Jake and James go game-by-game on the Cincinnati Bengals 2023 schedule to make some way too early win-loss predictions now that we've had some time to digest the timing of each opponent on the schedule. Find and follow Locked On Bengals on your favorite podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-bengals-daily-podcast-on-the-cincinnati-bengals/id1159723162 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7AObc0lh0WmQl5fJVgtajs Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-bengals Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vbG9ja2Vkb25iZW5nYWxz?sa=X&ved=0CAYQrrcFahcKEwio_sXtj8nuAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAg James Rapien and Jake Liscow take you inside the Bengals with the latest news, unique analysis, and insight on your favorite team, every day on Locked On Bengals. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team. Every Day. And follow Jake and James on Twitter, where they'll be sharing the latest news about the Cincinnati Bengals and talking with fans. Jake Liscow: https://twitter.com/JakeLiscow James Rapien: https://twitter.com/JamesRapien Podcast: https://twitter.com/lockedonbengals Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
It's the Lockdown Podcast Network, yourteam every day. Make a fast break
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partner of the NBA. We've hadthe Cincinnati Bengal schedule for about two weeks
(00:44):
now, but you know what wehaven't done because we haven't done our way
too early predictions going game by game. Let's do that today. You are
Locked On Bengals, your daily CincinnatiBengals podcast, part of the Locked On
Podcast Network, Your every day WhatBengals fans and Welcome to another episode of
(01:14):
the Lockdown Bengals Podcast I'm your host, Jake. Let's go. He's your
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(01:59):
James, I'm going to be extremelybullish on the Cincinnati Bengals today through this
schedule optimistic Jake is here. Ohyou know, I've said it though.
My expectations for this team are thatI'm not going to look at a game
on the schedule and say, yeah, they should lose that game. That's
(02:22):
not where this team is in theteam building cycle. That's not where this
team is from from my perspective interms of expectations. Where they had the
Super Bowl run, they got better, they were a better team, couldn't
quite get it done in the championshipgame, and the injuries caught up to
them. And I think they shouldonce again. And we've talked about this,
(02:43):
We've spent entire episodes and segments talkingabout where they're better, where they're
worst. As an overall football team, I think they should be better again.
The AFC, though, is verychallenging, and so that's what they
have to overcome. But specifically whatthey have to overcome is this team game
schedule, and let's go game bygame, shall we and talk about Well,
(03:07):
we'll do some analysis, but mybasic answer for most of these questions
is going to be w look atyou. This is the most confident I've
ever seen you in anything. Mygod, No, I think that should
be the expectation for this Bengals team. Right last year, it was,
(03:27):
well, the offensive line is better? How much better? Can they avoid
a Super Bowl hangover all of thosethings? And they did, especially after
Joe Burrow was able to get theweight back on and get back to playing
after having a pretty serious surgery onlate July, right as training campus starting,
So hopefully you can avoid any ofthat stuff. And assuming they do
(03:49):
that and can have a healthy numbernine, I think they go up to
Cleveland and get a W in Weekone. And it's interesting because that's kind
of the narrative is oh Man,Joe Burrow and the Browns, and he
struggled in a couple of those games. He also in his second game of
his career, and I'm gonna keepreminding people of this with no one with
(04:11):
a bench, John Ross, ajGreen who couldn't get open against Denz Award,
Mike Thomas catching touchdowns. I don'teven know if Mike Thomas is in
the league right now. And he'smy guy, number eight, number eighty
last year, that Mike Thomas.I don't know if if he signed anywhere.
This dude four days into his NFLcareer, his second career game,
went up there and threw for threehundred and sixteen yards sixty one pass attempts.
(04:33):
I don't think it's a Browns thing. I think the Bengals have played
poorly as a team against the orthe Bengals have played poorly against the Browns.
I expect brow to play well.I expect this offense to take a
step and I know that defensive linefor Cleveland pretty darn good. Now,
I know that they have a newdefensive coordinator. I know all of those
things. I think the Bengals handlebusiness in a chaotic environment at Cleveland brown
(04:56):
Stadium on the banks of lanky Erieand get into one week one Cleveland Browns
Stadium. It's no longer First Energy. It's clean Brown Stadium. Good reminder
that I will. I actually knowwhat I never knew. It's honestly whatever
it was before. I didn't knowwhat it was before First Energy. Okay,
uh, new defensive coordinator, Weekone weirdness. These are the only
(05:21):
only things to me that that couldmake this game problematic for the Bengals because
Week one is weird, and wedon't know what's going to happen in training
camp and all these things. Wedon't know what the health situation is going
to be. But the Brown's defenseon paper is pretty good with that front
flour like you talked about, likethe one Thornhill signing back there in the
(05:43):
secondary, like the corners, GregMartin, Martin Emerson fantastic as a rookie.
Third round rookie last year was oneof the better rookie corners in the
league not named Sauce Gardner, DonzeWard, Greg Newsom. That's a that's
a good corner trio there, WanThorne Hill, like I said, like
him question mark of the other safetyspot with Grant Delpit. I think Jay
(06:05):
Okay still really good. It's theonly talkie Talkie last year had the game
of his career against the Bengals.But what's going on with that offense?
I mean, Jim Schwartz, thedefense should be better. Jim Schwartz,
I think objectively is a better defensivecoordinator than Joe Woods. But oh yeah
then Joe Woods. Yeah, ofcourse is DeShawn Watson. I thought you
(06:27):
were gonna say that Lou I waslike, I was like, oh no,
It's like, oh, I don'tknow about that. I mean,
saying anyone's objectively a better defensive coordinatorthan Lou is tricky. But like they
have so many questions on offense,starting with their quarterback, who was atrocious
last year. And until you seeit with that offense, do you believe
it? I don't. I needto see it. They last thing on
(06:50):
this and because we have plenty ofgames to get to, I think the
Browns are going to be pretty good. Like there is talent, Like if
you're starting with a Marie Cooper dinamandPeoples Drones and a Jamore, like,
that's a pretty good one through three. It's not the Bengals. But guess
what most receiver units aren't the Bengalsone through three or one through four.
And you're right, it comes downto Nick Chubb to me, best running
(07:11):
back in the game, one ofthem, certainly the most consistent runner.
Best Maybe it's best running back becausehe's the best runner in the game.
I would say that, maybe notmost complete or whatever you want to say.
But Deshaun Watson, how does heplay? It comes down to it.
If he can match Joe Burrow andplay at an elite level, then
this game feels much different. Ithink that's allowed to ask week one.
(07:34):
Obviously, the Bengals have to stopthe run. So it sounds like both
of us are going w week oneand back to back divisional matchups. Jake
Baltimore, you return home, hopefullyyou'll want to know you play Baltimore and
this is another team that should bereally good. Lamar Jackson obviously signed his
(07:54):
extension. They add some weapons,signe Odell Beckham Junior to a contract that
no one was giving him. Ithink he was New York bound to the
Jets, and last second the Ravenssaid, hey man, let's get obj
which I don't blame them. They'redesperate. They stick at drafting receivers.
It hasn't worked out that they havenot added the right skill guys around Lamar,
(08:15):
so they do that. They draftedthe kid out of Boston College as
well. We'll see. But Ithink this is an interesting game and it's
going to come down to the Bengalsoffense being better than they were against the
Ravens and back to back games atthe end of the regular season last year
and then in that playoff game.This Bengals offense has to take a step.
(08:37):
And I know they were shorthanded,I know all of those things.
They were also at home, soat home again, hopefully they can play
better against a Ravens defense that Idon't want to say had their number,
because the Bengals handled business back toback weeks, but it wasn't pretty.
They had their number, and thenJoe Burrow started to figure it out and
then he had it figured out.It took him seeing Mike McDonald's defense a
(09:00):
couple of times, and the Bengalssuffered some injuries which made it uglier as
a game as the games went on, but Joe Burrow figured him out.
I think that's a big question forme, is does Joe Burrow and this
coaching staff continue to have answers forMike McDonald's defense, because that's really what
kept Baltimore in games without Lamar Jackson. But the other big differences, of
(09:20):
course, Lamar Jackson should be there, and Odell Beckham, Rashad Bateman and
Zay Flowers is a much different thanMark Andrews. Is a much different set
of weapons than the Bengals faced withthe Ravens last year. The Ravens will
be better, yeah, for sure, and they were as they stay healthy.
