you win this week, does it really
feel possible? Does it take a couple of wins Buffalo
and Baltimore. Where do you stand on the realistic chances
of still pulling this off? Uh?
Speaker 7 (22:12):
My mind right now, just one game at the time,
I look ahead. I'll just come on and play our
bis ball. Whatever happens happens. And I feel like if
we put our bits for Ford on defensive sideyball, I
no offense is gonna take do their part. I who
do our side on the defenses I'll take care of.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
So appreciate your time. Best to luck against the Bills.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Oh thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
The Bengals Booth Podcast is brought to you by pay Corps,
Proud to be the Bengals official HR software provider, by
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(22:51):
watch the game on TV this week, you'll hear an
announcing crew that has not been assigned to a Bengals
game this year. The analyst will be Greg Oles, who
was number one on the totem pole at Fox before
Tom Brady decided to get into broadcasting, and the play
by play announcer on Sunday made this memorable call on
(23:12):
November one in Toronto, bounces.
Speaker 9 (23:19):
To back that chap, you gotta come out the Dodger
Standta Bedwin back to back titles.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Joe Davis called one of the greatest world series of
all time earlier this year, and he will be in
the booth this Sunday when the Bengals take on the
Buffalo Bills. Joe, it's Joe Burrow versus Josh Allen. What
was your initial reaction when Joe Burrow came back from
his injury way ahead of schedule And how did you
think he played on Thanksgiving Night?
Speaker 9 (23:48):
Yeah, the first thing was, Okay, this changes the Bengals,
even before we saw how the game went. First half
shook the rust off. I think he was the first
one to even say that. But second half, it's like,
my goodness, you talk about a guy completely changing the mood,
changing the tone around a team, and for us selfishly
going into this game, you know, we got the assignment
(24:10):
the week before that, crossing our fingers that he looked
good in his return, and he did obviously, and we
are extra fired up after seeing it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So, Joe, it's the first time this year that you
and Greg Olsen will call a Bengals game. What about Cincinnati?
Are you eager to see whether it's an individual or
something about the team in general?
Speaker 9 (24:30):
Yeah, I think it's just a continuation of Burrow, And
you know, I know the playoff hopes are baint and
they got to be perfect and they got to get
some help. But if there's anybody that injects enough hope
to further that storyline, it is Burrow and going there
and facing Josh Allen. That being head to head, it's
hard to beat that in terms of big stars going
(24:51):
head to head on an NFL Sunday.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
The Bengals defense has had its ups and downs this year.
We acknowledge that, but they've been pretty good the last
few weeks. They've given up seventeen point six points over
their last three games, got five takeaways in the win
over Baltimore on Thanksgiving Night? What must this defense do
to have success against Buffalo.
Speaker 9 (25:12):
Normally, Dan, you'd go, you'd say, okay, yeah, they've been
better lately, but let's see what happens when they go
in and face Josh Allen and the Bills. But Bills
offense has not been the same. They're running the ball
really well, ran all over the Steelers, but the passing
game just has not been there at all. You know,
top running game in the NFL, but the passing game
(25:33):
recent years, Josh Allen has been able, even though they
haven't had a number one target necessarily has been able
to overcome that paper over it. It's just not quite
been the same this year. So in years past, you'd say, hey,
the Bills, if they could just stop the right teams,
they're going to break through. Now the Bills are asking
the question can they find offense? So to your question
(25:54):
about that Bengals defense, I think it's a chance for
them to continue the momentum we saw them build against
obviously slouch in Baltimore, what they did against Lamar in
that group.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Well, let me follow up on that. Because the Bills
are eight and four. If the season ended today, they
would be a playoff team, but they're not quite as
dominant as they've been. Josh Allen got sacked eight times
a couple of weeks ago. What do you think are
the Bills' biggest issues on the overall team?
Speaker 9 (26:21):
I look at the offense in the passing game. They
just haven't been able to throw the ball down field,
and normally that's a huge strength of Josh Allen's. There's
just not much around him in terms of targets. Part
of that's been injuries, but massive disappointments. Josh Palmer coming
over in his first season of a new contract, injured
and not very good when he has been on the field.
(26:41):
Keon Coleman, who they drafted last year hope would turn
into a big play threat. He was a healthy scratch
for a couple of games for off the field stuff,
showed up late to meetings, and when he's been in
the field he's been a disappointment. So these guys that
are counting on at receiver have either been injured or disappointing.
Dalton kincaid his favorite time end has been hurt the
last few weeks. So that passing game, which is it's
(27:04):
crazy to think about Josh Allen the Bills passing game.
They have issues with that, but that right now, for me,
is the biggest question.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's been a few years, but Joe Burrow is two
and oh against the Buffalo Bills. He's two and oh
head to head against Josh Allen. One of those two
wins was a playoff victory in Buffalo on a snowy day,
which very few teams have been able to pull off
against the Bills. Do you think it's a motivating factor
for Buffalo this week? The Joe Burrow and the Bengals
(27:34):
have that history against Josh Allen and the Bills.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
I'm sure that it'll be on their minds. But a
lot like the Bengals, the Bills are sitting there with
not much room for air, So I think they have
plenty of motivations just when it comes to the playoff picture,
without needing any extra stimulation from who they're facing. They
you know, they've won five consecutive division titles. They're two
and a half games behind the Patriots, so they've got
to be perfect when it comes to the division. They've
(27:59):
got to get a little help. Patriots got to lose
an extra game, so.
Speaker 8 (28:02):
It's kind of similar.
Speaker 9 (28:04):
Not as desperate as the Bengals are, but there's plenty
of motivation just simply looking at the standings without needing
to look across and see the guy that's heard him before.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
The AFC North is usually one of the NFL's top
divisions at the moment, this year, nobody's over five hundred,
So the Bengals are technically still alive. What do you
think of the division? Do you think that there's an
obvious favorite, and in your mind, do the Bengals still
have a fighting chance?
Speaker 8 (28:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (28:32):
This kind of brings full circle our conversation here. I
think when you combine Joe Burrow's return with that division,
who the heck wants it? Nobody has taken command of it.
If there's ever a chance for a team that's sitting
in the position that the Bengals are, yeah, I think
you know, if you get a mathematical chance and then
you factor in those two things, sure, and I know
(28:55):
we're going to ride that. That adds meaning to our
broadcast and adds meaning to a game that's already going
to be exciting just because of the stars.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
You broadcast Dodgers games during the summer you've got bright
sunshine behind you in California. Are you prepared for wintry
conditions this Sunday in Orchard Park, New York.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
No, I am so soft.
Speaker 9 (29:17):
Dan grew up in Michigan, and after about a week
of living out here, I was as soft as they come.
So we've had some good training in the last couple
of weeks. We're in Green Bay two weeks ago. We
were in Seattle last week where it was only low forties.
