James Rapien in for Mo Egger -- 1/1/25

James Rapien of Sports Illustrated talks all Bengals including Joe Burrow and the MVP conversation, talks with Jay Morrison and has audio from Zac Taylor and Joe Burrow's press conferences this week.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
What up in Welcome in to Cincinnati, ZESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm James or being INFROMO Happy New Year. Plenty on
Tap today, Plenty of Bengals. It is a big football week,
not only in the city but in the country. And oh,
we're gonna have you covered all afternoon long. Hope you're
having a wonderful New Year's Day. You are if you're

(00:29):
looking for football, at least you've come to the right place.
Plenty to get to Sean McManus, Today's producer, plenty on
the Bengals. And if you're unfamiliar with my work, I
covered the Bengals for Bengals Talk dot Com, the Lockdown
Bengals podcast, Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube, and let's dive in.
In like two minutes, you're gonna hear from arguably the

(00:50):
best pass rusher in the NFL on what he thinks
of Joe Burrow. And I think that's it's such an
interesting top because here locally a lot of people know
what Joe Burrow means. Nationally, I think there are still
plenty of analysts, especially some of these film guys, that

(01:11):
struggle to quantify what Joe Burrow is as a quarterback
because he doesn't throw it like Herbert, or doesn't throw
it like Josh Allen, isn't physically imposing like that. Obviously,
Lamar Jackson is a human joystick and just can do
a little bit of everything at an extremely high level,
which makes him impossible to guard and impossible to defend
it at times. And Patrick Mahomes has all the rings

(01:34):
and has been great for many years in all of
those things, and so Joe gets kind of lost. But
the thing that I've really come back to when it
comes to Joe Burrow and what he means and what
he brings is the fact that this guy is asked

(01:57):
to do more down in and down out than anyone
else in the league, asked to do more than Lamar,
asked to do more than Josh Allen, because he's asked
to read the defense on every single play, diagnose it
pre snap, read it again after, get into the right
checks before the snap, then after make sure that he's

(02:17):
making the right reads and doing the right things. And
people hear that and they're like, oh, well, doesn't every
quarterback have to do that? And the answer is no.
Joe Burrow has the Peyton Manning, Tom Brady level of
responsibility in these quarterbacks in this era, as talented as
they are. Lamar isn't Peyton now physically he's one of one.

(02:39):
Josh Allen isn't pre snap Tom Brady now. Physically It's awesome.
But you can't quantify what Joe Burrow brings to the
football field. And don't take my word for it. Take
a guy who faced Joe Burrow last month, Like four
weeks ago, Bengals Cowboys Monday Night Football. The Bengals had

(03:00):
lost three straight games, they were four and eight, and
Joe Burrow went into Jerry World and won a place
that the Bengals have struggled in historically, not only beat
the Cowboys, but and not only earned the respect of
Michael Parsons, but Michael Parsons says he's the MVP.

Speaker 2 (03:16):
He has took this team from who were they five
and eight? Four and eight to eight and eight and
a chance to solidify in playoffs. This is not just
a walking apart season. This is like he's having an
historical season. If they go to playoffs. I think if

(03:41):
they go to playoffs, I don't think any team will
want to see the Bengals. He looks unstoppable right now,
his timing, precision, everything like you I think if you
ask anybody in the league right now, this ain't just me.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
And we talked about in locker room.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
We said Joe Burrow was the best quarterback we faced,
and we played Lamar this year. Now we played him early.
Get I get that, you know, and times you played
Joe Burrow he was in rhythm. But you can't ask
anybody on the team. We said Joe Burrow was the
best quarterback in the National Football League this year, without
a doubt. So when it comes to MVP, he's there,

(04:28):
you know what I mean. I get the Josh argument.
It's there, But Lamar is beting seven playoff teams, Josh
beting two, So it has to be between Lamar and
Joe Burrow. I get the Josh argument. I'm a big
Josh Allen fan. I think he's dope. I think he

(04:49):
is a monster of a quarterback. He's one of the
more on top. But right now, Joe Burrow and Lamar on.

Speaker 1 (04:56):
A whole other level. I don't even think it's close.
That audio courtesy of the Edge with Micah Parsons Micah
Parsons Podcast. I just think that's such an intriguing point
by Mike and that point, but the fact that he's
all in on Joe Burrow winning MVP. He said it
on his pod last week. Trayvon Diggs of the Cowboys

(05:17):
said it last week as well. And then for Burrow
to go out there to throw for four to twelve
three touchdowns, complete seventy nine percent of his passes, basically
eighty percent of his passes against the Broncos run for
a touchdown, and now he's in the MVP conversation at
least a bit. I don't necessarily think Joe Burrow is
going to win MVP, but I look at it and
I'm like, man, this is a guy that could be deserving,

(05:44):
that should be deserving, that should be in the mix.
And you'll hear from Joe Burrow between now and six o'clock.
You're gonna hear from his teammates between now and six o'clock.
I think that it's hard to quantify the physical traits attributes.
He is more explosive this year, is running better, moving better,
but he doesn't have the strongest arm. It's really hard

(06:06):
to quantify accuracy. It's hard to quantify his mind. But
Joe Burrow's superpowers are pretty simple. I mean, he's an
elite playmaker, he's a good enough athlete, he elite accuracy,
and he is an elite processor. He can process so

(06:28):
much information so quickly. There are so many times, like
no one debates Joe Burrow's work ethic right, Like nobody.
There are multiple times Joe Burrow. And it's not like
he's an early riser. He's getting there at four am. Well,
Joe Burrow is out the door at home for dinner time.
And that doesn't mean that he's not working his butt

(06:49):
off at home. I know he is. You see it
on the field. But my point is is like he's
an elite processor, and I think he's a guy that
can watch a play and maybe has to watch it
a couple of times because he's curious about certain little things.
But you'll have those kids, you know, those you remember

(07:10):
growing up, and there's kid in your class that could
just read a chapter of a book and then just
have it down and then I don't know, if you're
like me, it would take me a few times. I'd
have to study it a little bit more. I'd have
to try a little bit hard. I think Joe can
just oh, yeah, that's what the statsy's going to do here.
That's what they're going to do here, That's what they're
going to do in this coverage. Just an elite process
or in digestor of information in film and Boom just

(07:32):
knows it, just knows it, just knows it can digest it,
can apply it in Boom to the next one, next one,
next one. And that's elite. And I think the the
dilemma for a lot of people that evaluate this for
a living is they can't quantify that because it's not
a physical true, it's not arm strength, right, It's one
of those things that you can't necessarily see. But Bengals

(07:54):
coaches know it. The Bengals certainly know it. Joe Burrown
knows it, and even my Parson Snow said, I'm James
orpen Inframo today here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Plenty of
Bengals conversation coming your way. You'll hear from Joe Burrow
coming up, you'll hear from his teammates on his MVP case,
and much much more between now and six o'clock. So

(08:15):
really really excited to be with you today, and thanks
for tuning in on New Year's Day. I'm James arpen
infromo In. This is ESPN fifteen thirty. You found Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (08:28):
Excuse me?

Speaker 1 (08:32):
Is it foolish to believe in the Bengals?

Speaker 5 (08:35):
Hi?

Speaker 6 (08:35):
Are you going?

Speaker 1 (08:35):
Everyone? And welcome in to ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm James
or Peen Infomo with you till six o'clock here and
plenty to get into. I'll get into Joe Burrow's MVP
candidacy coming up. You'll hear from his teammates. You'll hear
from Zach Taylor, Joe Burrow. The point is we have
a lot of Bengals conversation for you on this New
Year's Day edition of the Moego Show here on ESPN

(08:58):
fifteen thirty. And if you're looking for more on the Bengals,
you can catch me on Bengals Talk dot com. Let's
dive in, though, because I do think it needs to
be pointed out what the Bengals are being asked to
do this week. I do think the significance of the
Steelers game matters in a few different ways, and the

(09:20):
impact that it could and may have on the offseason
matters as well, and so there's so many tentacles here.
I mean, obviously, the Bengals can still make the playoffs,
and that's first and foremost. If they win and get
the nine to eight and the Jets beat the Dolphins
and the Chiefs beat the Broncos, the Bengals will get
the seven seed and they'll be headed the Buffalo next week.

(09:40):
So that is obviously option A right. Everyone would want
to see that. It would be interesting, it would be
playoff football. Who knows how they would do against Buffalo.
Would love the opportunity to analyze and discuss and preview
and cover that game if it were to come to fruition.
But we're all ways away from that. But the significance

(10:02):
of Saturday, there's so many tentacles here, in the first
of which is the Bengals have a chance to do
something for just the second time in franchise history on Saturday,
and that's post a winning record for a fourth straight season.
They did it from twenty fifteen to or from twenty
eleven to twenty fifteen, and so that was five straight years.