They're really well coached team. Tommunkin going to be an entirely new
(09:41):
offense, going to be a muchmore modern NFL offense most likely. So
a lot to contend with with thisRavens team, good coaching staff, good
new players. Bengals home opener though, and they know they need to get
out to a hot start. LikeI said, I'm just having a hard
time picking against the Bank right now. I'll tell you right now, I
(10:01):
have the Bengal splitting these two.I have n't beat in Cleveland, losing
to Baltimore starting one on one,I'm I'm taking the home opener. So
if you if you think they're gonnasplit the first two, I'll talk it
up to week one weirdness and giveme the home opener. Yeah, I
could see it. I just Ithink that I think the Ravens are better
than the Browns. I think it'sclose. Give me Lamar over Watson.
(10:24):
Oh yeah, I think the Ravensare better than the Browns for sure.
But I'm just saying, like Weekone weirdness on the road in Cleveland,
all those factors. Sure, yeah, but both it's not. This division
is so good, like I thinkit's a really good division. Like there's
no slouch, there's no crappy team, and and so yeah, I have
them one on one, you havethem two and oh it sounds like gotcha?
(10:46):
All right, Well, we havea lot of games to get too.
We're moving it a slow pace.We're gonna have to pick it up.
We'll pick up the pace. You'retalking about divisional matchups to open the
season, those are always going tohave a little bit more meat on the
bone when we talk about the rematcheswith this team, these teams, not
as much meat on the bone,not as much meat on the boat with
Week three either. We'll get toWeek three coming up next. Today's show
is brought to you by FanDuel.The NBA playoffs continue to roll on in
(11:09):
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(11:50):
on to get your no Sweat Firstbet up to one thousand dollars. That's
FanDuel dot com slash locked On,FanDuel, official sports betting partner of the
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(12:11):
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May twenty twenty two. Potential savingswill vary. Week three, James,
I know there's Super Bowl rematch intriguehere, but this is a very,
very different Los Angeles RMS team putme down for w without a whole lot
of deef analysis. The Vans aren'tgoing to be good. I know they
sold Cooper Cup and Matthew Stafford andAaron Donald and there's some guys on that
team that are still good players.But the Vans are not going to be
(13:20):
a good team this year. Andpeople can clip it sure, and you're
not going to be the only onethat says that. I think it's one
of those weird, sneaky teams thatcould be better than people expect because people
are so low on them that said, you're right. Monday Night Football in
(13:41):
the jungle one and one is whereI had them. I have them handling
business and getting to two and oneon the season. These are the type
of games. You just handle businessand you move on, and I think
Joe Burrow and the Bengals do that. And it isn't revenge for Super Bowl
fifty six, but it would bea nice little little cherry to get a
win against the team that obviously costyou on Lombardi, I think there's gonna
(14:05):
be a lot of motivation for thoseguys in terms of we're not going to
drop a primetime game to this teamthat we didn't win the Super Bowl against,
Sure in their stadium, which isridiculous. Home super Bowls hate it.
Next game, week four, ridiculoustwo years in a row. Never
(14:26):
happened in the history of the game. I know, it's just bad luck.
It's not it's I mean, canyou say, I know, It's
just it's just wouldn't matter. Ifwouldn't mattered, if the Bucks could cover
Cooper cup Deep Antoine Winfield Junior justletting him go in the division round,
or if the safety for the fortynine ers could catch Oh my gosh,
(14:48):
yeah, it was hard. It'sright there for butterfingers go ahead. We
four back in Tennessee for like thetwentieth straight year, the Bengals go on
the road, just to face theTitans. Now talk about teams that are
going to be better I think thanfolks expect. And I don't think Tennessee
is gonna be like good by anymeans. I don't think they're gonna be
(15:09):
a great team or anything. Butthe defense is going to continue to be
a well coached Mike Rabel defense who'sgonna make your life difficult. And the
same thing he said for like allof these first four teams, well besides
the Browns, maybe on the offensiveside of the ball, I'm not sure
about that, but a lot ofreally good coaches on the Bengal schedule to
(15:30):
start the year. And that's trueof the defense and the Tennessee Titans as
well. That being said, lookat that Tennessee Titans offense. Is Derrick
Henry putting the team on his shouldersand keeping them in this game. No
stray Burke's breaking out. No.I mean, you can try to find
answers and it could be a grindygame, because these games tend to be
(15:52):
grindy. But I like the Bengalshere. That's the part of the Bengals
that is So that's why you shouldbe bullish on him, because I think
that they're the way they can win. They've won these grinded out type games
offensively in this year. They shouldbe the best they've been offensively during this
run. And obviously the defense isset up to win grinded out type games,
(16:12):
especially against the offense like Tennessee makesa ton of sense, Like I'm
not even sure Derrick Henry is goingto be there. We will see,
right, I mean, if youcould get anything for him, they have
Taj Spears, Like just give thebackfield to Spears. That might be a
take, not a take for me. So we'll see there. But now
I'll take the Bengals. So Ihave them starting three and one, you
(16:33):
have them at four and Oh isit a more interesting question to talk about
whether or not Will Levice will bestarting this game than whether or not the
Bengals will win this game. Itseems a little early time there, But
it seems a little early for aguy that eats bananas with the plon.
But never say never, Oh,any time he gets brought up, I'm
never letting him live it down.Mayonnaise and his coffee. You can't be
(16:56):
an NFL star if you do thosethings. You can be weird. That's
different than weird. That's unbelievably bad. That said, speaking of unbelievably all
of the UK fan listeners we haveright now are just turning the podcasts off.
Hey, I hope Chris Rodriguez ballsout like it's not a UK thing,
right, It's not at all thatsaid, I said, speaking of
(17:19):
unbelievably bad, the Cardinals might bethe worst team in the NFL this year.
It's a roster that was just builtpoorly, that got old and then
got older and older and older.We'll see if DeAndre Hopkins is there,
if Kyler Murray returns, that's theonly thing here is. I guess Murray
could be back for this game.Maybe he returns against the Bengals. But
(17:41):
outside of being able to go toPhoenix and enjoy that weather, you know
which it should be nice that timeof year, I don't really think there's
going to be an issue here.Give me the Bengals and they improved a
four and one. I would beshocked if you pick the Cardinals over the
Bengals. Here is Burda Baker stillat an Arizona Cardinal. He requested a
trade, so he is though yes, I mean like will he be by
(18:04):
the time this game. That's whatI mean because of the I think if
they get a reasonable offer, whywouldn't you trad they know the rebuilding and
he's a safety. Yeah he's stillyeah. Okay, Yeah, this is
a game I've circled for the Bengalsand is like can they can They hang
thirty five on him in the firsthalf. It's on the road, so
(18:27):
you know, makes it a littlebit harder. But this defense is maybe
the worst in the league, maybethe worst on the Bengal schedule. The
Vans are in that competition too,but at least they have Aaron Donald.
Yeah. I mean I'm taking theBengals going away here. Yeah, easy,
easy, And so I haven't atfour and one, you haven't at
(18:47):
five and zero. The next weekyou come back home, and this is
the last game before the bye,you play the Seattle Seahawks. And I
think the Seahawks kind of sneaky inthe NFC. We which is weird.
I didn't really buy into them atall last year, and yet they still
found a way to make a run. And we're in the mix and Pete
(19:07):
Carroll got the most out of GinoSmith and they kept him around, and
then they added a bunch of piecesaround him. I think that's a talented
wide receiver group. I love therunning backs, and I think that that
offense with Gino Smith can put uppoints when they need to because of the
weapons. And I'm not buying inon Smith long term, but I think
Seattle is pretty good. They havesome solid young corners. They obviously had
(19:32):
the fifth pick. They drafted thekid out of Illinois. I think it
was the fifth pick, maybe sixth. But I think this is one of
those sneaky games where every Bengals fanis going to say, win at home
against Seattle and Pete Carroll and theSeahawks get it done. So I have
the Bengals following to four and two. I get the Seahawks are sneaky good
team. I like Louina Roumo againstanybody when he has the game plan for
(19:55):
a quarterback, when he has thegame plan for an offense. The offensive
line for the Seahawks did kind ofcome out of nowhere last year. They
were pretty good with Charles cross asas their first round edition. Their interior
offensive line came together a little bit. But and for all all they can
all the good things that can besaid about their secondary, and I agree
the secondary is good Jamal Adams notwithstanding, I guess, but they don't really
(20:22):
have the guys to get pressure likeas Draymont Jones fixing that entire defensive front.