This is another level of cold, though, So now I'm
gonna have about fourteen layers on.
Speaker 8 (29:34):
I got no pride, I don't care.
Speaker 9 (29:36):
I don't like being cold and distracted, so I'll be
so bundled up. I won't even bring a tie. That
would be our little secret because nobody's gonna know. I'm
gonna have a scarf, a couple stars, giant coat.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
Yeah, but I'll be warm.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
The George Gastanza puffy jacket. I'm sure that will look good.
That will look good. I mentioned off the top, Joe
that you had the opportunity to call a historically good
world series this year and you match them, which I
think is about the ultimate compliment that one broadcaster can
pay to another. What was that moment like for you?
Are those seven games like for you because it's the
(30:11):
type of thing that every broadcaster dreams of doing.
Speaker 9 (30:14):
Yeah, it was, to be honest with you, I'll see
that the first six games, it was incredible time in
my life. I felt really good about the broadcast. We
were having Game six as good as I've ever felt.
Game seven is kind of this blur that I don't
really know how to feel about. So much happened there
in the final few winnings of that game, right down
(30:36):
to know, we're putting things in perspective about about Toronto
ending their World series drought, and then bang, Miguel Rojas happens,
and a million other things happened in the hour that
follows that. So it went from six games of this
is great and I feel like we're on it, to
what the heck just happened and we were kind of
(30:57):
holding on for dear life. I'm sure you've had games
like that too in your career where you're like, I
don't know what just happened.
Speaker 8 (31:02):
I don't know what I said. I hope that I said.
Speaker 9 (31:05):
Something that was ascertainable and that made sense and that
helped match the moment but man, it was kind of
kind of two series within one the first six games
and then that seventh game seems to stand alone in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Well, I can promise you that you nailed it. You
added to my enjoyment of the World Series. Congratulations on that.
Look forward to hearing your call on Sunday in Buffalo.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (31:29):
Thanks Stan, It'll be good to see you.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Finally, it's time for this week's Know the Faux segment.
The radio analyst for the Buffalo Bills played for the
team for nine years, but he's a Cincinnati guy through
and through, having graduated from Elder High School. It's former
Pro Bowl center Eric Wood who talked about the Bills
up and down season when he joined Dave Lapham and
me on the Bengals Game Plan Show.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
He started off four to zero and the expectations were
high heading in and it was going to be a
Josh Allen MB repeat. It's a Super Bowl favorites heading
into the season, and it's been a roller coaster rode.
The biggest issues that they've faced defensively has been the
run defense. It played well that we could go against
the Steelers, but it's been an up and down season.
(32:14):
As far as defending the run, that's been the biggest
issue with the defense, and a big issue there is
just simply tackling.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
I give them somewhat of a pass for some of
their struggles based upon the amount of injuries on the
defensive side of the ball, but the run defense has
struggled very bad at times this year. And then offensively,
turnovers is probably our biggest issue. The passing game hasn't
come alive like maybe you'd hoped, But there's guys in
(32:44):
the receiving corps that have been injured throughout the season,
and they've leaned so heavily into the run game that
at times they haven't needed to get the pass game going.
But the common denominator and all four of their losses
have been three turnovers by the offense. And it's really
hurt us.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Wow, three turnovers in every single loss. That's that's that's
pretty amazing. That's a that's something new, and.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Dave, you know this like that that third turnover at
times has come at the end of a game where
you know you have to press because you're coming back.
So not all turnovers are created equal, but that has
been the theme in all of their losses this year.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
So it's it's been an up and down season obviously
for for a Buffalo, the season start off gangbusters and
then have had some difficulties. Is it that been the
case for Josh Allen as well? Has the season basically
gone as Josh Allen has played?
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I would say it's it's more of a team effort.
You know, they're trying to rely less and less on
Josh doing it all himself. Now this is December football.
If need be, they'll dial up the red zone runs
with him, and there's gonna be times where you're gonna
see the old Josh Allen improv improvational improvisational skills. There
(33:59):
you go, there's education coming out, but you'll see him
improvise out on the field and do some of the
heroics that we've seen over time. But you know this
is you know, Sean mcdermoy came from Carolina, so did
Brandon bean our GM. They saw how Cam Newton deteriorated
towards the end based upon the amount of hits that
he took, and so it's been a concerted effort over
(34:20):
these last few years to get him to take less
and less hits and so Yeah, I think there's been
games where Josh hasn't played his best and the turnovers
have been his fault. And then there's other times where
you know, it's either been the run defense or you
have guys not him, turning the football over with fumbles,
and so you know, ultimately Josh is the heart and
(34:44):
soul of the team and it's going to, you know,
fall on his shoulders. But in those four losses, it
hasn't all been on him.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Bill's radio analyst and former Pro Bowl center Eric Wood
is our guest. The Bills have had their share of
injuries there. Offensive tackles did not play last week against Pittsburgh.
They still ran the ball for nearly two hundred and
fifty yards ere there excellent tight end Dalton Kincaid has
been out for a few weeks with a tender hamstring.
Who is it most important for Buffalo to get back?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, I mean, if Dalton Kinkaid can come back, that
would be huge. Our passing numbers are dramatically better when
he's been on the field this season. I believe Josh
Allen's quarterback rating goes up about fifteen with him on
the field, which seems extreme for a tight end, but
we drafted him in the first round out of Utah
three years ago, three seasons ago. Now to be a receiver.
(35:38):
I mean, he's essentially a bigger slot receiver for us
out there and maybe our best pure separator that we
bring on the field each week. And so if he's
able to play against the Vengels, I'd say that would
be probably the one that I would take. Now, if
Hendrickson was going to play, I might say one of
(35:58):
the two tackles are spect Deon Dawkins are left tackle.
But with him likely ruled out, which is a very
interesting situation. I followed along with it. But with him
ruled out, a gimme kincaid if we can get one
of them back.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
So, looking at the Buffalo Bills offensive line, you played
that position so well, Pro Bowl player, nine year veteran player,
almost played a decade. What the offensive line has been
inconsistent as well? With their with their play, with their
level of play. What is the biggest reason for it?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, I mean they've had a good year. They got
exploited against the Houston Texans on Thursday night. Football Spencer
Brown was playing with the herd shoulder and Dion Dawkins
got got a concussion.
Speaker 8 (36:45):
In the game.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I'll just say that he got examined on the sideline.
They put him back in obviously wasn't playing like himself,
and then he was out the Pittsburghers game because of
the concussion suffered in that game. We also used a
lot of five man protections in that game and throughout
the season. Joe Brady, our offensive coordinator, has a lot
of confidence in this offensive line to carry the unit,
to run the football behind them consistently, and then we
(37:08):
have not used a lot of chips or running back
help in the passing game because he's got a lot
of faith in them. That came to a head on
against the Texans when we gave up eight sacks. And
that's where I said, you know that I wouldn't put
the entire blame of the Texans game on Josh Allen,
being that he was under dress most of the game.