(10:24):
They made the playoffs in all of those years, but
outside of that, they've never had four straight winning seasons.
In their entire history, and so they would have a
chance to do that. By winning on Sunday, their Saturday night,
you get the nine and eight, you'd have back to
back nine and eight records. Who knows if you get
in the playoffs or not, but it would be four
straight winning seasons. I do think that's significant. I do.

(10:46):
And at the same time, there are jobs on the line.
I think Luann Arumo is coaching for his job. I do.
I think that there are coaches, probably other coaches on defense, certainly,
but maybe a coach or two on all offense that
could be doing the exact same. And I know a
lot of people are going to be talking about Zach Taylor.
I think Zach is safe. I think Dan Pitcher, the

(11:09):
offensive coordinator, will get interviews. The Bengals are just twenty
four points away from setting or averaging the most points
per game in franchise history. So if they score twenty
four against the Steelers Boom, they'll average the most, which
the nineteen eighty eight team average twenty eight per game.
My expectations are high for this offense, and they've delivered

(11:30):
for the most part this season. Early on, it was
a bit clunky and part of that probably has to
do with Joe Burrow coming back. But overall, this Bengals team,
they're in position, and I can't help but think, especially
with jobs on the line, how different it would feel
if they had just closed in Kansas City, they just
beat New England, they just found a way to close

(11:51):
against Baltimore either time, or if they had just found
a way to get a stop against Washington, or if
they just found a way to not get down for
forty won twenty four to the Steelers and ultimately losing
forty four to thirty eight a month ago. If, by
the way, if they had won that game, then it
would be a winning inscenario on Saturday. But it isn't.

(12:13):
And that's that's what's so intriguing to me, at least
about the Bengals, where they're at, how they're viewed, how
we view the coaching staff. Because Luinarumo is a good
offensive coordinator, I don't doubt that, do you. I don't
doubt that, or defensive coordinator. He's a good coach and

(12:35):
so I don't doubt that. But what I do doubt
is him being back next year. And I just think
if they are on the outside looking into the playoffs.
Something's got to change, something's got to give, something's got
to to move, And you really just got to ask yourself,

(12:55):
all right, is this year a fluke? Maybe? Why didn't
they solve the Daxel riddle sooner? Why have young guys
like Miles Murphy not blossomed? What do you need out
of this defense moving forward? Draft picks, free agents? It
just hasn't worked out right, It just hasn't. And Lou

(13:17):
and Arumo is part of that. A lot of people
are gonna put that on the front office too, get it,
I totally do, But louis part of it. And that's
what I think is interesting. Does the front office think
that their picks are are better than they've been and
that Lou needs to be getting more out of them,
or do they think that they've gotten it wrong? Is
it a mixture of both. I don't know, but that
could be what Lou is coaching for. And by the way,

(13:39):
when did it feel like Lou might get fired the
last time they played Pittsburgh? And so I think this
is a big game for Lou. Ana Rumo Russell Wilson
threw for four hundred and fourteen yards in that game.
The dink and dunk Fest. Jermaine Prodi historically just with
an iconic line, what miss tackles, Well, there were a
lot of miss tackles that day, Jermaine. He also said,
quick game. You got to be able to guard the

(14:00):
quick game. And so this is a chance for Luanna
Roumo to redeem himself. This is a chance for this
Bengals defense to show who they are against a good quarterback,
not a great quarterback, against the ok offense, not a
great offense, against a unit that they should be able
to beat up on. They should because if you're in
the right spots against the Steelers and you're not getting

(14:21):
beat over the top, everything should be in front of you,
and so make them din' conduct it all the way downfield.
And if you're tackling and if you're playing sound football,
odds are Russell Wilson, odds are George Pickens odds are
one of these players is going to make a mistake.
It's really hard. We've seen this with the Bengals when
they've had to slowly maneuver the ball downfield. It's really

(14:42):
hard to go twelve plays, fourteen plays, fifteen plays and
score without a holding penalty. To set you back, without
a fumble, without a tip pass, without an interception, without
something that puts you off schedule. And this Bengals defense
this year has been just so bad at that getting
teams off schedule. If you get the Steelers off schedule,
you're in great shape because over the past few weeks

(15:05):
they turned the ball over more. They're not the most
talented group in general. They can beat you over the top,
for sure. George Pickens and Calvin Austin can. But leuen
Arumo has a chance here, and I think if the
season ended today, I'm not sure he's their defensive coordinator,
but I do think he can earn his job. And
that's what I'm looking at on Saturday night. How buttoned

(15:28):
up intogether are the Bengals. How prepared are the Bengals?
How do they look like a team that is ready
to go on the road against the division rival and
win to get into the postseason. That's what I expect.
The offense has earned that equity, and I expect high
things out of them, great things out of them, But
you kind of trust that they'll be able to figure

(15:49):
it out at some point during that game. Even if
think it off to a slow start. This defense has
to figure it out, and they've showed signs. As bad
as it was at times against Denver, there was a
lot of good signs too, a lot of good moments
in overtime, forcing back to back punts Jermaine Pratt, the
interception now giving up the two touchdowns to Marvin Mims unacceptable.

(16:11):
Can't happen. Can't let that happen this week. And so
we'll see if they can find a way to limit
those big plays and do the little things, the tackling.
You do that and you got a shot here. James
are pen in fromo. By the way, the Jets, they're

(16:32):
not good, but the Dolphins could be without two a
tongue of by law. And to me, the Denver Broncos
versus the Kansas City Chiefs, yeah, I get it. The
Broncos are gonna be playing with their head on fire,
I get it. But the Chiefs have to play some
of their guys. You only have fifty three that you
can you could play, so you can bene somebody you're

(16:54):
still gonna need. It's not like a preseason game where
you're gonna see eighth string eight stringers in It's gonna
be Carson Wentz, It'll be Kareem Hunt, It'll be guys
like that that have played. It'll probably be some a
JP ryme and so. Yeah, you won't see Chris Jones,
you won't see Pat Mahomes, you won't see Travis Kelce.
Doesn't mean that you're not gonna see Hollywood Brown. Doesn't

(17:16):
mean that there's in a scenario where the Chiefs look
up and it's a close game against Denver, five minutes
to go. That's what you need. You just need a shot.
You need those teams to find a way to win.
The Chiefs and the Jets if they beat the Dolphins,
If the Jets beat the Dolphins and the Chiefs beat
the Broncos, boom, Just like that, you could be in

(17:38):
the postseason. But not if you don't handle business on
Saturday night. Saturday is a big game for playoff chances,
for history, for the Bengals and for lou Ana Roumo.
We'll see if they can get it done. It's a
game you can hear right here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm James Rapeene info Mo up next Joey b for MVP. Yes,

(18:02):
he good be getting serious consideration. You'll hear from his
teammates and why Joey b should be m VP.

Speaker 7 (18:11):
Coming up next ESPN fifteen thirty Online at ESPN fifteen
thirty dot com, on your phone with the iHeartRadio app
and on hundreds of devices like Alexa, Google Home, Xbox
and so no nos and iHeartRadio, stay.

Speaker 1 (18:27):
Shack, run a business and not?

Speaker 8 (18:31):
What's up?

Speaker 1 (18:31):
And welcome in ESPN Ye would you till six o'clock
twenty twenty to get you on today's show? We have
a lot of Bengals for you over the next three hours,
and so that's where we will start today. Guests include

(18:52):
Jay Morrison of Bengals Talk dot com. In the Growlar podcast,
I'm James rpen As mentioned Happy New Year. Hopefully had
a great New Year. It was what the weather stunk overnight,
but overall, I hope you had a safe one, hope
you had a fun one. We are going to dive
into the Bengals playoff chances. Like I mentioned, Jay Morrison

(19:12):
will join us in a bit, but plenty to discuss
between now and six o'clock. And if you're looking for
more on the Bengals, are curious who the heck is
filling in for Oeger. I'm James or Pina cover the
Bengals for Sports Illustrated at Bengals Talk dot com, the
Lockdown Bengals podcast, and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. Feel

(19:32):
free to check out the socials if you want to
interact with the show. But Happy New Year's Day. Let's
dive into it, and let's start with Joey b because
a lot of people here locally, I think understand what
Joe Burrow means to the Cincinnati Bengals. I do. I
think that there are a lot of people that say, yeah,
he should be MVP, and yet nationally you have some

(19:55):
that are on board. Right Michah Parsons endorsed Joe Burrow
multiple times over the past week. But it's a lot
of local stuff and we'll start there. And before I
get into it, before I say whether or not I
think Joe Burrow is the most valuable player in the
National Football League, I want you to hear what Jamar Chase,

(20:18):
what Orlando Brown Junior, and what Zach Taylor told reporters,
and specifically with Orlando told me after the game when
they beat the Denver Broncos thirty to twenty four in
week seventeen to keep their season alive. Here's Jamar Chase,
Orlando Brown Junior, and Zach Taylor.