They add Derek call in the secondround. That's a pick that could
be looked at as one of thesteels of the draft when we come back
to it. But can they getenough pressure to to put Joe Burrow off
his game because I expect Burrow tokind of be secondary agnostic this year,
like even against really good secondaries likeI don't with with this team, you
(20:48):
have to be like Daryl Reeves andand Sauce Gardner and Champ Bailey back there
dress what I say, Darryl,all right, you have to be three
of the best corners of all time, assuming Sauce's career keeps going the way
it's going for me to really thinklike that's going to have a huge impact
(21:11):
on the game, especially when it'snot coupled with a really good pass for
US. So, so you havethem six and O. I don't have
them six going into the by.I do think that Smith and Jake,
but Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf isa story trio. Oh that one,
because I like I like the Bengalsas a complete team, I really do.
And so yeah, I mean,it's taken a better team than Seattle
(21:33):
for me to move move off theBengals to start the season up next,
we'll get to all of the gamesafter the buy and see if Jake has
the Bengals going seventeen and OZ.There's six and o according to Jake Glisco
in the schedule game. We haveeleven more games to get to, which
means a little more rapid fire comingup next. There's no offseason for true
NFL fans. Listen every day tothe Lockdown NFL podcast. Our expert host
(21:59):
keep you up to date daily inthirty minutes or less on the latest breaking
new training camp battles, and playermoves that will affect your favorite NFL team.
Available now on YouTube and wherever youlisten to podcast. Part of the
Lockdown Podcast, network your team everyday. We've got to pick up the
pace. James and a week eightat San Francisco. This is the game
(22:25):
that to me is oh the hardestin the first fifteen games on the schedule.
West Coast road trip. Yeah,ridiculous defense, new defensive coordinator.
So there's that big questions on offense. So there's that big historical rivalry.
(22:48):
But even coming off to buy,I don't feel great about this one.
Compared to the rest of the games. This is the one I feel the
worst about. So if I hadto pick a place for them to have
their first loss at Sam Frank couldbe it. But at the same time,
like, they have significant questions atquarterback, and so if those aren't
answered bye week eight, it's weekeight, right, week nine, week
(23:11):
eate, then maybe this answer changes. Yeah, So all right, just
to be clear, you have themsix and one now, correct, Yeah,
this could be a place where theytake their first loss. Yeah,
we agree. I think this isthat mid season lull. They start four
and one, they lose a gamebefore the buye, lose a game after
the bye, and then there's goingto be like, oh man, but
(23:34):
like last year when they felt afour and four and I was guilty of
it too, But it'll be fourand three and I be like, oh
man, is this how good isthis Bengals team? And you start to
doubt them a little bit, AndI think they thrive on that. And
there's every team hits it at somepoint, and it's this one is going
to be in the middle of theyear. For me. I have this
as a loss as well, notthat it won't be a really close game,
(23:56):
but just a tough one going onthe road West Coat, longest trip
of the year. I believe forthem, and I think they lose a
tight one of the forty nine ersand not to be outdone up next it's
a probably an even bigger matchup youreturn home primetime Bills. I have them
getting this game. I think thatthey match up well against the Bills.
(24:17):
The Bills they add Dalton Kincaide.You know, they've added a couple of
pieces. I think that offense thatthey're hoping takes a step forward. I
just think the Bengals are going tobe really confident going into that matchup.
They know that it could be thedifference between getting the one seed and not
getting the one seed. You're athome, it's a game you have to
handle. So it'll be after losingtwo straight, there's going to be all
(24:41):
this media, Oh my goodness,it's Bengals and Bills. But the Bengals
have slid. They've dropped two ina row and then the Bengals are going
to come out, punch them inthe mouth and get the five and three
On the season. I have thembeating Buffalo. I do too. I
just don't have them getting to acrazy low point this year because I think
they're better than last year's team.I don't think they're going to have the
same like last year teams. Well, that's not low. It's not a
low point for losing two games fourand three? Sure is that a crazy
(25:07):
low point would be would be aterrible start to the season for my expectations
for this team. That would beawful. That would be way below where
I want them to be at thatpoint. Yeah. I mean, you've
heard what I what I've had forfor them winning and losing game. I
just think they're a better team.They're not last year's team. Oh I'm
not. I'm not saying there lastyear's I just think, well, they're
(25:30):
not losing to the Steelers and theCowboys this time. The Cooper Rush,
Yeah, I mean the Ravens.I think Seattle's I mean forty nine ers
are arguably the best roster in theleague. I kind of I wonder if
Yeah, I mean, there's there'sa lot of good things about the forty
nine ers team, but I wonderif they're being overvalued a little bit,
just a little bit, and maybebad NFC. So you have them beating
(25:53):
the Bills the following week. Thisone's easy. Texans w uh yeah,
No, weird Texans voodoo stuff happeninganymore. We're past that point. So
I have them six and three.You have them what Eaton won, and
then Baltimore Thursday night. I hadthem losing that Week two matchup. I
(26:14):
think on a short week the doubthad continued. I have them getting it
done and improving to seven and threeon the year. My hot take for
this game is this is around thetime Baltimore tends to be piled up with
injuries. They have some new staffto help them deal with injuries. I
think like this isn't that. Wasn'tthat The big deal out of the NFLPA
(26:36):
report card for Baltimore was their trainingstaff, And they've changed the training staff
since then, so maybe it's notas big of an issue for them,
But they can't seem to get tothe later part of the season healthy.
This has been the case for themlike the last two three years. If
Baltimore's healthy. Though on the roadshort week primetime, you can see some
weirdness sneaking in there. You cansee a loss happening here. But I'm
(27:00):
going to keep picking the Bengals inthe division. So I'll take the Bengals
here, and I think that we'llsee if Baltimore can stay healthy this year.
It's been such a problem for themthe last couple of years. Yeah,
yeah, it has. So we'llsee there. Back to back division
games again and the first time playingthe Steelers the following week. I have
(27:21):
this as a win. I thinkit's going to be tougher than some realize.
The Steelers are just well coached,pretty good defense, solid skill players,
better offensive line than they had lastyear. That said, I think
that the Bengals handle business, andyou see how this streak is starting to
continue. Four straight now I havefor the Bengals. After starting four and
three in four and one drop two, now they've won four straight and they're
(27:45):
at eight and three. I dothink the Steelers are gonna be a good
competitive good maybe over sitting at solidcompetitive team this year. They just always
are. With Mike Tomlin, I'mnever gonna buy the demise of the Pittsburgh
Steelers as long as Mike Tomlin isthere, and they have a lot of
the pieces they have on the defensiveside of the ball. But the Bengals
(28:06):
are just a better team and athome they get a mini buy here going
into this game, they have arest edge. Give me the Bengals one
o'clock game in Cincinnati. Yeah,I'm with you there, This one's interesting.
The following week, Monday Night footballin Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence Joe Burrow,
the Jags, well coached, madethe playoffs last year, won a
(28:27):
playoff game played pretty well at Arrowheadagainst the Chiefs the week prior to the
Bengals playing them in the the AFCChampionship game. I think this is a
tight one. But give me Burrowlate, much like he did on that
Thursday night game a few years ago, now in twenty twenty one, I
think he makes the one more playthan Trevor gets it done. I think
(28:49):
this is like a one possession game, goes down to the wire, but
the Bengals squeak out of Jacksonville witha win on Monday Night. I like
Jacksonville here, that's gonna be ashocker. Perhaps, Wow, Trevor Lawrence
getting Calvin Ridley back. I thinkCalvin Ridley's really good and people are forgetting
about him a little bit. Idon't know about the defense so much,
(29:14):
but Josh Allen's really good. Ifhe's still there. He didn't he also
required no am I thinking of No, he's good. I'm thinking of somebody
else, right, There was notrade stuff with Josh Allen and Jacksonville.