(37:29):
And so I feel like this unit has performed exceptionally
well throughout the season, minus I would say that Texans game.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
So what do you think Eric is the big key
to the to the game? I mean, Buffalo needs to win,
the Bengals need to win it's a musk game for
both football teams. What do you think is the is
the biggest key for the Buffalo Bills to sustain their
season and to give them victory in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Yeah, I would say can painting Joe Burrow and especially
Jamar Chase. And that doesn't mean you shut those guys
completely down. They're too good of a connection to completely
shut them down. But Jamar Chase got the most yards
after catch in the NFL when he does catch the football,
be able to tackle him limit those yards after the catch.
And then Chase Brown, whether it's you know, receiving or rushing,
(38:21):
he's what is he got over one hundred yards from
scrimmage the last three games. Sorry sorry, Yeah, six in
a row. Extremely impressive. You got to be able to
tackle him as well. He's he's low to the ground,
he's he's a great football player. And then on the
offensive side of the ball, I think this Bills team
(38:42):
should be able to establish the run against the Bengals,
and then it's the play action off of that, and
can you connect down the field to make them pay
if they're going to bring their safeties down And that's
been a lot of the Bills recipe for success this year. Offensively,
it's established the run and then takes your take your
shots off of those plays.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
How's the new stadium looking, going up right next to
high Mark?
Speaker 2 (39:06):
It's it's actually incredible. I got to do a tour
of it about two weeks ago. With the two main
architects and the attention to detail, and you know, the
amenities that you're going to now have in the new
high Mark Stadium is going to be really special Old
high Mark Stadium these last three games, if we don't
host a home playoff game, if these are the last three,
(39:26):
I'm going to cherish them. So much history there and
I love that building. And uh, you guys know we
get we get one of the better radio setups in
the league. As far as size of the booth and
our location.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
Yah'll be terrible.
Speaker 8 (39:42):
It won't be terrible.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
We'll just feel a little bit higher up in the
new stadium. They still gave us some respect in that regard.
But you know, I appreciate the nostalgia of old high
Mark Stadium. And I've never gone to a game truly
as a spectator, but I've heard some of the amenities
are pretty rough over there.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
The new stadium features a one point seven billion dollar
price tag, and despite Buffalo's notoriously bad weather, will not
have a roof. It will feature a large canopy covering
about two thirds of the seats designed to protect fans
from the elements, but the Bills wanted to keep the
field exposed to the weather, which fits the traditional Buffalo
(40:24):
football experience. Here's a quick invitation to join lapp In
Wayne box Miller for the Bengals pep Rally show on Friday.
They'll be at the on the Rhine Eatery, the food
hall on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on
Friday from two thirty to five thirty, and their scheduled
guest in the final hour will be rookie linebacker Barrett Carter.
(40:45):
That's going to do it for this episode of the
Bengals Booth podcast, 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,
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(41:08):
done so already, please subscribe to this podcast and if
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a comment that helps more Bengals fans find us. I'm
Dan Horde and thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth
podcast
Hi, get everybody. I'm Dan Horden. Thanks for downloading The
Bengals Booth Podcast. The One at a Time addition as
the Bengals look for their second straight win as they
head to Buffalo to face the Bills. Coming up, we'll
discuss Joe Burrow's successful return from toe surgery with another
quarterback who overcame numerous injuries, University of Cincinnati Hall of
(00:26):
Famer Tony Pike. My one on one player interview is
with b J Hill, who explains why the Bengals defense
is getting better. And I'll talk to two broadcasters, Joe Davis,
who will call this week's game on Fox and former
Pro Bowl center Eric Wood, who is now the radio
analyst for the Buffalo Bills. The Bengals Booth Podcast is
(00:47):
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. Cattering Health is the official
healthcare provider of the Bengals. Now here's a quick reminder
(01:07):
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
Scrub Mommy sponges. I am the primary dishwasher in the
Horde household, and I have become a big fan of
(01:28):
scrub Mommy sponges. It's an offshoot of the scrub Daddy,
which was one of the most successful products ever to
launch on Shark Tank because of its innovative flex texture
foam which changes stiffness and scrubbing power based on water temperature,
firm in cold water and soft in hot. It also
(01:51):
has a smiley face cut into it that is helpful
for cleaning both sides of knives, forks, and other utensils.
The Scrub Mommy is a little different because it's double sided,
with a scrubber on one side and a softer sponge
on the other. You probably didn't expect to get a
sponge breakdown on a football podcast, but I suspect the
(02:14):
most innovative coach in pro sports history, Paul Brown, would
have appreciated the technology behind the Scrub Mommy, not to
mention having very clean dishes. Now, let's get to football
quarterback Tony Pike led the University of Cincinnati to back
to back appearances in the Orange and Sugar Bowls despite
(02:37):
serious injuries to his left forearm. In both seasons. He
was able to keep playing after having a plate inserted
into his arm that was held in place with six screws.
So if anybody can identify with what Joe Burrow did
on Thanksgiving night, it's Tony and he joined Dave Lapham
and me to discuss it this week. Scale of one
(03:01):
to ten, all things considered, the rust coming back with
a plate in his shoe. How impressed were you by
what Joe Burrow did in Baltimore twelve?
Speaker 2 (03:11):
I mean the.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Scale of that's good, Like every professional has been blown
away that he came back as early as he did. Yep,
And to not only come back, he goes under center
on the first nap play action and rolls out to
his left. It's the hardest thing your quarterback can do, right,
going across your body. And then he drops back forty
six times in the game. So are you thinking, like,
all right, game plan, you got to kind of work
(03:34):
around maybe some deficiencies. Is his mobility limited? He was fantastic.
He do the ball thirty two times in the first half.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Now there's credit where credits do He was only sacked once.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
So o.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Line play has been so much better as the season
has gone on. Chase Brown's been a monster. Another one
hundred yard game from scrimmage, but he spreads the ball
out to nine different targets. Coming back from this long
of arrest after a major surgery for a quarterback, I
was concerned about him pushing away from the pocket, getting
out under center. He checked that box, he threw on
(04:09):
the run. He showed no limitations. I'm still shocked, Like
looking back watching the tape, I'm still shocked that he
operated physically and what I was even more impressed with mentally,
the checks he got on the right call, the touchdown
to Yoshibash He brings in a tight end, he brings
in a running back like Max protect the mental and
(04:29):
the physical match and it looked like a guy that
played all.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
Year, no doubt, no question. I mean, he played a
phenomenal football game. But you know he proved beyond a
shadow of doubt that he is the straw that stirs
the drink. I mean the football team. It's a different
animal with Joe Borrow at the quarterback position. I mean,
he elevates everybody. Everybody just feels like, Okay, we got it,
our boys back, we got our guy. We're in high
(04:54):
cotton right now. All we have to do is is play,
play hard, make plays, you know, go out there with
some some emotions, some energy, some enthusiasm, because we got
our we got our leader, we got our guy back.