Speaker 9 (20:38):
I've been said he was MVP last week, so I
think him winning his game right here just got him
and first place at a race.

Speaker 10 (20:45):
He's so important to our success. I think it's loud
and clear. He's been the most valuable player obviously for us.
You know, he's kept us in games, he's won his games,
He's done everything he needs to do to go out
and win that award in my opinion, man, and I've
obviously been a part of two separate MVPs on two
separate teams, two separate years, and man, I feel like
Joe's the best quarterback in football right now and best

(21:06):
player in full boys playing.

Speaker 11 (21:07):
Like I don't know that anybody can stand on a
field and watch Joe Burrow and say he's not the
best player in the world, you know, And then you
can transfer that argument to Jamar Chase as well, you know,
and you can argue those two to death. But the
clearest thing I can say is I would not trade
Joe Burrow for any player in the universe. And so

(21:27):
to me, that's MVP.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
To me, all right when I hear those guys say that,
and Zach Taylor was the first one to comment. Jamar
Chase was the second one that was asked about it,
and then Orlando Brown Junior. The reason I was able
to get that quote is because I caught up with
him right at the end the locker room lights were
coming or we're going off, and Orlando was gracious enough

(21:50):
with this time to give me a few minutes after
what was a hard fought game and a tiring game
in multiple media sessions. And look, I think when I
think of MVP, it's one of those things where I
I view it much much differently than I think most
voters because a lot of voters And I heard Rex

(22:12):
Ryan say this on one of the ESPN shows. I
think he was on Get Up last week. He's like,
Joe Burrow can't win it because his team's not good enough,
and it's really a team award. No, no, it's not. No,
it's not, and it's not a team award. It should
never be a team award. And that's what's wrong with

(22:34):
the voting process. Most Valuable Player means who is most
valuable to their team. The reason why there hasn't been
a player that has won MVP with a five hundred record,
or a sub five hundred record, or been out of
the playoff like all of those things, right, And you've
seen all those stats over the past few weeks as

(22:55):
Joe Burrow has led the Bengals back into the playoff hunt.
The reason why is because people don't understand what valuable means,
and if they do understand, they don't vote on that criteria.
But when I think of MVP, the NFL's MVP, the
most Valuable Player, I don't know how you can't understand
why Joe Burrow should get serious consideration, not to be

(23:17):
in the top three, not to be in the top two,
but win the award. Because when you talk about most valuable,
where would this twenty twenty four Bengals team be without
Joe Well, I'll say this, they've played in ten one
score games. They wouldn't have played in ten one score games.
They probably would have played in about three to one
score games. They wouldn't be eight to eight they might

(23:39):
have and that three number will creep up again, probably
three wins going into this week. This team is flawed.
They have questionable coaching at times, they have questionable interior
offensive line play, the defense has been awful for most
of the season. There are plenty of national pundits that

(24:01):
question what they are or aren't as a franchise, and
fans do as well, and so sometimes you just got
to say it out loud. And So if the Bengals
are eight and eight going into Week eighteen with a
shot at the playoffs, but their defense stinks, their defensive
coordinator is clearly on the hot seat. A lot of
you listening thinks Zach Taylor should be on the hot seat.

(24:23):
So the coaching is a huge question mark. Ownership is
a flaw where they're too cheap. Musing other people's words,
not mine. I think there's a lot of context needed,
But for this point, if you think the Bengals ownership
is cheap, and the coaching stinks, and the defense stinks,
and the offensive line can't protect Joe the way you
want them to, and and then you look up and

(24:47):
he's setting records forty two touchdowns, four thousand, six hundred
and forty one yards, completing sixty nine point eight percent
of his passes, which leads the NFL leading or he
leads the NFL in passing. Our excuse me in passing touchdowns,
near the top of the league in completion percentage. No
one throws it more than him, leads that NFL in completions,

(25:09):
and he's getting hit more than anyone else, and he's
been sacked over forty times, and he just keeps finding
a way to win.

Speaker 3 (25:16):
Well.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
Yeah, yeah, I think he's the MVP if he's overcoming
all of these things around him. Colin how Hurt earlier
this week compared him to Lebron James in Cleveland, and
I don't love that comparison. I actually think that the
Bengals are more well run than the Cleveland Cavaliers. I do.
That might be a take. I don't think it is.
I have a unique perspective of covering both teams multiple seasons.

(25:39):
Understand it. Who love the NBA, I think that the
Bengals are more well run there. It doesn't mean that
they don't have their flaws. They do, absolutely. I think
that there's multiple scenarios where over the past couple of
years I would have found I would have picked the
right guys over them, especially earlier in the draft, where
they appear to have gotten it wrong times right. And

(26:01):
so when an average Joe behind a mic can do that, well,
then why didn't the Bengals just do that and go
with consensus. That wasn't me patting myself on the back.
My point is that draft consensus has been better than
the Bengals and key moments from a draft standpoint. They
got it wrong in free agency more than they've gotten
it right over the past couple of years. I would say,
especially with the big money, you lose Jesse Bates, you
go with Nick Scott. That didn't work. You'll lose dj Reader,

(26:24):
you go with Sheldon Rankins. Obviously that didn't work. So
Joe Burrows had to overcome a lot. And honestly, that's
where it is is to me when you think of
most valuable. What does Joe Burrow mean to the franchise,
What does he mean to the city, What does he
mean to the organization, What does he mean to the
fan base? What does he mean to the coaching staff? Well,

(26:45):
he saves Zach Taylor's job a few years ago, that's
what he did. That run in twenty twenty one where
Joe was awesome. Obviously the entire coaching staff has to
thank and should thank Joe Burrow. Lou and Roumo If
he's here next year, he should thank Joe Burrow. It's
a big reason why Joe Burrow will return or Blumo
will return, if that does happen. I do think that's

(27:08):
still up in the air going into week eighteen. But
my point is is everything revolves around him. The reason
why the Bengals have an indoor facility, even if it
is temporary, is why because of Joe Burrow, Joe Burrow
has changed the franchise. And so when you have a
franchise changer like that, like the Ravens. Did you see

(27:29):
who's watching Hard Knocks? Raise your hand unless you're driving,
don't do it. And James R. Pen In promote today,
by the way, here on the SPN fifteen thirty Happy
New Year, watch Hard Knocks. You see that Ravens practice facility.
That's their practice facility. You see that thing that looks
like boarding school that my mom threaten me to to
send me to when I was twelve when I acted up.

(27:51):
I mean that place looks like Hogwarts, And that's their
practice facility. The Baltimore Ravens have always been a quality
for franchise and well run and well respected in the NFL,
and so that is without a doubt, no brainer. And
so to me, when I think of the MVP, it's like, oh, well, yeah,

(28:12):
Josh Allen has elevated, completely elevated the Buffalo Bills franchise,
and so is Joe Burrow. Lamar Jackson's won multiple And
by the way, I love Lamar. I thought the Bengal
should have drafted Lamar, and on these airwaves set it
back in twenty eighteen, Moega wrote it, By the way,
it's out there on the web somewhere, but yeah, they

(28:33):
should should have drafted Lamar, and they didn't. It led
to Joe Burrow and that worked out. But think about
where the Bengals franchise was in twenty nineteen, twenty eighteen,
twenty seventeen, and those those were coming off even Let's
go to twenty sixteen, right, the Bengals did something in
twenty sixteen, or in twenty eleven through twenty fifteen going
into twenty sixteen that they have never done in franchise history.

(28:56):
They made it to the playoffs five straight times, finished
with a winning record five straight times. They've never done
that in team history. They've never outside of that window,
finished with a winning record of four times in franchise history.
They have a chance to do that on Saturday Night
if they win four straight times. Excuse me, they have
a chance to do that, finish with a winning record
for a fourth straight time on Saturday Night by getting

(29:18):
to nine and eight, that would be only the second
time in franchise history they've done that. But my point is,
think about how you feel about the Bengals now and
how they're viewed nationally locally, all of the above in
the excitement and what they've done. And yeah, they haven't
gotten everything right, but they're certainly spending more money in
free agency than they ever have. They're certainly trying. I

(29:41):
do think they try. By the way, I do think
they want to win. I know people question I do
think they want to win. And by day I mean ownership.
And so they're aggressive in their minds in free agency.
And they weren't that in twenty eleven, twelve, twenty thirteen,
twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, or twenty six when they lost
pieces after being awesome for most of twenty fifteen. What's changed?