No, Okay, they have somepieces on that defense, so I don't
know about the secondary. That couldbe their downfall in this game. But
(29:37):
Trevor Lawrence is really good. Imean he's taken some significant steps. I
think that offense is a real thing. And primetime on the road Jacksonville,
I think they're going to be asolid team. And the Bengals maybe dropped
one here after coming off two backto back tough divisional game games. Maybe
(30:02):
that's the story I'll tell myself.I could winning the game. But I
have them at nine and three.Will of course I have them at nine
and three. You have them atten and two, so it's not that
far apart. The following week,the Colts come to town. Anthony Richardson
in company and I assume Anthony Richardsonwill be starting. Shane Steikeen, their
new head coach and offensive mine rookiequarterback. I think it could be a
(30:25):
little dangerous. I'm also not worriedabout Indianapolis too much, and I think
the Bengals handle business here and getto ten and three Gus Bradley defense.
Gus Bradley defenses don't tend to doso hot against Joe Burrow, and I
don't think they have nearly enough onoffense given that. I like the Bengals
(30:47):
defensive matchup good players on the Indiedefense. I like Quittie Pay, I
like to Forrest Buckner. I'd likeJack Leonard changed. His name gets me
every time I look at their rosterout of tama Auta Bore. If he's
coming together late in the year,that'll be fun. Anthony Richardson, that'll
be fun. The Bengals see alot of quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson. They
(31:11):
prepare a lot for quarterbacks like AnthonyRichardson. And I know he's a freak
athlete and maybe the best athlete ofthe position in the NFL given his size,
but I just think it's not goingto be enough in his first year
with the state of that roster.So yeah, I'm on the Bengals here
yep. And following week Vikings,same thing for me. I think that's
a good Vikings team. Justin Jeffersonplaying hit. You know, the Joe
(31:36):
Burrow Jamar Chase storyline, that onewill be pretty interesting. I think Joe
bro Jamar Chase rise day, theoccasion, beat Minnesota, and now we're
talking final month of the season,number one seed, everything on the line.
The Bengals get it done here andbased on my prediction, I have
them at eleven and three right now, you have them at eleven and two
going into this game. So you'retaking the Bengals over the Vikes. Yeah.
(32:00):
On paper again, I just don'tsee quite enough. I mean,
Justin Jefferson is great, absolutely great. Jordan Addison if he's a halfway decent
receiver, takes a little bit ofpressure off him, makes teams have to
deal with him a little bit.I really like T. J. Hawkinson.
I think they have a solid offensiveline to a good offensive line.
(32:21):
They only had the Neil Hunter onthe defensive line now though they trade away
Smith, right, and so dothey have enough to get it done on
the defensive side of the ball.I like the Bengals offense doing enough.
Here might be a shootout again.Remember the last time these teams played.
There are a lot of points scoredin that game. But I like the
(32:42):
Bengals here. And the TVD gametime on Sunday, December seventeenth, Yeah,
and then you play on the twentythird, So a little bit of
a short week for the Bengal Steelers. This one it's in Pittsburgh. I
have them splitting with Pittsburgh and droppingthis one. I think it'll be close,
but they lose this one, andthen it's like, oh my gosh,
(33:04):
they have the Chiefs in Browns tofinish the season. There, they
drop from the one seed to maybethe two or the three with the loss
behind Kansas City, and I thinkpeople start to freak out a bit.
But yeah, I have them fallingto eleven and four here, eleven and
four, and I have them attwelve and three going into this game.
You have you have them at twelveand two going in twelve and two,
(33:25):
thirteen and two. I think Ithink they keep it going against the Steelers.
I mean, they're on they're ontheir first winning streak ever against the
Steelers or something like that three gamewinning streak right against the Steelers. No,
maybe not ever last year. Ohthey did lose Week one. Well,
let's make it into three game winningstreak against the Steelers um the following
(33:47):
week. And this is the bigone New Year's Eve at Arrowhead in Kansas
City. And again there's a themehere. They lose the game before the
Buffalo game, handle business against Buffalo, lose the game before they can the
City game. I have them handlingbusiness against the Chiefs on New Year's Eve
and improving to twelve and four.And what I think that game would do
(34:07):
is get them even with Buffalo andor Kansas City for the one seed,
and then they would have the tiebreakers, the head to head tiebreakers,
so they would control their own destinygoing into Week eighteen against the Browns.
I have this being a win here. I think this one goes Kansas City's
way. That the big element thatwe haven't talked about at all in this
(34:29):
game. The Bengals have a twoday rest advantage here, which we'll see
how much that matters. But theChiefs play Monday night going into this game.
The Bengals play Saturday, So there'sa two day edge there. Short
week for Kansas City, long weekfor the Bengals, and that could tilt
things. The Bengals way of playinga narrowhead the way that I have the
(34:52):
season going for them anyway, comingoff a win and at thirteen and two,
get to thirteen and three, youneed right three, Yeah, you
have thirteen and three. I've twelveand four, and then I have them
sweeping Cleveland, sweeping the division turnsout, which I think is a good
division. But I think the Bengals, if they're the team I want them
to be, and I think theyare, I think they're better. So
(35:15):
fourteen and three to finish the yearfor me, which should be enough most
years, that's enough to be theone seed in the AFC. I have
them beating the Browns as well andsecuring the number one seed with a thirteen
and four record. The tiebreaker comesinto play here, I would say either
over Buffalo or Kansas City. Sowe're one game apart. More of the
(35:35):
story and more of this game.I think is Expectations are is high for
the Bengals as they've ever been infranchise history, and before people say,
oh well, you're just saying that, you don't know. The Bengals have
never won thirteen games in one seasonever, never, ever, ever.
Now, they might have last year. In their defense, they might have
if you would have counted that Buffalogame and had that counted and they won
(35:57):
that game. That did not happen. So whether they go thirteen and four
or fourteen and three, if theydo that, that's history, which would
be for a third straight year,Joe Burrow leads the Bengals to some kind
of history. Obviously, they wouldwin the division as well. No one's
ever won three AFC North Division titlesin a row, no one, and
it hasn't been around that long,right, But still it's tough to do,
(36:20):
so we'll see if the Bengals cando it. They haven't gotten the
one seat since nineteen eighty eight,so that would be another feat that they're
trying to accomplish. It is.It is very tough to do. But
like I said to me, theBengals should be a better team this year.
Overall, Joe Burrow should be better. This offense should be very mature
at this point, like starting toget to that Peyton Manning dominance territory.
(36:45):
If Joe Burrow's on that trajectory whereit just should be what it is every
year that Tom Brady dominant, whateverit is. He's going into year four,
right, So like this is whereit just should be what it is,
and it should be that really reallyhard to be a team. You
include the playoffs, by the way, Jameson Beck was won fourteen last year,
(37:06):
thirteen two years ago. But inthe regular season, you're absolutely right,
Yeah, yeah, you can't countplayoffs. Not fair for that.
Now, the history that is partof the history. Winning a road game
in the playoffs. They had neverdone that, they had never advanced in
back to back playoffs, and theydid that. And they've won road games,
three road games, which that's verytough to do. And he's done
(37:29):
it in two years. So maybethey've never done these things. But why
are they in play because they've brokeplenty of records already, Well, why
not continue to do that going intothis year and the one seed? Man,
it would be nice to say,hey, the playoffs run through Cincinnati
this year. A big part ofthis Joe Burrow. Another big part of
it, like I've mentioned, ishe's still on his rookie deal, so
(37:49):
they still have a ton of moneyon the defensive side of the ball,
and lou and a rumo on thatside of the ball to make them a
very complete team. And Brad Robinsthe puncher, gonna be just huge,
huge impact this year. Yeah forsure, Hey, punter, punters matter.
No, I think, like Isaid, expectations are really high.