And he is He's a he's a football savant. He
understands the game of football like not many. There's no question.
He just he gets every single little nuance about the
(05:17):
game of football. And uh and and nobody does better
than the belief. Like you know, you've been in the
locker room before he walks in. It doesn't matter if
it's a long snapper, if it's a dB, a linebacker.
Everyone says, all right, like there's a calmness about Joe Burrow,
And now your preparation changes. Now I'm more locked in
because I saw that guy come back in the locker
(05:38):
room and I know what he expects of me and
what he expects of himself. It does it it.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I think confidence is one of the most important things
in football, and that whole team is confident when number
nine is in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (05:49):
Yeah, I mean I think confidence is probably you know,
I don't want to get overly philosophically.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Confidence.
Speaker 5 (05:55):
Confidence is the biggest thing in life, you know. I mean,
you don't think you can do it, and I got
no shot, you know. I mean, if you think you
can do it, you always have a shot, always have
a chance. And that's what he does. He gives the
team hope. That's what it boils down to keep hope alive.
And Joe Burrow keeps hope alive, and everybody responds to her.
Everybody ups their level of play. And when this next game,
(06:20):
when they when they go to battle against Buffalo, when
he's got both Higgins and Jamar Chase back, he should
be even in higher cotton than he was against the
Baltimore Ravens because the trio is back.
Speaker 4 (06:34):
You know, It's not just a duo here and a
duo there.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
It's all three of those guys, and all three of
them are amongst the best in the NFL at their
respective positions.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
All Right, that's a perfect segue.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Let's hear from head coach Zach Taylor on Joe Burrow's
impact on everybody in the building when he came back
last week.
Speaker 6 (06:53):
I mean, he's one of the greatest players in the world,
you know, and so I think anytime you get player
like that back on the field, absolutely it was there.
It's subconsciously or consciously. I mean it's you're excited to
watch that and you're excited to rally behind that and
see where he can take you.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
It was funny because when Joe was out and people
started to speculate, well, when could he possibly come back,
one thing that you heard a lot of skeptics say was, well,
he doesn't play defense. Yeah, I mean there's still scoring
plenty of points. He doesn't play defense. Well, that's true,
but when he comes back, the defense gets five takeaways.
So there was an impact on the defense for the
(07:29):
exact reasons that you guys are talking about. He lifts
all boats.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
Yeah he does.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I mean, you know, defense really the thing you're thinking, Oh,
I'm not going to be out in the field as
many snaps as we've been because Joe's going to keep
the offense out in the football field. They're going to
convert first downs, they're going to move the chains, they're
gonna be on the football field running a bunch of
snaps and then like you said, you know, forcing the turnovers,
taking possessions away from the opponent, and giving extras to
Joe Burrow. That's a good formula to win a lot
(07:56):
of football games, with no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
It goes to I think it credits what the defense
has been building to because they've put the work in
as well. Al Golden has put the work in. But again,
nine walks back in and you feel like, you know what,
we gave up a touchdown there, but we're gonna get
it back, so let's work on the next possession. Let's
look ahead. I thought it was remarkable just the scene
(08:19):
after the game with not only Joe Burrow, but so
many of his teammates. You don't see that much, see
a couple guys out there. Zach Taylor's probably in the
locker room, like where's my team? But like I thought,
I thought, for a private guy like Joe is, you
got for the first time to kind of see the
raw emotion of how much it meant to him and
the work it took to get back on the field,
(08:40):
the mental strain of what an injury does to you.
Because you're alone, you're away from the guys and to
see that just general excitement and I thought at times
emotion from Joe Burrow when he's doing that post game
of man, it's just I'm happy to be here. I'm
grateful to be here. And I think it gives validation
of the hard work it took mentally and physically for
(09:02):
him to get back, and then to celebrate that moment
with his teammates out on the field is an awesome,
awesome moment. And their mindset's the right one. Like right
when Joe came back, what he said, we know we
gotta do. We know what we got to do, right,
We got to go win every game. Yep, you know
the mindset's there. You know, no one's working harder to
get there than Joe Burrow. And each win that happens. Man,
(09:24):
these guys they believe more and more they do.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
And you know the other people you have to give
credit to is the trainers and medical staff. I mean
they were instrumental. I mean he obviously gave them. He
was effusive in his praise to those guys, how much
they meant to him coming back in a short period
of time, and he came back, you know, days and
days early, not just a little bit of time, but
a significant period of time earlier than people had thought
(09:49):
and anticipated.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
And you know, the.
Speaker 5 (09:53):
Brace, the foot brace that they constructed, they designed and
put together for him so he couldn't bend that toe
and move that that turf tow which it was a
Grade three, which is significant. Man, that's painful. Joe's tough, dude. Man.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
He sucked it up. He sucked it up and played.
He played in some pain.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
And I just think that, you know, there's a lot
of people that need to take a bow and take
some credit. And uh, the medical staff, the training staff,
his parents, I mean, his dad, his dad, jamians mother,
I mean they're they're all over it too. And and
total support. Joe Burrow definitely has, you know, a support system,
there's no question about it. A big, a big support system.
(10:31):
But he has to do the work and and he
he's a grinder and he grounded out. Man, he did
the work.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
It's lonely. Oh yeah, that rehab process, Yeah, it's hard,
and you played through injuries before. The training staff, to
me is the most vital YEP. Coaches they're gonna say everything.
Coaches want you back. Yeah, hey, when you're coming back,
we need you, we need players. Hey, when you we
need you out here, you got friends, you got family.
Like when I went through my injuries, I knew that
(10:59):
I could trust the training staff that they were gonna
be honest with you, right right right. And as much
as everyone says, you got Joe Burrow in the locker room,
people want you back as quick as possible. But I knew,
and I know Joe like Joe knows if he asked
the training staff, can I do it, and they say, yes,
that's all you need. It's not your buddies, it's not
your teammates, it's not everyone else that that needs you back, right,
(11:20):
It's that trust in a training staff. You tell me
I'm good, and I'm good to go right right.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
And I think trust is a big word. And respect,
I mean there has to be a level of respect
there both ways. And I know the training staff respects
the hell out of Joe Burrow. I mean they think he's,
you know, one of one. He's a unique cat, and
no question about that. He definitely respects. Joey Bose and
everybody else know that was involved in his his rehab
and coming back as quickly as he did. So it
(11:46):
was It was good to see and they did a
hell of a job from top to bottom.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
And Joe, Joe worked.
Speaker 7 (11:54):
Man.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
One thing about Joe, he works his ass off.
Speaker 5 (11:56):
He's a worker Bee he's not He's not shy to
roll up sleeves and get after it.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Man.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
All right, speaking of comebacks, you reference t Higgins earlier.