(30:06):
Why is it different? It's Joe Burrow. It's because they
realize that they need to do this around at a
star quarterback. And so when you talk about, like, if
there was a Most Transformative Player Award, Joe Burrow would
get it for the for a decade. He would have
gotten it in twenty one, twenty two, twenty three, twenty four,
twenty five, twenty six. Because he is. He's transformed the

(30:27):
entire franchise. Everything feels different, Everything feels bigger, games feel bigger.
Primetime feels bigger. That they're gonna be playing in their
sixth primetime game on Saturday Night five on the road.
He's box office. That's not because of Mike Brown and
the Bengals history. It's because of Joe Burrow. That's why
they've been on primetime so darn much. Obviously, Jamar Chase

(30:49):
is a factor, t Higgins is a factor, But it's
Joe Burrow that's it. So fine. I know he's not
gonna win Most Valuable Player, like I know that, even
though in my mind when you look at his value,
he certainly not only should be in consideration. I would
vote for him if I had a vote, And I'm
not alone, by the way. Troy Aikman on the Monday

(31:10):
Night Football broadcast this week endorsing Joey b Yeah, I'm.

Speaker 12 (31:15):
Looking forward to that matchup, and I know there's there
gonna be a lot of people out there.

Speaker 4 (31:18):
Making votes and who's the MVP and.

Speaker 7 (31:21):
All of that.

Speaker 12 (31:22):
I will just say that, no disrespect that anyone in
the great years that they've had. If I had a vote,
it would go to Joe Burrow. What he has done
has been terrific. And that game the other night, he
just refused to lose. And this is going to be
quite a game next week.

Speaker 1 (31:38):
That's Troy Aikman on Monday Night Football. And yeah, I
think that should be a much more common thought, is
how I would say it. That should be a much
more common thought among everyone, anyone all of the above
that watches football weekend and week out and pays attention.

(32:00):
And that doesn't mean that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson
aren't deserving, But I think value wise, what Joe has brought,
I think Joe in the bank. Without Joe, the Bengals
would be contending for a top three draft pick. That
means three wins. They'd be contending for a top three
pick right now. Instead, they're knocking on the door of
the playoffs, and who knows, maybe they'll get there. Maybe

(32:23):
they won't. I'll plenty of time to dive into that
and discuss that, but overall, I look at that and
I say, yeah, most valuable, but I don't think he's
going to win it, full disclosure. So fine, We're going
to give him a new award on this New Year's
Day audition of ESPN fifteen thirty. This is the Moeger Show.
I'm James R. Payne New Award, and that award is simple,

(32:43):
the MTP. He's the most transformative player. He's transformed the
entire franchise, the entire city, the entire fan base, and
rejuvenated this franchise and taking it to heights that they've
never been before. And he's trying to do something that
they've never never done outside of that twenty eleven to

(33:04):
twenty fifteen range, regardless of the playoffs, which is guide
them to a winning record for a fourth straight season.
They've only done that from twenty eleven to twenty fifteen.
Think about that in their entire history, never done it
outside of that window. They will try to do that
on Saturday Night. Plenty to discuss when it comes to
Saturday Night, what that game means, what it could mean

(33:27):
for the Cincinnati Bengals. So let's do that up next.
I will be joined by Jamorrison of Bengals Talk dot Com.
We will discuss Joe Burrow. I will ask him about
this matchup in primetime against the Pittsburgh Steelers and so
much more. Because history, well it's not on the Bengals side.

(33:48):
We will talk with Jay about that and much much more.
James E repen in for mo Happy New Year. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty rapid radios. Are James repeen in
for mooegar and let's see the Bengals conversation with Jay Morrison,
Bengals Talk dot Com. Jay, let's start here. Saturday night
football and another primetime game, another road primetime game. This

(34:13):
is something you pointed out earlier this week, but the
Bengals on the road primetime asked to do something that
no other team in NFL history has had to do.

Speaker 13 (34:23):
Yeah, five road primetime games in one season. This is
a a first in NFL history. I don't know it's
it's not so much this game, it's the other four
before the season started.

Speaker 1 (34:39):
Those were all originally scheduled.

Speaker 13 (34:41):
None of those games were flexed in to primetime, but
they had a home game flexed out.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
That's that still might have got flexed out.

Speaker 13 (34:47):
Just I know they weren't playing well at the time
when that happened, but Cleveland was awful. They still might
have pulled that game out in favor of Broncos Chargers.
But this is it's not ideal. I mean, it's the
We've talked written a lot about how hard it is
to win these divisional road primetime games and just forget

(35:08):
road primetime games in general. But you know they wouldn't
have it any other way. I mean, yeah, they're playing
for meaningful football in Week eighteen. I don't think any
of us saw that coming. I was a little surprised
that this was the primetime game, just because I think
the NFL kind of had their hands tied. It's just
really weird. There's not that many games in Week eighteen

(35:30):
that mean anything, and typically they try to put the
games that mean something at the same time, and here
you have Baltimore and Pittsburgh playing for they both can
still win the division. You would think that would be
at the same time, but instead they're staggered on Saturday,
Browns and Ravens first. Just because there's just a stunning

(35:52):
lack of games that mean anything in this week, and
by putting the Bengals in prime time, they wouldn't do Denver,
they wouldn't do Miami, they wouldn't want the Bengals to
go into Sunday having already known they were eliminated. So
it kind of makes sense that they kind of had
to put this game in primetime. But it's it's gonna
be tough. The Bengals don't win in primetime a lot
on the road. They definitely don't win in primetime in Pittsburgh.

(36:14):
Two and nine all time.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
Yeah, you had that stat What were the years again,
because I'm pretty sure I was four the last time
they did it and Joe Burrow wasn't alive.

Speaker 13 (36:24):
Yeah, last time they did it was a Thursday night
game in nineteen ninety five, and then they also did
it in a Monday night game in nineteen eighty five.
But other than that, primetime in Pittsburgh has not gone
well for the Bengals, regardless of who the coach was,
regardless of who was alive at the time. Yeah, Joe
Burrow December tenth, nineteen ninety six. So there you go

(36:44):
for those wondering. I know, Jamar wasn't alive. He's twenty four,
So yeah, goodness, that's it's a wild to ask. And
at the same time, I couldn't help when I was
digesting this on Monday and seeing all the stats on
Monday morning, I was like, you know, this is the
same coaching staff. This is the same group that rallied behind.

Speaker 1 (37:06):
The refunds game where it's all the Bills versus the Chiefs,
and it's going to be played here and it's going
to be like back against the wall that they got
to play us type mindset that that year was. And
if I'm Zach Taylor and I'm this coaching staff this week,
I would lean in on that a little bit, like, oh, well,
they're making you go on the road in primetime more

(37:27):
than any other team has ever had to do. You
have to do it in the division. They're challenging us.
And by the way, the Bengals are two and two
on the road in primetime this year. Yeah, it's one
of those little carrots. Not that they need more motivation,
obviously they're seasons on the line, but it can't hurt
to mention that to them.

Speaker 13 (37:46):
Yeah, And the fact that because I asked Zach about this,
and he kind of downplayed it in the press conference
last week. But this is the fifth time this year
that they've played a team on extended rest. Whether that
team was coming off a Thursday game or a Wednesday game,
is the case, the Steelers are right now coming off
Christmas or a bye week. Anytime a team has extended ress,

(38:06):
fifth time, that's the most in Bengals history. I didn't
have the bandwidth to go and check every other team
because it's not like simple filter you can look through
on these stats. You have to kind of go through
each season schedule. But that is not easy. And they
maybe that was part of the chip last week against
Denver because Denver was playing on extended rest and the
Bengals beat them. The Bengals have actually they've won five

(38:28):
of their last six games against teams that run extended rest.
So maybe it's not as big of a deal as
we make it out to be. Jaymorrison, Bengals Talk dot
Com is our guest. Yeah, maybe it's not.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
And yet the Bengals they're in this position where you'll
win and then you need two things to go your way,
and just based on the odds, the Chiefs beating the
Broncos is the one that Oddsmakers thinks is pretty unlikely,
given that they're going to rest a lot of their guys.
But how do you view that the Jets obviously have

(39:02):
to beat the Dolphins, the Chiefs and Carson Wentz led
Chiefs have to beat the Broncos. Do you view it
that way? I personally am worried about the Jets too,
because I think the Jets stink and I'm not sure
that they can beat anyone right now.