I'm excited to see how it playsout. But this team, I think
(38:13):
they're gonna be really darn good.That's gonna do it. For this episode
of the Locked On Bengals podcast,we're gonna do a two early look at
the fifty three man roster as well. We'll dive into that coming up soon
here on Locked On Bengals. Untilthen, thanks for listening, Huda,
and have a good one. Redsfans. I'm Jeff Carr and I'm Steven
Offenbaker. We are the hosts ofyour daily Reds podcast, Locked On Reds,
(38:35):
part of the Lockdown Podcast network.Your team. Every day, Lockdown
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(38:59):
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partner of the NBA. We've hadthe Cincinnati Bengal schedule for about two weeks
(00:44):
now, but you know what wehaven't done because we haven't done our way
too early predictions going game by game. Let's do that today. You are
Locked On Bengals, your daily CincinnatiBengals podcast, part of the Locked On
Podcast Network, Your every day WhatBengals fans and Welcome to another episode of
(01:14):
the Lockdown Bengals Podcast I'm your host, Jake. Let's go. He's your
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(01:59):
James, I'm going to be extremelybullish on the Cincinnati Bengals today through this
schedule optimistic Jake is here. Ohyou know, I've said it though.
My expectations for this team are thatI'm not going to look at a game
on the schedule and say, yeah, they should lose that game. That's
(02:22):
not where this team is in theteam building cycle. That's not where this
team is from from my perspective interms of expectations. Where they had the
Super Bowl run, they got better, they were a better team, couldn't
quite get it done in the championshipgame, and the injuries caught up to
them. And I think they shouldonce again. And we've talked about this,
(02:43):
We've spent entire episodes and segments talkingabout where they're better, where they're
worst. As an overall football team, I think they should be better again.
The AFC, though, is verychallenging, and so that's what they
have to overcome. But specifically whatthey have to overcome is this team game
schedule, and let's go game bygame, shall we and talk about Well,
(03:07):
we'll do some analysis, but mybasic answer for most of these questions
is going to be w look atyou. This is the most confident I've
ever seen you in anything. Mygod, No, I think that should
be the expectation for this Bengals team. Right last year, it was,
(03:27):
well, the offensive line is better? How much better? Can they avoid
a Super Bowl hangover all of thosethings? And they did, especially after
Joe Burrow was able to get theweight back on and get back to playing
after having a pretty serious surgery onlate July, right as training campus starting,
So hopefully you can avoid any ofthat stuff. And assuming they do
(03:49):
that and can have a healthy numbernine, I think they go up to
Cleveland and get a W in Weekone. And it's interesting because that's kind
of the narrative is oh Man,Joe Burrow and the Browns, and he
struggled in a couple of those games. He also in his second game of
his career, and I'm gonna keepreminding people of this with no one with
(04:11):
a bench, John Ross, ajGreen who couldn't get open against Denz Award,
Mike Thomas catching touchdowns. I don'teven know if Mike Thomas is in
the league right now. And he'smy guy, number eight, number eighty
last year, that Mike Thomas.I don't know if if he signed anywhere.
This dude four days into his NFLcareer, his second career game,
went up there and threw for threehundred and sixteen yards sixty one pass attempts.
(04:33):
I don't think it's a Browns thing. I think the Bengals have played
poorly as a team against the orthe Bengals have played poorly against the Browns.
I expect brow to play well.I expect this offense to take a
step and I know that defensive linefor Cleveland pretty darn good. Now,
I know that they have a newdefensive coordinator. I know all of those
things. I think the Bengals handlebusiness in a chaotic environment at Cleveland brown
(04:56):
Stadium on the banks of lanky Erieand get into one week one Cleveland Browns
Stadium. It's no longer First Energy. It's clean Brown Stadium. Good reminder
that I will. I actually knowwhat I never knew. It's honestly whatever
it was before. I didn't knowwhat it was before First Energy. Okay,
uh, new defensive coordinator, Weekone weirdness. These are the only
(05:21):
only things to me that that couldmake this game problematic for the Bengals because
Week one is weird, and wedon't know what's going to happen in training
camp and all these things. Wedon't know what the health situation is going
to be. But the Brown's defenseon paper is pretty good with that front
flour like you talked about, likethe one Thornhill signing back there in the
(05:43):
secondary, like the corners, GregMartin, Martin Emerson fantastic as a rookie.
Third round rookie last year was oneof the better rookie corners in the
league not named Sauce Gardner, DonzeWard, Greg Newsom. That's a that's
a good corner trio there, WanThorne Hill, like I said, like
him question mark of the other safetyspot with Grant Delpit. I think Jay
(06:05):
Okay still really good. It's theonly talkie Talkie last year had the game
of his career against the Bengals.But what's going on with that offense?
I mean, Jim Schwartz, thedefense should be better. Jim Schwartz,
I think objectively is a better defensivecoordinator than Joe Woods. But oh yeah
then Joe Woods. Yeah, ofcourse is DeShawn Watson. I thought you
(06:27):
were gonna say that Lou I waslike, I was like, oh no,
It's like, oh, I don'tknow about that. I mean,
saying anyone's objectively a better defensive coordinatorthan Lou is tricky. But like they
have so many questions on offense,starting with their quarterback, who was atrocious
last year. And until you seeit with that offense, do you believe
it? I don't. I needto see it. They last thing on
(06:50):
this and because we have plenty ofgames to get to, I think the
Browns are going to be pretty good. Like there is talent, Like if
you're starting with a Marie Cooper dinamandPeoples Drones and a Jamore, like,
that's a pretty good one through three. It's not the Bengals. But guess
what most receiver units aren't the Bengalsone through three or one through four.
And you're right, it comes downto Nick Chubb to me, best running
(07:11):
back in the game, one ofthem, certainly the most consistent runner.
Best Maybe it's best running back becausehe's the best runner in the game.
I would say that, maybe notmost complete or whatever you want to say.
But Deshaun Watson, how does heplay? It comes down to it.
If he can match Joe Burrow andplay at an elite level, then
this game feels much different. Ithink that's allowed to ask week one.
(07:34):
Obviously, the Bengals have to stopthe run. So it sounds like both
of us are going w week oneand back to back divisional matchups. Jake
Baltimore, you return home, hopefullyyou'll want to know you play Baltimore and
this is another team that should bereally good. Lamar Jackson obviously signed his
(07:54):
extension. They add some weapons,signe Odell Beckham Junior to a contract that
no one was giving him. Ithink he was New York bound to the
Jets, and last second the Ravenssaid, hey man, let's get obj
which I don't blame them. They'redesperate. They stick at drafting receivers.
It hasn't worked out that they havenot added the right skill guys around Lamar,
(08:15):
so they do that. They draftedthe kid out of Boston College as
well. We'll see. But Ithink this is an interesting game and it's
going to come down to the Bengalsoffense being better than they were against the
Ravens and back to back games atthe end of the regular season last year
and then in that playoff game.This Bengals offense has to take a step.
(08:37):
And I know they were shorthanded,I know all of those things.
They were also at home, soat home again, hopefully they can play
better against a Ravens defense that Idon't want to say had their number,
because the Bengals handled business back toback weeks, but it wasn't pretty.
They had their number, and thenJoe Burrow started to figure it out and
then he had it figured out.It took him seeing Mike McDonald's defense a
(09:00):
couple of times, and the Bengalssuffered some injuries which made it uglier as
a game as the games went on, but Joe Burrow figured him out.
I think that's a big question forme, is does Joe Burrow and this
coaching staff continue to have answers forMike McDonald's defense, because that's really what
kept Baltimore in games without Lamar Jackson. But the other big differences, of
(09:20):
course, Lamar Jackson should be there, and Odell Beckham, Rashad Bateman and
Zay Flowers is a much different thanMark Andrews. Is a much different set
of weapons than the Bengals faced withthe Ravens last year. The Ravens will
be better, yeah, for sure, and they were as they stay healthy.
They're really well coached team. Tommunkin going to be an entirely new
(09:41):
offense, going to be a muchmore modern NFL offense most likely. So
a lot to contend with with thisRavens team, good coaching staff, good
new players. Bengals home opener though, and they know they need to get
out to a hot start. LikeI said, I'm just having a hard
time picking against the Bank right now. I'll tell you right now, I
(10:01):
have the Bengal splitting these two.I have n't beat in Cleveland, losing
to Baltimore starting one on one,I'm I'm taking the home opener. So
if you if you think they're gonnasplit the first two, I'll talk it
up to week one weirdness and giveme the home opener. Yeah, I
could see it. I just Ithink that I think the Ravens are better
than the Browns. I think it'sclose. Give me Lamar over Watson.