Let's get to the Kettering health injury report. It came
out earlier today. T was limited at practice today as
he comes back from a concussion. Todz Brooks, same thing.
That is the normal process now for Wednesday. If you're
coming back from a concussion, typically if you're limited, you'll
(12:21):
ramp up the activity a little bit more the next day,
and hopefully that is a good sign that he's going
to be able to play on Sunday in Buffalo. I
would expect him to.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
I agree with you one hundred thousand percent, Dan. I
think I'd be shocked if he doesn't. Honestly, I think
he's gonna play. It's an important football game. It's a
good football team, multimo. I mean, the Buffalo Bills are
definitely a team that's got weapons. They got plenty of weapons.
Gotta win this game. They got to run the table.
They know they have to run the table. There's very
little margin for her. There's no margin for her. So
(12:53):
I do think that those guys will be back and
playing in Buffalo.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
So we agree on that. We know that Trey Hendrick
is going to be out. He did not practice today.
As for Buffalo, their starting tackles did not play last
week against Pittsburgh. Both of those guys were limited today.
The left tackle Dion Dawkins, he's coming back from a concussion.
The right tackle Spencer Brown, he's coming back from his
shoulder injury. Joey Bosa, the great pass rusher, did not
(13:20):
practice today. He's dealing with a hamstring wrist Combo. Dalton Kinka,
the tight end, missed the last several games. He was
limited today. He's coming back from a hamstring knee issue.
Where do you guys stand. If you could pick somebody
that you don't want to come back for Buffalo this week,
who would it be?
Speaker 3 (13:39):
If Dean Dawkins is listening, I wouldn't push the concussion,
take another week off, relaxed. Yeah, very important to me.
It's Joey bos He leaves the team in sacks. He's
their sock leader and He's a guy that's dealt with
injuries a lot of his career. Hamstrings are always a
tricky thing. It's it's going to be cold. I that's
that's a tricky injury. And he was labeled as week
to week by Sean McDermott. That that changes a lot, right,
(14:02):
if you're talking about getting T. Higgins back and then
possibly not having Joey Bosa on that side. Chase Brown
not only the running game, he was seven for seven
targets and receptions another hundred yard day. We know what
Jamar Chase is. T Higgins gets pair back up with
number nine, and they lose a piece of that pass rush.
It's it's all systems go for this Bengals offense.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
I think losing that piece of pass rush you just
mentioned is huge because what it does is it diminishes
the entire thing. You know, Now all of a sudden,
other guys are gonna have to step up and do things.
Are they capable of it? Are they are they being
asked to do things outside of their limitation, outside of
what they can do?
Speaker 4 (14:40):
You know?
Speaker 5 (14:41):
Now, do we have to scheme differently? Do we have
to think about blitzing more because we don't have our
best pass.
Speaker 4 (14:46):
Rush and you got to blitz Joe. Yeah, good luck, right,
Joe'll pick you apart.
Speaker 5 (14:50):
So uh, he gets a pre snap read and it's
over man that balls out and it's and it's it's completed.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
So yeah, I mean, I I do think.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
I think, honestly, the Buffalo Bill's injury are more of
a concern I would think to Buffalo than the Bengals
injuries are of the Cincinnati Bengals done.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
I like it that.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Way, and I want Dalton Kincaid out. Yeah. Yeah. Josh
Allen has thrown ten picks this year. None With Dalton
Kincaid on the field. They're like a different passing attack
when he's out there. Kincaid has missed the Bill's last
three games and was listed as limited at Thursday's practice.
The Bills enter Sunday's game with a number one rushing
(15:27):
attack in the NFL. They averaged one hundred and fifty
six rushing yards per game, and that's basically what the
Bengals defense has been giving up. The average is one
fifty three, but the Bengals have held their last three
opponents to well below that average as the defense has
drastically improved. I discussed that and more with defensive tackle
(15:50):
BJ Hill. Bj. You've been Joe burrows teammate for five years.
When a guy comes back ahead of schedule from an injury,
what statement does that make to it teammates?
Speaker 7 (16:01):
It means a lot, man, even guys who fight through
injuries each and every day, seeing them out there, practicing,
seeing them out on the games, meaning that they care
for the guys. Some instance like you can't be out there,
but guys that you know try to be out there,
try to do everything's possible to get out there. It
means a lot to the teammates.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
So I was watching the postgame celebration after the victory
in Baltimore. The big tur ducan spread out there on
the field. You were right in the middle of the celebration,
and then it looked like you bailed before getting a bite.
What happened.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
I was just ready to go go home.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Man.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
It was a long two days for us, and I
was like, you know what, let me get in the
locker room, take a shower, and I'm ready to go
home to get to my family.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You got the feast the next night.
Speaker 7 (16:45):
I did got up early, even though we got back
of late, got up early, and I smoked a turkey.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
All right, good to know. We're visiting with bj Hill.
Over the last three weeks, the defense has given up
an average of seventeen point six points. That would be
number three in the NFL if it was for the
entire season. What are the biggest reasons for the defensive improvement.
Speaker 7 (17:06):
You gotta do the little things right. This was really
was killing us at the beginning of the year or
halfway through year whatever. That was a little stretch. We
just want to do in the little things right. And
we came back and just skip on work and keep
on tipping at the things that we had to get better.
And we have a point that we turned around. We
just gotta keep the moment and going, keep on playing defense,
communicating and just playing as a team. If we keep
(17:28):
on doing that, man, I think a lot of things
to take care of itself.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Are you seeing the light come on for some of
your younger teammates.
Speaker 7 (17:35):
Oh, for sure, especially the two regular linebackers, sitting them
fly around and having fun, being more confident, just being.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
There in their role.
Speaker 7 (17:45):
It's a lot when you come in have to play
a lot for NFL team and you can see how
they matured and take advantage of each and every rep
even in practice, the way they communicate, way they come
back to work. Actually just actually older got even asking
me questions like I'm like, all right, I think you're
gonna You're gonna be special in this league. Just just
(18:05):
keep on working, just doing the right things of whole
things over and over and never get tired of it.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Do you think linebacker is especially tough for a rookie.
I mean Barrett Carter for examples, wearing the green dot.
He's the guy communicating without golden.
Speaker 7 (18:18):
I think so. I think it's tough that in safety too,
playing playing those positions, especially mentally, you got a lot
on your plate. They're playing de tackle is a rookie,
I think it's very hard too. But playing a lot,
but you got a lot on your play. You gotta
get the calls, you gotta make sure you know what
you're doing other people are doing, make you in the
right spot, give me the right calls, the checks, and
(18:39):
just everything you got. You definitely got a lot on
the play, and you can see the way they just
improved over the last couple of weeks. Man's is very
exciting to see.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
We're chatting with b J. Hill. Joseph Osai might have
had the best game of his career in Baltimore. Two sacks,
four quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. I remember you
raved about his effort when I asked you about him
during training camp. How excited were you to see him
have a game like that on Thanksgiving Night.