Speaker 13 (39:15):
Yeah, I don't think anybody can feel good about either
one of those games. But I don't think it's as
dire as people think. I mean, Kansas City has won
seventeen of the last eighteen against Denver. A lot of
different guys that have played in those games, and I
don't know that any of them were arresting the starters situation.
But that's something when you own a team like that,

(39:38):
that's real and the pressure is going to be on Denver.
That's a big part of this too. We saw it
with Indianapoulos Indianapolis against the Giants this week. Or They've
got all the pressure in the world, knowing if they lose,
they're done, and they blew it and I think the
Jets too, which that game will we played at MetLife Stadium,
just like the Giants Colts game was at Metlife's Stadium

(40:00):
where the Bengals got to reprieve there. So the Jets
being at home playing after this just god awful season,
after getting absolutely embarrassed against Buffalo, Yeah, those players aren't
gonna want to go out that way. It's gonna mean
a lot to them to try to get a win
at the end of the year. And it's gonna be cold.
I mean, you see, Pittsburgh's gonna be below thirty two

(40:22):
degrees you're talking about. Miami has to go to New
York with all that pressure on the line in a
cold environment. I just I don't think these are slam dunce.
I think if the Bengals can get a win Saturday Night,
they've got a real shot of a real shot of hope,
an infusion of hope that the three team parlay can
end up pashing.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
For Jay Morrison is our guest here on ESPN fifteen thirty.
Let's dive a little bit more into the Saturday Night,
which is probably means we should do a callback to
last Saturday Night because the Bengals won that game about
twelve times against the Broncos, Yeah, before actually winning it
in overtime, and they keep their season alive. Burrows excited

(41:03):
obviously t their emotional but how do you view that now?
Is it, oh, man, they found a way to get
a win, or is it man? This team cannot just
close the deal. I know they ultimately did, but they
left the door cracked and at times open when it
should have been slam shut from that perspective, because they

(41:26):
have to beat the Steelers for any of this other
stuff to matter. How do you view this team now
that they're three and seven and one score games this year.

Speaker 13 (41:33):
Yeah, I think normally you would be concerned that they
had to win it as many times as they did.
But we've been talking about this all year. This team
can't find ways to close game. Well, they finally did
and it wasn't. Yeah, they made a couple of mistakes,
but that three and out in overtime when all Denver
needed was a first down and then they could just
kneel out the clock, take the tie, go to the

(41:54):
playoffs to get a three out in that situation, I
really think that's something that they can have legs for
this defense. You wonder about the kicking situation, but I
think that that was more of a positive than a negative.
I mean, number one, it's hard to close out teams
with winning records regardless in Denver, YEP. Rookie rookie quarterback

(42:18):
and you know, not a great offense, but it's still
a team playing for a playoff spot. They're gonna fight
you tooth and nail till the end. And I just
I think there's there was more encouragement that came out
of finding a way to win that game than negative.
It just the fact that they had to do it
over and over and over again.

Speaker 1 (42:38):
Over and over and over and over and over. I
had a tie story written. I had three different versions
of the winning story. I think I think three two
or three losing versions. One in regulation, certainly one in
overtime when they had to punt it just uh just wild.
And yet they found a way to win. And Jay
Morrison is our guest. Make sure you catch them with

(43:00):
Paul day Er Junior on the Growler as every single
week here covering the Bengals. But let's focus on the good.
T Higgins has been really, really good, averaging seventy eight
yards receiving per game. That would be a career high
ten touchdowns already a career high in eleven games. I

(43:21):
buy the Joe campaigning for team and everything around it,
and I think that it's all by design. Where are
you at with T Higgins's future, knowing how this team
is and knowing how valuable he is at this offense.

Speaker 13 (43:36):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like that has to put
even a little bit more pressure on the front office
to figure out a way to get this done. It
has to at least light another light bulb that, yeah,
that this is the right way that having those two
guys out there that you can make up for a
lot of warts. It was remarkable, and yeah, there was

(44:00):
something to be said to the emotions of him knowing
that that was not possibly his final game in that
stadium as a member of the team. Well, Saturday night
in Pittsburgh could possibly be his final game ever in
a Bengals uniform, regardless of stadium. So I think those
same emotions might be there, and you know, just from
the you forget the long term whether he should be

(44:22):
here in the future or not, just looking at what
he did in that game where he's been knocked for
the last couple of years about missing time and the
soft tissue injuries and all that he's got an ankle
and a knee injury that he's fighting through, and he
has that kind of performance in a de facto playoff
game just really really impressive. And then if you look

(44:42):
back to the when these teams, when the Bengals and
Steelers just played recently, he abused Joey Porter Junior, and
lou An Riuma pointed this out, or Dan Pitcher pointed
it out the offensive coordinator today that there were four
or five penalties that te Higgins drew in that game
on Joeye Porter, and and those don't show up in
the stat sheet, obviously, but they are just as important

(45:04):
to the the scope of the offense, getting those free
first downs and getting those chunks. And you know the
line that that Mike Tomlin had that called t higginsagoon
and like shack, and now he's wearing the Shack jersey,
and I mean that's real stuff. That's he's that he
can be a real weapon in this game. And you know,
if if you know Joey Porter is coming off a

(45:25):
knee injury, he may not be one hundred percent it's
gonna be called that usually favors the defense. But I
don't know that there's a defense that can stop this
Bengals offense right now. And I don't know that there's
a weather forecast that can stop this Bengals offense right now, as.

Speaker 1 (45:41):
Long as it doesn't rain really, really, really hard. I
agree with you, Yeah, man Batman, but he's not Aquaman.
That's right, that's right. I think when it comes to
Tea and you mentioned Mike Tomlin and in the comments
he made, yeah, they're they're Kendrick Bourne, a Patriots receiver.
A couple of weeks back, say, Tea come catch passes

(46:01):
from Drake May Like there are like when there's talk
like that, if I'm the Bengals, I look around like
it's kind of like how Mike Brown approaches trades is
he's like, oh, well you want something that I have?
Why would you just view it that way? Just understand it?
Like his value. T Higgins is about to enter his prime,
I think right now. Yeah, And I think that's what

(46:22):
we saw the other day and what we're seeing this year.
He's has eight hundred and fifty eight yards is averaging
seventy eight yards per game, Like I said, career high,
career high in touchdowns, playing an eleven games, and it's
because he's about to be twenty six and during his
physical prime, like we've seen him grow and he's just
been so good at the contested catch point this year,

(46:45):
whether it's underneath stuff, the strong hands. I know he
had to fumble the other day, but the strong hands
with corners draped on him, that's something we've seen throughout
his career develop But I think he's better than that
than ever. And it let's say you pay him for
the next four years, I think you're going to get
the best of T Higgins over this next four years
whatever team has him. So yeah, I'm on on board

(47:06):
with that. It's not my money, it's not it's not
my salary cap that I'm managing. But good luck telling
Joe Burrow that he doesn't need T Higgins well. And
it's the same thing.

Speaker 13 (47:15):
Remember when they when they drafted Jamar and everybody talked
about all the chemistry and the connection that that.

Speaker 1 (47:21):
Jamar and Joe have.

Speaker 13 (47:22):
Well, Joe and t have a much bigger one now
with five years together then Joe and Jamar ever had
coming out of LSU and it's real. I mean you
talked about T's play strength at the point of the
catch and and Joe trust him so much where he
knows that that maybe if the defenders on the one hip,
he can throw it to the other hip and trust
that he is going to reach back across his body

(47:44):
and make that catch and take a shot. We've seen
T takes some really big shots. You rarely see Jamar
take a he like catches the ball on the run,
makes the first guy miss. You never see him just
really get stuck. He gets stuck over and over again,
and rarely drops the ball. Yet he did have that fumble.
But he has been so valuable and I just you
go back to the what's the Duke Tobin line, it's

(48:05):
not our job to make other teams better. Well, if
you let T walk, you're making somebody else better and
you're probably making yourself worse. Yeah, you're gonna save some money,
but whatever you do with that money is not gonna
be more valuable than what you could do with T.

Speaker 1 (48:18):
Higgins. There we go. I love it. Yeah, it's much
harder to replace T than it is to pay Tea
and so get another sponsor on gate A and get
that deal done. He's J Morris and Bengals Talk dot
Com The Growlar Podcast with Paul Daanner Jr. Let's look
a little bit to the ex's and o's this week

(48:38):
and injury wise. You wrote about this for Bengals Talk
dot Com. But the Chase Brown Khalil Herbert dynamic, I
think it's interesting because Khalil Herbert they traded for him,
then Chase Brown emerged. We haven't seen much of Herbert,
even though he had some nice runs and overtime when
Brown left the game with the sprained ankle, and I
think that has more to do with Chase Brown than

(48:59):
it does Khalil Herbert. What what's the vibe like around
Herbert if he does get the start and does play
significant snaps on Saturday.