(10:24):
Oh yeah, I think the Ravensare better than the Browns for sure.
But I'm just saying, like Weekone weirdness on the road in Cleveland,
all those factors. Sure, yeah, but both it's not. This division
is so good, like I thinkit's a really good division. Like there's
no slouch, there's no crappy team, and and so yeah, I have
them one on one, you havethem two and oh it sounds like gotcha?
(10:46):
All right, Well, we havea lot of games to get too.
We're moving it a slow pace.We're gonna have to pick it up.
We'll pick up the pace. You'retalking about divisional matchups to open the
season, those are always going tohave a little bit more meat on the
bone when we talk about the rematcheswith this team, these teams, not
as much meat on the bone,not as much meat on the boat with
Week three either. We'll get toWeek three coming up next. Today's show
is brought to you by FanDuel.The NBA playoffs continue to roll on in
(11:09):
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(11:50):
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(12:56):
May twenty twenty two. Potential savingswill vary. Week three, James,
I know there's Super Bowl rematch intriguehere, but this is a very,
very different Los Angeles RMS team putme down for w without a whole lot
of deef analysis. The Vans aren'tgoing to be good. I know they
sold Cooper Cup and Matthew Stafford andAaron Donald and there's some guys on that
team that are still good players.But the Vans are not going to be
(13:20):
a good team this year. Andpeople can clip it sure, and you're
not going to be the only onethat says that. I think it's one
of those weird, sneaky teams thatcould be better than people expect because people
are so low on them that said, you're right. Monday Night Football in
(13:41):
the jungle one and one is whereI had them. I have them handling
business and getting to two and oneon the season. These are the type
of games. You just handle businessand you move on, and I think
Joe Burrow and the Bengals do that. And it isn't revenge for Super Bowl
fifty six, but it would bea nice little little cherry to get a
win against the team that obviously costyou on Lombardi, I think there's gonna
(14:05):
be a lot of motivation for thoseguys in terms of we're not going to
drop a primetime game to this teamthat we didn't win the Super Bowl against,
Sure in their stadium, which isridiculous. Home super Bowls hate it.
Next game, week four, ridiculoustwo years in a row. Never
(14:26):
happened in the history of the game. I know, it's just bad luck.
It's not it's I mean, canyou say, I know, It's
just it's just wouldn't matter. Ifwouldn't mattered, if the Bucks could cover
Cooper cup Deep Antoine Winfield Junior justletting him go in the division round,
or if the safety for the fortynine ers could catch Oh my gosh,
(14:48):
yeah, it was hard. It'sright there for butterfingers go ahead. We
four back in Tennessee for like thetwentieth straight year, the Bengals go on
the road, just to face theTitans. Now talk about teams that are
going to be better I think thanfolks expect. And I don't think Tennessee
is gonna be like good by anymeans. I don't think they're gonna be
(15:09):
a great team or anything. Butthe defense is going to continue to be
a well coached Mike Rabel defense who'sgonna make your life difficult. And the
same thing he said for like allof these first four teams, well besides
the Browns, maybe on the offensiveside of the ball, I'm not sure
about that, but a lot ofreally good coaches on the Bengal schedule to
(15:30):
start the year. And that's trueof the defense and the Tennessee Titans as
well. That being said, lookat that Tennessee Titans offense. Is Derrick
Henry putting the team on his shouldersand keeping them in this game. No
stray Burke's breaking out. No.I mean, you can try to find
answers and it could be a grindygame, because these games tend to be
(15:52):
grindy. But I like the Bengalshere. That's the part of the Bengals
that is So that's why you shouldbe bullish on him, because I think
that they're the way they can win. They've won these grinded out type games
offensively in this year. They shouldbe the best they've been offensively during this
run. And obviously the defense isset up to win grinded out type games,
(16:12):
especially against the offense like Tennessee makesa ton of sense, Like I'm
not even sure Derrick Henry is goingto be there. We will see,
right, I mean, if youcould get anything for him, they have
Taj Spears, Like just give thebackfield to Spears. That might be a
take, not a take for me. So we'll see there. But now
I'll take the Bengals. So Ihave them starting three and one, you
(16:33):
have them at four and Oh isit a more interesting question to talk about
whether or not Will Levice will bestarting this game than whether or not the
Bengals will win this game. Itseems a little early time there, But
it seems a little early for aguy that eats bananas with the plon.
But never say never, Oh,any time he gets brought up, I'm
never letting him live it down.Mayonnaise and his coffee. You can't be
(16:56):
an NFL star if you do thosethings. You can be weird. That's
different than weird. That's unbelievably bad. That said, speaking of unbelievably all
of the UK fan listeners we haveright now are just turning the podcasts off.
Hey, I hope Chris Rodriguez ballsout like it's not a UK thing,
right, It's not at all thatsaid, I said, speaking of
(17:19):
unbelievably bad, the Cardinals might bethe worst team in the NFL this year.
It's a roster that was just builtpoorly, that got old and then
got older and older and older.We'll see if DeAndre Hopkins is there,
if Kyler Murray returns, that's theonly thing here is. I guess Murray
could be back for this game.Maybe he returns against the Bengals. But
(17:41):
outside of being able to go toPhoenix and enjoy that weather, you know
which it should be nice that timeof year, I don't really think there's
going to be an issue here.Give me the Bengals and they improved a
four and one. I would beshocked if you pick the Cardinals over the
Bengals. Here is Burda Baker stillat an Arizona Cardinal. He requested a
trade, so he is though yes, I mean like will he be by
(18:04):
the time this game. That's whatI mean because of the I think if
they get a reasonable offer, whywouldn't you trad they know the rebuilding and
he's a safety. Yeah he's stillyeah. Okay, Yeah, this is
a game I've circled for the Bengalsand is like can they can They hang
thirty five on him in the firsthalf. It's on the road, so
(18:27):
you know, makes it a littlebit harder. But this defense is maybe
the worst in the league, maybethe worst on the Bengal schedule. The
Vans are in that competition too,but at least they have Aaron Donald.
Yeah. I mean I'm taking theBengals going away here. Yeah, easy,
easy, And so I haven't atfour and one, you haven't at
(18:47):
five and zero. The next weekyou come back home, and this is
the last game before the bye,you play the Seattle Seahawks. And I
think the Seahawks kind of sneaky inthe NFC. We which is weird.
I didn't really buy into them atall last year, and yet they still
found a way to make a run. And we're in the mix and Pete
(19:07):
Carroll got the most out of GinoSmith and they kept him around, and
then they added a bunch of piecesaround him. I think that's a talented
wide receiver group. I love therunning backs, and I think that that
offense with Gino Smith can put uppoints when they need to because of the
weapons. And I'm not buying inon Smith long term, but I think
Seattle is pretty good. They havesome solid young corners. They obviously had
(19:32):
the fifth pick. They drafted thekid out of Illinois. I think it
was the fifth pick, maybe sixth. But I think this is one of
those sneaky games where every Bengals fanis going to say, win at home
against Seattle and Pete Carroll and theSeahawks get it done. So I have
the Bengals following to four and two. I get the Seahawks are sneaky good
team. I like Louina Roumo againstanybody when he has the game plan for
(19:55):
a quarterback, when he has thegame plan for an offense. The offensive
line for the Seahawks did kind ofcome out of nowhere last year. They
were pretty good with Charles cross asas their first round edition. Their interior
offensive line came together a little bit. But and for all all they can
all the good things that can besaid about their secondary, and I agree
the secondary is good Jamal Adams notwithstanding, I guess, but they don't really
(20:22):
have the guys to get pressure likeas Draymont Jones fixing that entire defensive front.