Speaker 7 (19:05):
I'd love to see my guys ball, no matter what
room they I love seeing Joseph just knowing the hard
work that he put in over the shoot the last
couple of years, even this off seasons, The way he
just attacked each and every day.
Speaker 8 (19:18):
It shoot me.
Speaker 7 (19:19):
I'm excited for him, man. It's it's really great to
see you love to see guys have success on the field.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
You were voted one of three captains, win of three
defensive captains prior to the season, but you're kind of
the last man standing. Logan Wilson was traded. Trey's been hurt,
He's been rehabbing. He really really hasn't been in the
mix of late. How has that impacted you?
Speaker 7 (19:40):
Just I just want to come out here and be
the best leader I can be. Push your guys, communicate
to him, just you know, make sure we all on
the same on the same road. Make sure we all
go in the same direction. I think that's the most
important part. And make sure that we're prexing practicing right now,
just going through the motions, if the if that's a
walk through, full speed period, no matter what it is,
(20:00):
make sure we're always doing to the things right because
it's always going to show up on the field how
we practice, no matter like I said, it was four
s feed or not. So I I embraced it.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Man.
Speaker 7 (20:08):
At one point, it was kind of hard. I felt
like a lot was throwing on me, but I embracing out.
I love. I love coming to work and pushing them.
So they're pushing me to the that lived to that standard,
to play good ball, to be the best meEach in
every week.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
You face the Bills in Buffalo this Sunday, you have
faced Josh Allen three times before in your career, you
have sacked him once. What stands out to you about
the Bill's QB.
Speaker 7 (20:34):
Man, He's everything you want as a quarterback. He's one
of the best in the league. He's big, he's strong,
he's fast, got a good arm. He's one of the
guys that's like I said, he's one of the best
to do it in the league. Right now, we got
a hands full, but I believe we got the defense
the in in our room, the dude need to do
(20:55):
to win the game.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
What do you remember about that sack?
Speaker 7 (20:59):
I think I second more than you. Don't really count playoffs,
but you know saying we might go out the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (21:05):
Think I got them?
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Think I got them twice?
Speaker 8 (21:08):
I think so my apology.
Speaker 7 (21:09):
Now, remember I believe he's miss Samue run a text game.
I got vertical. Sam rapped around on a sacking.
Speaker 8 (21:17):
All right.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Buffalo ran for two hundred and forty nine yards last
week and their win over Pittsburgh. James Cook has seven
one hundred yard games this year. What must do you
do to slow down that Buffalo rushing attack on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
He can do it all.
Speaker 7 (21:30):
Catch out of the backfield, run it make you miss,
hard to tackle strong, Like I said, we just got
to swim to the ball. Get all hats to the ball.
Tackle somebody missed the tackle, Max, sure somebody right there
hitting them right after. I'll be play technically sound. Make
sure we're standing our guess and playing good football together.
Build a wall so you know it's hard for him
(21:50):
to to you know, cutting them gaps and stuff like that.
So we played good football for what we can do
we need to do.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
There's still a path to win the AFC North, but
it's narrow. If you win this week, does it really
feel possible? Does it take a couple of wins Buffalo
and Baltimore. Where do you stand on the realistic chances
of still pulling this off? Uh?
Speaker 7 (22:12):
My mind right now, just one game at the time,
I look ahead. I'll just come on and play our
bis ball. Whatever happens happens. And I feel like if
we put our bits for Ford on defensive sideyball, I
no offense is gonna take do their part. I who
do our side on the defenses I'll take care of.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
So appreciate your time. Best to luck against the Bills.
Speaker 7 (22:29):
Oh thank you.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
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,
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Health the best care for the best fans. Kettering Health
is the official healthcare provider of the Bengals. If you
(22:51):
watch the game on TV this week, you'll hear an
announcing crew that has not been assigned to a Bengals
game this year. The analyst will be Greg Oles, who
was number one on the totem pole at Fox before
Tom Brady decided to get into broadcasting, and the play
by play announcer on Sunday made this memorable call on
(23:12):
November one in Toronto, bounces.
Speaker 9 (23:19):
To back that chap, you gotta come out the Dodger
Standta Bedwin back to back titles.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
Joe Davis called one of the greatest world series of
all time earlier this year, and he will be in
the booth this Sunday when the Bengals take on the
Buffalo Bills. Joe, it's Joe Burrow versus Josh Allen. What
was your initial reaction when Joe Burrow came back from
his injury way ahead of schedule And how did you
think he played on Thanksgiving Night?
Speaker 9 (23:48):
Yeah, the first thing was, Okay, this changes the Bengals,
even before we saw how the game went. First half
shook the rust off. I think he was the first
one to even say that. But second half, it's like,
my goodness, you talk about a guy completely changing the mood,
changing the tone around a team, and for us selfishly
going into this game, you know, we got the assignment
(24:10):
the week before that, crossing our fingers that he looked
good in his return, and he did obviously, and we
are extra fired up after seeing it.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
So, Joe, it's the first time this year that you
and Greg Olsen will call a Bengals game. What about Cincinnati?
Are you eager to see whether it's an individual or
something about the team in general?
Speaker 9 (24:30):
Yeah, I think it's just a continuation of Burrow, And
you know, I know the playoff hopes are baint and
they got to be perfect and they got to get
some help. But if there's anybody that injects enough hope
to further that storyline, it is Burrow and going there
and facing Josh Allen. That being head to head, it's
hard to beat that in terms of big stars going
(24:51):
head to head on an NFL Sunday.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
The Bengals defense has had its ups and downs this year.
We acknowledge that, but they've been pretty good the last
few weeks. They've given up seventeen point six points over
their last three games, got five takeaways in the win
over Baltimore on Thanksgiving Night? What must this defense do
to have success against Buffalo.
Speaker 9 (25:12):
Normally, Dan, you'd go, you'd say, okay, yeah, they've been
better lately, but let's see what happens when they go
in and face Josh Allen and the Bills. But Bills
offense has not been the same. They're running the ball
really well, ran all over the Steelers, but the passing
game just has not been there at all. You know,
top running game in the NFL, but the passing game
(25:33):
recent years, Josh Allen has been able, even though they
haven't had a number one target necessarily has been able
to overcome that paper over it. It's just not quite
been the same this year. So in years past, you'd say, hey,
the Bills, if they could just stop the right teams,
they're going to break through. Now the Bills are asking
the question can they find offense? So to your question
(25:54):
about that Bengals defense, I think it's a chance for
them to continue the momentum we saw them build against
obviously slouch in Baltimore, what they did against Lamar in
that group.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
Well, let me follow up on that. Because the Bills
are eight and four. If the season ended today, they
would be a playoff team, but they're not quite as
dominant as they've been. Josh Allen got sacked eight times
a couple of weeks ago. What do you think are
the Bills' biggest issues on the overall team?