Speaker 13 (49:09):
Yeah, I mean, I think they're really comfortable with him,
and it's it's not as though he was an unproven
guy that they traded for. He's had some good seasons
in the league, and he's had carries and he's had
receptions and just that little bit you mentioned what he
did in overtime. Some of those runs were really impressive,
and he has hardly played since he got here. They

(49:29):
traded for him at the deadline, got him from the Bears.
It's been more a matter of how great Chase Brown
has been than any kind of trepidation about trusting Khalil Herbert.
And you know we still I mean, Chase Brown could
still play in this game, but if if he doesn't,
I think you feel really good about what Khalil.

Speaker 1 (49:48):
Herbert can do.

Speaker 13 (49:49):
And I don't think it's underrated that you talk about
this all the time. I mean, what was the reason
they did this where they got they got Zach Moss
to pair with Chase Brown was to to kind of
manage the workload so that they're not breaking down at
the end of the season. Well, Khalil Herbert as fresh
as fresh can be, and you get fresh legs against
that Pittsburgh defense, and you know, there's there's probably still

(50:12):
a little bit of unfamiliarity with the offense. And but
like Joe said, when Khalil Herbert got here first got
or he's that he's standing right next to me, I
can just tell him what to do. And obviously it's
been eight weeks. Herbert is up to speed with the
playbook and everything, but he's still going to be seeing
and doing some things that he that he hasn't done
a lot of. But I I don't think that's the

(50:33):
most concerning injury. You would love to see Chase Brown
play in this game, but if he doesn't, I don't
think that would be the biggest injury that could that
could befall this Bengals team.

Speaker 1 (50:42):
Yeah. The other one I think you're hitting out is
a Marius Mimsy and really the tackles in general. I
expect Orlando Brown Junior to play, but he's dealing with
a broken fibula in a couple of spots, Marius Mims
dealing with a broken hand. Where what do you expect
out of those two guys? Yeah, I mean, I think
you're gonna see Orlando Brown go. And he just wanted

(51:05):
He did this midway.

Speaker 13 (51:06):
Through this injury where he missed three games, tried to
come back, couldn't finish the game. That was a little different.
That was more still kind of the knee part of
it as opposed to what he's dealing with with the
issue with the fibula. So it's it's something that I
feel better about Orlando. What concerns me about Amarius is

(51:29):
what can you do? I mean, you can't heal a
broken hand that fast and anything you could do to
shoot it up or wrap it up. We saw him
playing with that big club and he still couldn't finish
that game. I mean, what's what's going to be different
this Saturday from last Saturday? From that regard and you're
going against t J. Watt and Nick Herbig and you
go all those guys, and if you don't have that

(51:51):
hand fully available, it couldn't be an issue. I just
maybe he goes out there and tries it, but I
don't know how he can be any more effective than
he was in that Denver game when they had to
pull him.

Speaker 1 (52:04):
Yeah, that's my concern is, all right, well we'll be
able to start, maybe maybe not, but if he can start,
can he finish? And if not, how do you balance that?
And boyl boy, if it's Devin Cochrane and I like
Devin and I think he's done a pretty good job.
It's just a tough ask against that Steelers front. There's

(52:25):
just so many guys they can throw at you. And
we know the Bengals are going to try to throw
it all over it's their offense. So that's I agree
with you. I think that's the scary one. With the
way a Marius has played in pass protection. Can this
offense continue to thrive, not turn the ball over, get
the ball to their playmakers, move the ball downfield with

(52:46):
everything that they put on Joe Burrow. I think it's
a good, a reasonable question with the way they're playing. Yeah,
And I mean you think about it, TJ.

Speaker 13 (52:54):
Watt and TJ Watt has a million pass rush moves,
but you don't think he's going to try that chop
several times and try to land a blow on that
on that hand, and it's just they are they're going
to have to probably go twelve a lot more. They're
probably they're gonna have to maybe chip and help on
both sides if that's even possible. And then you just
throw a tea in Jamar out there and hope the
Burrow can get the ball to one of them. So
that that would be the the more problematic injuries if

(53:17):
a Marius can't go, or even as you said, if
he goes and then has to come out.

Speaker 1 (53:22):
Spending a few more minutes with Jay Morrison Bengals Talk
dot Com, The Growler Podcast, Let's let's discuss Joe Burrow.
We're like twenty minutes in and I haven't mentioned Joe
Burrow at all? What what? What do you think about this,
this MVP case or his MVP case, given where he's
at sixty nine percent completion percentage almost seventy forty six

(53:44):
plus hundred yards, forty two touchdowns, eight interceptions. Obviously we
know it's a flawed roster and they ask him to
do a ton Do you think he should be MVP? Yeah?

Speaker 13 (53:56):
I mean I think he should get votes. I don't
know how if they don't make the playoffs, you could
make any argument that he deserves it over Lamar when
Lamar has a two to zero record head to head
against Joe and a very worthy MVP candidacy in his
own right, even you take out those head to head matchups.
But if the Bengals can get in the playoffs, I mean,

(54:20):
are you talking MVP is truly most valuable or are
you talking best player? Because that's what voters have to
weigh if it's value. If it's value strictly, then man,
I don't know how you don't give Joe Burrow the vote.
You look at just the numbers he's put up, and
what would this team's record be if you know, even
as well as Jake Browning played last year, if Jake

(54:40):
Browning started all sixteen games so far this year, what
would this team's record be right now? It wouldn't be
close to eight and eight, I can tell you that.
And that's not a knock knock on Jake Browning. That's
just how bad the defense has been and some of
the other elements. So I like the fact that it's
just changed recently. It used to be you just vote
for one guy. Now they actually have them vote for

(55:00):
our top three and then they do the points system.
And it's going to be really interesting to see where
Joe Burrow comes in because he's I think he's gonna
get a lot of third place votes at least, and
maybe some seconds and some first This could be a
really interesting vote if if they find their way into
the playoff.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
But it's it's hard.

Speaker 13 (55:15):
You see it over and oh week year after year,
week after week, game after game, and you almost get
numbed to how incredible he's been, and then he has
a performance like Saturday night and it just reminds you
that that, yeah, he is different, and he may be,
as Zach said, the best player in the world.

Speaker 3 (55:32):
Right now.

Speaker 1 (55:33):
Yeah, I think he is. And it's part of it
has to do with we've spent a whole season talking
about how bad the defense is, or how bad Zach
Taylor and the coaching staff is, or how the front
office is cheap, and and I'm really talking for fans.
But there's all these qualifiers and stuff. But I'm just

(55:53):
throwing those things out there because there's a line we've
We've seen those on social media. Yeah, can't draft o
line the guard. All of these things have been discussed
and it's like, okay, well if they're eight and eight
and they're playing for something in week eighteen, and he said,
all these records already, and he's the only quarterback ever
to have eight straight games of two hundred and fifty
plus and three touchdowns, the third quarterback ever to throw

(56:16):
for forty five hundred plus yards, forty plus touchdowns and
less than ten picks, and Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady
both won MVP. Well, I look at it from a
bunch of different angles and it's like, well, yeah, he
is the most valuable. He probably won't win the award
because a lot of people view it the other way.
It's the best player on the best team, or most

(56:37):
exciting player on the best team, all of those things,
and Lamar or Josh if they went't well deserved. But
we know what Joe has done for this franchise and changed,
and so to do that and be coming off of
the wrist, yeah, and have all these flaws around him,
I just that's mine. Maybe I'm just too close to it,

(56:57):
but I just think that he would be, if you
really go by valuable even regardless of Saturday night, unless
he just throws five picks. Yeah, but he is the
most valuable even though I don't expect him to win
the award.

Speaker 13 (57:09):
Yeah, I don't either, And you know you the Bills
have a good roster, but it's not a great roster.
I mean, Josh Allen has kind of been Superman this
year too, and then Lamar that's just just a freak.
I mean just watching him is so fun, and he's
grown so much as a passer and he's still this electric,
dynamic runner, and it's just it's almost like an apple's
an orange comparison when you're talking Lamar against any of

(57:30):
these other quarterbacks. But I yeah, that's why I'm really
happy that it is a three tiered voting process and
that Joe is at least going to get rewarded. You
look at some of these past MVP votes and it's
like forty nine to one, and you know that guy
that came in second, there's probably a really good guy
that was third that never even it's like, oh, nobody

(57:51):
even voted for him for MVP. And at least Joe
is going to get some sort of recognition. And I
am really interested to see what that looks like, what
the point total breakdown is.

Speaker 1 (58:01):
Yeah, you're talking to someone who definitely believes in Lamar.
I still can't believe they picked Billy Price all those
years ago in twenty eighteen and Josh Allen it's very similar.
It's been almost bro ask how he's elevated the Bills
franchise into the contender that it is and elevated his
own game. Sorry interrupted, I mean, oh, you're good.