They add Derek call in the secondround. That's a pick that could
be looked at as one of thesteels of the draft when we come back
to it. But can they getenough pressure to to put Joe Burrow off
his game because I expect Burrow tokind of be secondary agnostic this year,
like even against really good secondaries likeI don't with with this team, you
(20:48):
have to be like Daryl Reeves andand Sauce Gardner and Champ Bailey back there
dress what I say, Darryl,all right, you have to be three
of the best corners of all time, assuming Sauce's career keeps going the way
it's going for me to really thinklike that's going to have a huge impact
(21:11):
on the game, especially when it'snot coupled with a really good pass for
US. So, so you havethem six and O. I don't have
them six going into the by.I do think that Smith and Jake,
but Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf isa story trio. Oh that one,
because I like I like the Bengalsas a complete team, I really do.
And so yeah, I mean,it's taken a better team than Seattle
(21:33):
for me to move move off theBengals to start the season up next,
we'll get to all of the gamesafter the buy and see if Jake has
the Bengals going seventeen and OZ.There's six and o according to Jake Glisco
in the schedule game. We haveeleven more games to get to, which
means a little more rapid fire comingup next. There's no offseason for true
NFL fans. Listen every day tothe Lockdown NFL podcast. Our expert host
(21:59):
keep you up to date daily inthirty minutes or less on the latest breaking
new training camp battles, and playermoves that will affect your favorite NFL team.
Available now on YouTube and wherever youlisten to podcast. Part of the
Lockdown Podcast, network your team everyday. We've got to pick up the
pace. James and a week eightat San Francisco. This is the game
(22:25):
that to me is oh the hardestin the first fifteen games on the schedule.
West Coast road trip. Yeah,ridiculous defense, new defensive coordinator.
So there's that big questions on offense. So there's that big historical rivalry.
(22:48):
But even coming off to buy,I don't feel great about this one.
Compared to the rest of the games. This is the one I feel the
worst about. So if I hadto pick a place for them to have
their first loss at Sam Frank couldbe it. But at the same time,
like, they have significant questions atquarterback, and so if those aren't
answered bye week eight, it's weekeight, right, week nine, week
(23:11):
eate, then maybe this answer changes. Yeah, So all right, just
to be clear, you have themsix and one now, correct, Yeah,
this could be a place where theytake their first loss. Yeah,
we agree. I think this isthat mid season lull. They start four
and one, they lose a gamebefore the buye, lose a game after
the bye, and then there's goingto be like, oh man, but
(23:34):
like last year when they felt afour and four and I was guilty of
it too, But it'll be fourand three and I be like, oh
man, is this how good isthis Bengals team? And you start to
doubt them a little bit, AndI think they thrive on that. And
there's every team hits it at somepoint, and it's this one is going
to be in the middle of theyear. For me. I have this
as a loss as well, notthat it won't be a really close game,
(23:56):
but just a tough one going onthe road West Coat, longest trip
of the year. I believe forthem, and I think they lose a
tight one of the forty nine ersand not to be outdone up next it's
a probably an even bigger matchup youreturn home primetime Bills. I have them
getting this game. I think thatthey match up well against the Bills.
(24:17):
The Bills they add Dalton Kincaide.You know, they've added a couple of
pieces. I think that offense thatthey're hoping takes a step forward. I
just think the Bengals are going tobe really confident going into that matchup.
They know that it could be thedifference between getting the one seed and not
getting the one seed. You're athome, it's a game you have to
handle. So it'll be after losingtwo straight, there's going to be all
(24:41):
this media, Oh my goodness,it's Bengals and Bills. But the Bengals
have slid. They've dropped two ina row and then the Bengals are going
to come out, punch them inthe mouth and get the five and three
On the season. I have thembeating Buffalo. I do too. I
just don't have them getting to acrazy low point this year because I think
they're better than last year's team.I don't think they're going to have the
same like last year teams. Well, that's not low. It's not a
low point for losing two games fourand three? Sure is that a crazy
(25:07):
low point would be would be aterrible start to the season for my expectations
for this team. That would beawful. That would be way below where
I want them to be at thatpoint. Yeah. I mean, you've
heard what I what I've had forfor them winning and losing game. I
just think they're a better team.They're not last year's team. Oh I'm
not. I'm not saying there lastyear's I just think, well, they're
(25:30):
not losing to the Steelers and theCowboys this time. The Cooper Rush,
Yeah, I mean the Ravens.I think Seattle's I mean forty nine ers
are arguably the best roster in theleague. I kind of I wonder if
Yeah, I mean, there's there'sa lot of good things about the forty
nine ers team, but I wonderif they're being overvalued a little bit,
just a little bit, and maybebad NFC. So you have them beating
(25:53):
the Bills the following week. Thisone's easy. Texans w uh yeah,
No, weird Texans voodoo stuff happeninganymore. We're past that point. So
I have them six and three.You have them what Eaton won, and
then Baltimore Thursday night. I hadthem losing that Week two matchup. I
(26:14):
think on a short week the doubthad continued. I have them getting it
done and improving to seven and threeon the year. My hot take for
this game is this is around thetime Baltimore tends to be piled up with
injuries. They have some new staffto help them deal with injuries. I
think like this isn't that. Wasn'tthat The big deal out of the NFLPA
(26:36):
report card for Baltimore was their trainingstaff, And they've changed the training staff
since then, so maybe it's notas big of an issue for them,
But they can't seem to get tothe later part of the season healthy.
This has been the case for themlike the last two three years. If
Baltimore's healthy. Though on the roadshort week primetime, you can see some
weirdness sneaking in there. You cansee a loss happening here. But I'm
(27:00):
going to keep picking the Bengals inthe division. So I'll take the Bengals
here, and I think that we'llsee if Baltimore can stay healthy this year.
It's been such a problem for themthe last couple of years. Yeah,
yeah, it has. So we'llsee there. Back to back division
games again and the first time playingthe Steelers the following week. I have
(27:21):
this as a win. I thinkit's going to be tougher than some realize.
The Steelers are just well coached,pretty good defense, solid skill players,
better offensive line than they had lastyear. That said, I think
that the Bengals handle business, andyou see how this streak is starting to
continue. Four straight now I havefor the Bengals. After starting four and
three in four and one drop two, now they've won four straight and they're
(27:45):
at eight and three. I dothink the Steelers are gonna be a good
competitive good maybe over sitting at solidcompetitive team this year. They just always
are. With Mike Tomlin, I'mnever gonna buy the demise of the Pittsburgh
Steelers as long as Mike Tomlin isthere, and they have a lot of
the pieces they have on the defensiveside of the ball. But the Bengals
(28:06):
are just a better team and athome they get a mini buy here going
into this game, they have arest edge. Give me the Bengals one
o'clock game in Cincinnati. Yeah,I'm with you there, This one's interesting.
The following week, Monday Night footballin Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence Joe Burrow,
the Jags, well coached, madethe playoffs last year, won a
(28:27):
playoff game played pretty well at Arrowheadagainst the Chiefs the week prior to the
Bengals playing them in the the AFCChampionship game. I think this is a
tight one. But give me Burrowlate, much like he did on that
Thursday night game a few years ago, now in twenty twenty one, I
think he makes the one more playthan Trevor gets it done. I think
(28:49):
this is like a one possession game, goes down to the wire, but
the Bengals squeak out of Jacksonville witha win on Monday Night. I like
Jacksonville here, that's gonna be ashocker. Perhaps, Wow, Trevor Lawrence
getting Calvin Ridley back. I thinkCalvin Ridley's really good and people are forgetting
about him a little bit. Idon't know about the defense so much,
(29:14):
but Josh Allen's really good. Ifhe's still there. He didn't he also
required no am I thinking of No, he's good. I'm thinking of somebody
else, right, There was notrade stuff with Josh Allen and Jacksonville.
No, Okay, they have somepieces on that defense, so I don't
know about the secondary. That couldbe their downfall in this game. But
(29:37):
Trevor Lawrence is really good. Imean he's taken some significant steps. I
think that offense is a real thing. And primetime on the road Jacksonville,
I think they're going to be asolid team. And the Bengals maybe dropped
one here after coming off two backto back tough divisional game games. Maybe
(30:02):
that's the story I'll tell myself.I could winning the game. But I
have them at nine and three.Will of course I have them at nine
and three. You have them atten and two, so it's not that
far apart. The following week,the Colts come to town. Anthony Richardson
in company and I assume Anthony Richardsonwill be starting. Shane Steikeen, their
new head coach and offensive mine rookiequarterback. I think it could be a
(30:25):
little dangerous. I'm also not worriedabout Indianapolis too much, and I think
the Bengals handle business here and getto ten and three Gus Bradley defense.