Speaker 9 (26:21):
I look at the offense in the passing game. They
just haven't been able to throw the ball down field,
and normally that's a huge strength of Josh Allen's. There's
just not much around him in terms of targets. Part
of that's been injuries, but massive disappointments. Josh Palmer coming
over in his first season of a new contract, injured
and not very good when he has been on the field.
(26:41):
Keon Coleman, who they drafted last year hope would turn
into a big play threat. He was a healthy scratch
for a couple of games for off the field stuff,
showed up late to meetings, and when he's been in
the field he's been a disappointment. So these guys that
are counting on at receiver have either been injured or disappointing.
Dalton kincaid his favorite time end has been hurt the
last few weeks. So that passing game, which is it's
(27:04):
crazy to think about Josh Allen the Bills passing game.
They have issues with that, but that right now, for me,
is the biggest question.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's been a few years, but Joe Burrow is two
and oh against the Buffalo Bills. He's two and oh
head to head against Josh Allen. One of those two
wins was a playoff victory in Buffalo on a snowy day,
which very few teams have been able to pull off
against the Bills. Do you think it's a motivating factor
for Buffalo this week? The Joe Burrow and the Bengals
(27:34):
have that history against Josh Allen and the Bills.
Speaker 9 (27:37):
I'm sure that it'll be on their minds. But a
lot like the Bengals, the Bills are sitting there with
not much room for air, So I think they have
plenty of motivations just when it comes to the playoff picture,
without needing any extra stimulation from who they're facing. They
you know, they've won five consecutive division titles. They're two
and a half games behind the Patriots, so they've got
to be perfect when it comes to the division. They've
(27:59):
got to get a little help. Patriots got to lose
an extra game, so.
Speaker 8 (28:02):
It's kind of similar.
Speaker 9 (28:04):
Not as desperate as the Bengals are, but there's plenty
of motivation just simply looking at the standings without needing
to look across and see the guy that's heard him before.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
The AFC North is usually one of the NFL's top
divisions at the moment, this year, nobody's over five hundred,
So the Bengals are technically still alive. What do you
think of the division? Do you think that there's an
obvious favorite, and in your mind, do the Bengals still
have a fighting chance?
Speaker 8 (28:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 9 (28:32):
This kind of brings full circle our conversation here. I
think when you combine Joe Burrow's return with that division,
who the heck wants it? Nobody has taken command of it.
If there's ever a chance for a team that's sitting
in the position that the Bengals are, yeah, I think
you know, if you get a mathematical chance and then
you factor in those two things, sure, and I know
(28:55):
we're going to ride that. That adds meaning to our
broadcast and adds meaning to a game that's already going
to be exciting just because of the stars.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
You broadcast Dodgers games during the summer you've got bright
sunshine behind you in California. Are you prepared for wintry
conditions this Sunday in Orchard Park, New York.
Speaker 8 (29:15):
No, I am so soft.
Speaker 9 (29:17):
Dan grew up in Michigan, and after about a week
of living out here, I was as soft as they come.
So we've had some good training in the last couple
of weeks. We're in Green Bay two weeks ago. We
were in Seattle last week where it was only low forties.
This is another level of cold, though, So now I'm
gonna have about fourteen layers on.
Speaker 8 (29:34):
I got no pride, I don't care.
Speaker 9 (29:36):
I don't like being cold and distracted, so I'll be
so bundled up. I won't even bring a tie. That
would be our little secret because nobody's gonna know. I'm
gonna have a scarf, a couple stars, giant coat.
Speaker 8 (29:47):
Yeah, but I'll be warm.
Speaker 1 (29:49):
The George Gastanza puffy jacket. I'm sure that will look good.
That will look good. I mentioned off the top, Joe
that you had the opportunity to call a historically good
world series this year and you match them, which I
think is about the ultimate compliment that one broadcaster can
pay to another. What was that moment like for you?
Are those seven games like for you because it's the
(30:11):
type of thing that every broadcaster dreams of doing.
Speaker 9 (30:14):
Yeah, it was, to be honest with you, I'll see
that the first six games, it was incredible time in
my life. I felt really good about the broadcast. We
were having Game six as good as I've ever felt.
Game seven is kind of this blur that I don't
really know how to feel about. So much happened there
in the final few winnings of that game, right down
(30:36):
to know, we're putting things in perspective about about Toronto
ending their World series drought, and then bang, Miguel Rojas happens,
and a million other things happened in the hour that
follows that. So it went from six games of this
is great and I feel like we're on it, to
what the heck just happened and we were kind of
(30:57):
holding on for dear life. I'm sure you've had games
like that too in your career where you're like, I
don't know what just happened.
Speaker 8 (31:02):
I don't know what I said. I hope that I said.
Speaker 9 (31:05):
Something that was ascertainable and that made sense and that
helped match the moment but man, it was kind of
kind of two series within one the first six games
and then that seventh game seems to stand alone in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Well, I can promise you that you nailed it. You
added to my enjoyment of the World Series. Congratulations on that.
Look forward to hearing your call on Sunday in Buffalo.
Thanks for your time.
Speaker 8 (31:29):
Thanks Stan, It'll be good to see you.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Finally, it's time for this week's Know the Faux segment.
The radio analyst for the Buffalo Bills played for the
team for nine years, but he's a Cincinnati guy through
and through, having graduated from Elder High School. It's former
Pro Bowl center Eric Wood who talked about the Bills
up and down season when he joined Dave Lapham and
me on the Bengals Game Plan Show.
Speaker 2 (31:54):
He started off four to zero and the expectations were
high heading in and it was going to be a
Josh Allen MB repeat. It's a Super Bowl favorites heading
into the season, and it's been a roller coaster rode.
The biggest issues that they've faced defensively has been the
run defense. It played well that we could go against
the Steelers, but it's been an up and down season.
(32:14):
As far as defending the run, that's been the biggest
issue with the defense, and a big issue there is
just simply tackling.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
I give them somewhat of a pass for some of
their struggles based upon the amount of injuries on the
defensive side of the ball, but the run defense has
struggled very bad at times this year. And then offensively,
turnovers is probably our biggest issue. The passing game hasn't
come alive like maybe you'd hoped, But there's guys in
(32:44):
the receiving corps that have been injured throughout the season,
and they've leaned so heavily into the run game that
at times they haven't needed to get the pass game going.
But the common denominator and all four of their losses
have been three turnovers by the offense. And it's really
hurt us.
Speaker 5 (33:00):
Wow, three turnovers in every single loss. That's that's that's
pretty amazing. That's a that's something new, and.
Speaker 2 (33:07):
Dave, you know this like that that third turnover at
times has come at the end of a game where
you know you have to press because you're coming back.