Speaker 13 (58:20):
We've talked for years about how much he puts the
ball in danger and all these turnover worthy plays, and
he is he has done away with that this year.
Is this not just them putting pieces or better pieces
around him? This is actually Josh Allen elevating his game.
I do think that all three of these guys have
had just incredibly impressive seasons.

Speaker 1 (58:39):
No doubt it should be that trio. There should be
no Saquon Barkley getting three a bunch of MVP votes.
It should be those three quarterbacks. We'll see if that happens.
He's Jay Morrison. Make sure you check out his work
Bengalstalk dot com, The Growler Podcast. Jay, I appreciate the time,
Thanks James. Really good stuff there from James, and we'll

(59:00):
keep things rolling. Coming up next James orpen and FROMO.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 6 (59:08):
I was the postseason is on the line after last
weeks overtime.

Speaker 1 (59:13):
We're next.

Speaker 14 (59:15):
It's a Joe Burrow and his big bed Bengals face
one more chumpus.

Speaker 8 (59:20):
Is a magical season. Pittsburgh Steelers, Joe Burrow, Jamar Chains
and ge Peg and the Orange and Black down the
Black and Gold and keep their playoff dreams alive. RAC
get the goal from Dangerous Dan Hoard and Mighty Dave Leon.
Coverage began Saturday at four on ESPN fifteen thirty, the

(59:40):
official home of the Bengals.

Speaker 1 (59:43):
Welcome back to Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty I'm James Eorpeen,
Happy New Year. Wow, that first hour flew by. We're
with you till six o'clock. Plenty to get to, including
some Bengals on tap. And yes, it is a must
win for the Cincinnati Bengals. I will dive into some
numbers what needs to happen for them to make the playoffs.

(01:00:05):
If I think they can, well will because of course
they can, will make the playoffs, and much much more.
We're just getting started here. Happy New Year. Stay with
us right here on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 15 (01:00:17):
That's all.

Speaker 1 (01:00:22):
What up in Welcome in to Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.
I'm James rapine INFROMO Happy New Year. Plenty on tap today,
plenty of Bengals. It is a big football week, not
only in the city but in the country. And well
we're gonna have you covered all afternoon long. Hope you're
having a wonderful New Year's Day. You are if you're

(01:00:47):
looking for football, at least you've come to the right place.
Plenty to get to. Sean McManus, Today's producer, plenty on
the Bengals. And if you're unfamiliar with my work, I
cover the Bengals for Bengals Talk dot Com, the Lockdown
Bengals podcast, Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube, and let's dive in.
In like two minutes, you're gonna hear from arguably the

(01:01:08):
best pass rusher in the NFL on what he thinks
of Joe Burrow. And I think that's it's such an
interesting topic because here locally, a lot of people know
what Joe Burrow means. Nationally, I think there are still
plenty of analysts, especially some of these film guys, that

(01:01:29):
struggle to quantify what Joe Burrow is as a quarterback
because he doesn't throw it like Herbert, or doesn't throw
it like Josh Allen, isn't physically imposing like that. Obviously,
Lamar Jackson is a human joystick and just can do
a little bit of everything at an extremely high level,
which makes him impossible to guard and impossible to defend
it at times. And Patrick Mahomes has all the rings

(01:01:52):
and has been great for many years in all of
those things, and so Joe gets kind of lost. But
the thing that I've really come back to when it
comes to Joe Burrow and what he means and what
he brings is the fact that this guy is asked

(01:02:15):
to do more down in and down out than anyone
else in the league, asked to do more than Lamar,
asked to do more than Josh Allen, because he's asked
to read the defense on every single play, diagnose it
pre snap, read it again after, get into the right
checks before the snap, then after make sure that he's

(01:02:35):
making the right reads and doing the right things. And
people hear that and they're like, oh, well, doesn't every
quarterback have to do that? And the answer is no,
Joe Burrow has the Peyton Manning tom Brady level of
responsibility in these quarterbacks in this era, as talented as
they are. Lamar isn't Peyton now Physically he's one of one.

(01:02:57):
Josh Allen isn't pre snap tom Brady now. Physically. It's awesome,
But you can't quantify what Joe Burrow brings to the
football field. And don't take my word for it. Take
a guy who faced Joe Burrow last month, four weeks
ago Bengals Cowboys Monday Night Football. The Bengals had lost

(01:03:19):
three straight games, they were four and eight, and Joe
Burrow went into Jerry World and won a place that
the Bengals have struggled in historically not only beat the Cowboys,
but and not only earned the respect of Michael Parsons.
But Michael Parsons says he's the MVP.

Speaker 2 (01:03:34):
He has took this team from what were they five
and eight, four and eight to eight and eight and
a chance to solidify in playoffs. This is not just
a walking apart season. This is like he's having an
historical season. If they go to playoffs. I think if

(01:03:59):
they go to playoffs, I don't think any team will
want to see the Bengals.

Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
He looks unstoppable right now.

Speaker 2 (01:04:11):
His timing, precision, everything like you I think if you
ask anybody in the league right now, this ain't just me.
And we talked about in locker room. We said Joe
Burrow was the best quarterback we faced, and we played
Lamar this year. Now we played him early. We get
I get that, you know, and times he played Joe

(01:04:32):
Burrow he was in rhythm. But you can't ask anybody
on the team. We said Joe Burrow was the best
quarterback in the National Football League this year, without a doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:04:43):
So when it comes to MVP, he's there.

Speaker 2 (01:04:46):
You know what I mean, I get the Josh argument,
it's there, but Lamar's being seven playoff teams, Josh beting two,
so it has to be between Lamar and Joe Burrow.
I get the Josh argument. I'm a big Josh Allen fan.
I think he's dope. I think he is a monster

(01:05:08):
of a quarterback. He's one of the more on top.
But right now, Joe Burrow and Lamar on a whole
other level, I don't even think it's close.

Speaker 1 (01:05:17):
That audio courtesy of the Edge with Micah Parsons Micah
Parsons Podcast. I just think that's such an intriguing point
by Mike and that point, but the fact that he's
all in on Joe Burrow winning MVP. He said it
on his pod last week. Trayvon Diggs of the Cowboys
said it last week as well. And then for Burrow

(01:05:38):
to go out there and throw for four to twelve
three touchdowns, complete seventy nine percent of his passes, basically
eighty percent of his passes against the Broncos run for
a touchdown, and now he's in the MVP conversation at
least a bit. I don't necessarily think Joe Burrow is
going to win MVP, but I look at it, and
I'm like, man, this is a guy that that could

(01:06:01):
be deserving, that should be deserving, that should be in
the mix. And you'll hear from Joe Burrow between now
and six o'clock. You're gonna hear from his teammates between
now and six o'clock. I think that it's hard to
quantify the physical traits, the physical attributes. He is more
explosive this year, is running better, moving better, but he

(01:06:22):
doesn't have the strongest arm. It's really hard to quantify accuracy.
It's hard to quantify his mind. But Joe Burrow's superpowers
are pretty simple. I mean, he's an elite playmaker, he's
a good enough athlete, has elite accuracy, and he is

(01:06:43):
an elite processor. He can process so much information so quickly.
There are so many times, like no one debates Joe
Burrow's work ethic right, Like nobody. There are multiple times
Joe Burrow And it's not like he's an early rye.
He's getting that four am. Well, Joe Brow's out the
door and home for dinner time. And that doesn't mean

(01:07:06):
that he's not working his butt off at home. I
know he is. You see it on the field, but
my point is is like he's an elite processor, and
I think he's a guy that can watch a play
and maybe has to watch it a couple of times
because he's curious about certain little things. But you'll have
those kids, you know, those you remember growing up, and

(01:07:28):
there's kid in your class that could just read a
chapter of a book and then just have it down
and then, I don't know, if you're like me, would
take me a few times, so I'd have to study
it a little bit more. I'd have to try a
little bit hard. I think Joe can just oh, yeah,
that's what the Statesy's going to do here. That's what
they're going to do here. That's what they're going to
do in this coverage. Just an elite processor and digestor
of information in film and Boom just knows it, just knows,

(01:07:51):
it just knows it can digest it can apply it
in Boom to the next one, next one, next one.
And that's elite. And I think the the dilemma for
a lot of people that evaluate this for a living
is they can't quantify that because it's not a physical true,
it's not arm strength, right, It's one of those things
that you can't necessarily see. But Bengals coaches know it.

(01:08:14):
The Bengals certainly know it, Joe Burrow knows it, and
even Micah Parsons knows it. I'm James Orpene Infomo today
here on ESPN fifteen thirty. Plenty of Bengals conversation coming
your way. You'll hear from Joe Burrow coming up, You'll
hear from his teammates on his MVP case, and much
much more between now and six o'clock. So it really
really excited to be with you today and thanks for

(01:08:36):
tuning in on New Year's Day. I'm James arpen In
fromo In. This is ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 6 (01:08:43):
The post season is on the line for the last
week's overtime.