Gus Bradley defenses don't tend to doso hot against Joe Burrow, and I
don't think they have nearly enough onoffense given that. I like the Bengals
(30:47):
defensive matchup good players on the Indiedefense. I like Quittie Pay, I
like to Forrest Buckner. I'd likeJack Leonard changed. His name gets me
every time I look at their rosterout of tama Auta Bore. If he's
coming together late in the year,that'll be fun. Anthony Richardson, that'll
be fun. The Bengals see alot of quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson. They
(31:11):
prepare a lot for quarterbacks like AnthonyRichardson. And I know he's a freak
athlete and maybe the best athlete ofthe position in the NFL given his size,
but I just think it's not goingto be enough in his first year
with the state of that roster.So yeah, I'm on the Bengals here
yep. And following week Vikings,same thing for me. I think that's
a good Vikings team. Justin Jeffersonplaying hit. You know, the Joe
(31:36):
Burrow Jamar Chase storyline, that onewill be pretty interesting. I think Joe
bro Jamar Chase rise day, theoccasion, beat Minnesota, and now we're
talking final month of the season,number one seed, everything on the line.
The Bengals get it done here andbased on my prediction, I have
them at eleven and three right now, you have them at eleven and two
going into this game. So you'retaking the Bengals over the Vikes. Yeah.
(32:00):
On paper again, I just don'tsee quite enough. I mean,
Justin Jefferson is great, absolutely great. Jordan Addison if he's a halfway decent
receiver, takes a little bit ofpressure off him, makes teams have to
deal with him a little bit.I really like T. J. Hawkinson.
I think they have a solid offensiveline to a good offensive line.
(32:21):
They only had the Neil Hunter onthe defensive line now though they trade away
Smith, right, and so dothey have enough to get it done on
the defensive side of the ball.I like the Bengals offense doing enough.
Here might be a shootout again.Remember the last time these teams played.
There are a lot of points scoredin that game. But I like the
(32:42):
Bengals here. And the TVD gametime on Sunday, December seventeenth, Yeah,
and then you play on the twentythird, So a little bit of
a short week for the Bengal Steelers. This one it's in Pittsburgh. I
have them splitting with Pittsburgh and droppingthis one. I think it'll be close,
but they lose this one, andthen it's like, oh my gosh,
(33:04):
they have the Chiefs in Browns tofinish the season. There, they
drop from the one seed to maybethe two or the three with the loss
behind Kansas City, and I thinkpeople start to freak out a bit.
But yeah, I have them fallingto eleven and four here, eleven and
four, and I have them attwelve and three going into this game.
You have you have them at twelveand two going in twelve and two,
(33:25):
thirteen and two. I think Ithink they keep it going against the Steelers.
I mean, they're on they're ontheir first winning streak ever against the
Steelers or something like that three gamewinning streak right against the Steelers. No,
maybe not ever last year. Ohthey did lose Week one. Well,
let's make it into three game winningstreak against the Steelers um the following
(33:47):
week. And this is the bigone New Year's Eve at Arrowhead in Kansas
City. And again there's a themehere. They lose the game before the
Buffalo game, handle business against Buffalo, lose the game before they can the
City game. I have them handlingbusiness against the Chiefs on New Year's Eve
and improving to twelve and four.And what I think that game would do
(34:07):
is get them even with Buffalo andor Kansas City for the one seed,
and then they would have the tiebreakers, the head to head tiebreakers,
so they would control their own destinygoing into Week eighteen against the Browns.
I have this being a win here. I think this one goes Kansas City's
way. That the big element thatwe haven't talked about at all in this
(34:29):
game. The Bengals have a twoday rest advantage here, which we'll see
how much that matters. But theChiefs play Monday night going into this game.
The Bengals play Saturday, So there'sa two day edge there. Short
week for Kansas City, long weekfor the Bengals, and that could tilt
things. The Bengals way of playinga narrowhead the way that I have the
(34:52):
season going for them anyway, comingoff a win and at thirteen and two,
get to thirteen and three, youneed right three, Yeah, you
have thirteen and three. I've twelveand four, and then I have them
sweeping Cleveland, sweeping the division turnsout, which I think is a good
division. But I think the Bengals, if they're the team I want them
to be, and I think theyare, I think they're better. So
(35:15):
fourteen and three to finish the yearfor me, which should be enough most
years, that's enough to be theone seed in the AFC. I have
them beating the Browns as well andsecuring the number one seed with a thirteen
and four record. The tiebreaker comesinto play here, I would say either
over Buffalo or Kansas City. Sowe're one game apart. More of the
(35:35):
story and more of this game.I think is Expectations are is high for
the Bengals as they've ever been infranchise history, and before people say,
oh well, you're just saying that, you don't know. The Bengals have
never won thirteen games in one seasonever, never, ever, ever.
Now, they might have last year. In their defense, they might have
if you would have counted that Buffalogame and had that counted and they won
(35:57):
that game. That did not happen. So whether they go thirteen and four
or fourteen and three, if theydo that, that's history, which would
be for a third straight year,Joe Burrow leads the Bengals to some kind
of history. Obviously, they wouldwin the division as well. No one's
ever won three AFC North Division titlesin a row, no one, and
it hasn't been around that long,right, But still it's tough to do,
(36:20):
so we'll see if the Bengals cando it. They haven't gotten the
one seat since nineteen eighty eight,so that would be another feat that they're
trying to accomplish. It is.It is very tough to do. But
like I said to me, theBengals should be a better team this year.
Overall, Joe Burrow should be better. This offense should be very mature
at this point, like starting toget to that Peyton Manning dominance territory.
(36:45):
If Joe Burrow's on that trajectory whereit just should be what it is every
year that Tom Brady dominant, whateverit is. He's going into year four,
right, So like this is whereit just should be what it is,
and it should be that really reallyhard to be a team. You
include the playoffs, by the way, Jameson Beck was won fourteen last year,
(37:06):
thirteen two years ago. But inthe regular season, you're absolutely right,
Yeah, yeah, you can't countplayoffs. Not fair for that.
Now, the history that is partof the history. Winning a road game
in the playoffs. They had neverdone that, they had never advanced in
back to back playoffs, and theydid that. And they've won road games,
three road games, which that's verytough to do. And he's done
(37:29):
it in two years. So maybethey've never done these things. But why
are they in play because they've brokeplenty of records already, Well, why
not continue to do that going intothis year and the one seed? Man,
it would be nice to say,hey, the playoffs run through Cincinnati
this year. A big part ofthis Joe Burrow. Another big part of
it, like I've mentioned, ishe's still on his rookie deal, so
(37:49):
they still have a ton of moneyon the defensive side of the ball,
and lou and a rumo on thatside of the ball to make them a
very complete team. And Brad Robinsthe puncher, gonna be just huge,
huge impact this year. Yeah forsure, Hey, punter, punters matter.
No, I think, like Isaid, expectations are really high.
I'm excited to see how it playsout. But this team, I think
(38:13):
they're gonna be really darn good.That's gonna do it. For this episode
of the Locked On Bengals podcast,we're gonna do a two early look at
the fifty three man roster as well. We'll dive into that coming up soon
here on Locked On Bengals. Untilthen, thanks for listening, Huda,
and have a good one. Redsfans. I'm Jeff Carr and I'm Steven
Offenbaker. We are the hosts ofyour daily Reds podcast, Locked On Reds,
(38:35):
part of the Lockdown Podcast network.Your team. Every day, Lockdown
Reds brings you the latest Reds newsand analysis and breaks down all of the
action. Locked On Reds is everythinga Reds fan could want, all in
a thirty minute daily podcast. Subscribenow to Locked On Reds. Wherever you
get your podcasts, search Lockdown Redsand get your daily dose of reds analysis
and optimism. We are part ofthe Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every
(38:59):
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