So not all turnovers are created equal, but that has
been the theme in all of their losses this year.
Speaker 5 (33:22):
So it's it's been an up and down season obviously
for for a Buffalo, the season start off gangbusters and
then have had some difficulties. Is it that been the
case for Josh Allen as well? Has the season basically
gone as Josh Allen has played?
Speaker 2 (33:38):
I would say it's it's more of a team effort.
You know, they're trying to rely less and less on
Josh doing it all himself. Now this is December football.
If need be, they'll dial up the red zone runs
with him, and there's gonna be times where you're gonna
see the old Josh Allen improv improvational improvisational skills. There
(33:59):
you go, there's education coming out, but you'll see him
improvise out on the field and do some of the
heroics that we've seen over time. But you know this
is you know, Sean mcdermoy came from Carolina, so did
Brandon bean our GM. They saw how Cam Newton deteriorated
towards the end based upon the amount of hits that
he took, and so it's been a concerted effort over
(34:20):
these last few years to get him to take less
and less hits and so Yeah, I think there's been
games where Josh hasn't played his best and the turnovers
have been his fault. And then there's other times where
you know, it's either been the run defense or you
have guys not him, turning the football over with fumbles,
and so you know, ultimately Josh is the heart and
(34:44):
soul of the team and it's going to, you know,
fall on his shoulders. But in those four losses, it
hasn't all been on him.
Speaker 1 (34:51):
Bill's radio analyst and former Pro Bowl center Eric Wood
is our guest. The Bills have had their share of
injuries there. Offensive tackles did not play last week against Pittsburgh.
They still ran the ball for nearly two hundred and
fifty yards ere there excellent tight end Dalton Kincaid has
been out for a few weeks with a tender hamstring.
Who is it most important for Buffalo to get back?
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, I mean, if Dalton Kinkaid can come back, that
would be huge. Our passing numbers are dramatically better when
he's been on the field this season. I believe Josh
Allen's quarterback rating goes up about fifteen with him on
the field, which seems extreme for a tight end, but
we drafted him in the first round out of Utah
three years ago, three seasons ago. Now to be a receiver.
(35:38):
I mean, he's essentially a bigger slot receiver for us
out there and maybe our best pure separator that we
bring on the field each week. And so if he's
able to play against the Vengels, I'd say that would
be probably the one that I would take. Now, if
Hendrickson was going to play, I might say one of
(35:58):
the two tackles are spect Deon Dawkins are left tackle.
But with him likely ruled out, which is a very
interesting situation. I followed along with it. But with him
ruled out, a gimme kincaid if we can get one
of them back.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
So, looking at the Buffalo Bills offensive line, you played
that position so well, Pro Bowl player, nine year veteran player,
almost played a decade. What the offensive line has been
inconsistent as well? With their with their play, with their
level of play. What is the biggest reason for it?
Do you think?
Speaker 2 (36:34):
Yeah, I mean they've had a good year. They got
exploited against the Houston Texans on Thursday night. Football Spencer
Brown was playing with the herd shoulder and Dion Dawkins
got got a concussion.
Speaker 8 (36:45):
In the game.
Speaker 2 (36:45):
I'll just say that he got examined on the sideline.
They put him back in obviously wasn't playing like himself,
and then he was out the Pittsburghers game because of
the concussion suffered in that game. We also used a
lot of five man protections in that game and throughout
the season. Joe Brady, our offensive coordinator, has a lot
of confidence in this offensive line to carry the unit,
to run the football behind them consistently, and then we
(37:08):
have not used a lot of chips or running back
help in the passing game because he's got a lot
of faith in them. That came to a head on
against the Texans when we gave up eight sacks. And
that's where I said, you know that I wouldn't put
the entire blame of the Texans game on Josh Allen,
being that he was under dress most of the game.
(37:29):
And so I feel like this unit has performed exceptionally
well throughout the season, minus I would say that Texans game.
Speaker 5 (37:37):
So what do you think Eric is the big key
to the to the game? I mean, Buffalo needs to win,
the Bengals need to win it's a musk game for
both football teams. What do you think is the is
the biggest key for the Buffalo Bills to sustain their
season and to give them victory in Cincinnati.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
Yeah, I would say can painting Joe Burrow and especially
Jamar Chase. And that doesn't mean you shut those guys
completely down. They're too good of a connection to completely
shut them down. But Jamar Chase got the most yards
after catch in the NFL when he does catch the football,
be able to tackle him limit those yards after the catch.
And then Chase Brown, whether it's you know, receiving or rushing,
(38:21):
he's what is he got over one hundred yards from
scrimmage the last three games. Sorry sorry, Yeah, six in
a row. Extremely impressive. You got to be able to
tackle him as well. He's he's low to the ground,
he's he's a great football player. And then on the
offensive side of the ball, I think this Bills team
(38:42):
should be able to establish the run against the Bengals,
and then it's the play action off of that, and
can you connect down the field to make them pay
if they're going to bring their safeties down And that's
been a lot of the Bills recipe for success this year. Offensively,
it's established the run and then takes your take your
shots off of those plays.
Speaker 1 (39:01):
How's the new stadium looking, going up right next to
high Mark?
Speaker 2 (39:06):
It's it's actually incredible. I got to do a tour
of it about two weeks ago. With the two main
architects and the attention to detail, and you know, the
amenities that you're going to now have in the new
high Mark Stadium is going to be really special Old
high Mark Stadium these last three games, if we don't
host a home playoff game, if these are the last three,
(39:26):
I'm going to cherish them. So much history there and
I love that building. And uh, you guys know we
get we get one of the better radio setups in
the league. As far as size of the booth and
our location.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
Yah'll be terrible.
Speaker 8 (39:42):
It won't be terrible.
Speaker 2 (39:42):
We'll just feel a little bit higher up in the
new stadium. They still gave us some respect in that regard.
But you know, I appreciate the nostalgia of old high
Mark Stadium. And I've never gone to a game truly
as a spectator, but I've heard some of the amenities
are pretty rough over there.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
The new stadium features a one point seven billion dollar
price tag, and despite Buffalo's notoriously bad weather, will not
have a roof. It will feature a large canopy covering
about two thirds of the seats designed to protect fans
from the elements, but the Bills wanted to keep the
field exposed to the weather, which fits the traditional Buffalo
(40:24):
football experience. Here's a quick invitation to join lapp In
Wayne box Miller for the Bengals pep Rally show on Friday.
They'll be at the on the Rhine Eatery, the food
hall on the second floor above the downtown Kroger on
Friday from two thirty to five thirty, and their scheduled
guest in the final hour will be rookie linebacker Barrett Carter.
(40:45):
That's going to do it for this episode of the
Bengals Booth podcast, 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. If you haven't
(41:08):
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 thanks for listening to the Bengals Booth
podcast
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