Speaker 12 (01:08:48):
We're next.

Speaker 14 (01:08:50):
Joe Barrow and his big bad Thingals face one more jump.
This is a batical season, though it's word stealers.

Speaker 8 (01:08:57):
Joe Barrow, jamar changed man he Haeg.

Speaker 6 (01:09:01):
And the Orange and Black down the Black and Gold
and keep their playoff dreams alive. Craze to get the
goal from dangerous Dan Hood at Mighty Dave. Coverage began
Saturday at four ESPN fifteen thirty. The official homer By.

Speaker 1 (01:09:16):
Goals rapid radios are instant push to talk walkie talkies
offering national LTE coverage and welcome back to Cincinnati's ESPN
fifteen thirty. I'm James Erpene and Inframo today. By the way,
Happy New Year. Let's dive into what Joe Burrow had

(01:09:36):
to say on Tuesday because we've talked a lot about
Joe Burrow. Today we talked about his MVP case. We'll
dive into that a bit more next hour with Jamorrison
of Bengals Talk dot com. But before we do that,
let's hear from Joey b himself. Here's the best of
what Joe Burrow had to say on Tuesday ahead of
a must win matchup against the Steelers.

Speaker 15 (01:09:57):
Did you get the MVP chance from them? That went
off the field? I did?

Speaker 4 (01:10:00):
What were your thoughts I win one one day?

Speaker 15 (01:10:04):
Do you feel like this is what?

Speaker 3 (01:10:05):
This is?

Speaker 15 (01:10:05):
Your your quarter?

Speaker 4 (01:10:06):
Though? I doubt it?

Speaker 8 (01:10:07):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (01:10:07):
Why mm?

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
Usually you gotta win your division?

Speaker 16 (01:10:12):
Do you do you think like that's an outdated part
of how it happens or is it just something and
it just kind.

Speaker 17 (01:10:19):
Of is what it is?

Speaker 4 (01:10:20):
It is what it is, that's how that's how it's
voted it is. I don't necessarily disagree with it. I
would say you did finish.

Speaker 16 (01:10:28):
Number two in GOBAL voting for the quarterback position.

Speaker 4 (01:10:31):
Does that mean anything you ever, it doesn't mean something
to me. I didn't quite expect that, so I was
a a nice surprise. You do think you'll get MVP
with data one day.

Speaker 5 (01:10:46):
So you'll be probably you think you don't stay look
at that work to you just second time?

Speaker 12 (01:10:51):
What wou that be for you? To what it?

Speaker 18 (01:10:52):
Twice is better on such a stoup and just what
we won't.

Speaker 1 (01:10:55):
Be late with fai.

Speaker 4 (01:10:58):
Yeah, that one I would be proud of. I'm not
sure anybody's want twice before off the top of my head,
not one, not exact huh, just one, I think one
person one of the champaigns class. Not exactly an award
you wanna be up for, but if you're up for it,
you might as well try to win it.

Speaker 1 (01:11:17):
You talk about in order to win the MVP, you
probably have to leave your division.

Speaker 15 (01:11:21):
But when you guys were at your best in twenty
one and twenty two, you did really well in the division.

Speaker 16 (01:11:26):
The last couple of years, that hasn't been the case.
With the chance to kind of get that right that
wrong this week against the Steelers. Obviously, Skame speaks volumes
of how important it.

Speaker 15 (01:11:37):
Is, but like, do you do you find it extra
important for you guys.

Speaker 16 (01:11:40):
To play well against the Steelers to kind of show
like we have gotten to start playing better against certain
vision teams to get.

Speaker 15 (01:11:47):
Where we wanna go in the future.

Speaker 4 (01:11:49):
I'm not sure I think about it that way. You know,
anytime you play a divisional opponent, it's a big game,
and you know this one is no different. Means a
lot to to the city, to the organization, to the owners, coaches, players,
and this is a big game for for our season
as well. What's it like to not be in control?

Speaker 1 (01:12:11):
Obviously you guys want a way and finish the five
straight wounds, but you don't control your destiny.

Speaker 4 (01:12:15):
Yeah, it's not great. We put ourselves in this spot,
so you can't complain about it. But we can control
what we can control, and that's going out and trying
to win a game on on Saturday night.

Speaker 15 (01:12:27):
Do you prefer that your game is the way to
help you me?

Speaker 4 (01:12:32):
I don't think it matters to me.

Speaker 15 (01:12:34):
What's happen.

Speaker 1 (01:12:35):
What's the bigest difference you think in y'all.

Speaker 13 (01:12:37):
Now the last time help they prefer getting out the shovers.

Speaker 4 (01:12:41):
We're causing a lot of turnovers. On defense, that's positive.
You know, offensively we're playing as well as we had
all year, and that's that's exciting. But I think we're
just playing complimenting complimentary football across the board much better
at a much better rate.

Speaker 5 (01:13:00):
How do you feel that maybe on offense where you
can the best game, you get turnout you get any
more feel that lead a game office when they go
operating your operation.

Speaker 4 (01:13:11):
It depends on the game. You get the ball more,
so it feels like you're on the field more, You
get to run more plays, some more opportunities for explosives,
and then you know, in some games you you do
play it a little differently depending on how the opposing
offense is playing.

Speaker 15 (01:13:28):
How is your you know, relationships with that teenager and
that growing through the years to.

Speaker 4 (01:13:33):
Reawa, Yeah, I think it's always been good. But every
year you get another year of friendship under your belt
and another year of working together, and that just makes
the efficiency of communication professionally happen. I take faster and
so then you can you know, sometimes that translates on

(01:13:57):
the field sometimes it doesn't, but you know there's certain
spots where you can check a rout or check a
play much much faster than you have in years past.

Speaker 15 (01:14:05):
And you see what makes it so good to free
gat to the place.

Speaker 4 (01:14:09):
And they're really I mean they're much different players, but
you know, they practice really hard, they work on their bodies,
they're smart. They understand what the intent of each route
and each play is. And that's where it starts.

Speaker 15 (01:14:23):
In a cold weather game, what's the most important thing.

Speaker 1 (01:14:25):
For you to do and get right?

Speaker 5 (01:14:29):
M m.

Speaker 4 (01:14:32):
It's not a lot you can do. I mean, you
try to stay as warm as you can. You're sitting
on the bench with the heater on the coat. You know,
everybody has their process of how to keep their hand warm,
and not a lot you can do. You just got
to go out and brave the cold and go try
to win a game.

Speaker 13 (01:14:52):
Is it as obvious as yeah, it's cold out, But
with that in the back of your mind, or do
you feel anything.

Speaker 4 (01:14:57):
When you're playing? You don't really feel it. You're out
there running around focused on other things. If you're not
playing and you're standing on the sideline, you definitely feel it.
I've been in that spot before. But when you're playing,
you got If you're on the sideline, you got the coat,
you're on the heated bench. When you're out there playing,
you're playing. So I've never felt like it was anything crazy.

Speaker 16 (01:15:18):
A couple of years ago, you said that the playoff
games or where like legacies are built for quarterbacks. Are
you looking at this game in a similar fashion given the.

Speaker 4 (01:15:28):
Importance of this game, I think I think you can.

Speaker 5 (01:15:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:15:34):
I think this is a big game for the Bengals.
You know, whether the things happened for us to get
in at the end or not, this is a fantastic
opportunity on prime time to go and finish the season
strong and end it with a good taste in your mouth.

Speaker 1 (01:15:51):
What's a consistency that stands out? Whenever you like economic.

Speaker 4 (01:15:55):
Christeers, they're gonna make plays on defense. You know you're
gonna able to We've we've had some success with him
against him throwing the ball. But when you have t. J.
Watt and Minka and and everybody on that front, they're
gonna make plays. They're gonna cost turnovers, and there's sometimes

(01:16:15):
there's not a lot that you can do about that,
and it's just about staying focused, moving on to the
next play, and trying to execute each player the best
to the best of your ability.

Speaker 13 (01:16:26):
The Land of Junior reveals test that he's actually playing
on a broken Nay right now, what have.

Speaker 19 (01:16:32):
You seen from him in the past few weeks would
have been probably some of.

Speaker 15 (01:16:35):
The most get four.

Speaker 4 (01:16:37):
Yeah, he's working hard to take it back out there.
I think he played really well on Saturday. There's when
you have a guy like that that loves the game,
loves his teammates, wants to be out there for him.
You know, he's gonna do anything that he can to
get back out there, and so whenever somebody's doing that,

(01:16:57):
you appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (01:16:58):
What's such a good part last careership and vice versa
or something us.

Speaker 13 (01:17:02):
Now, what's it like to see him beyond across the
potential history.

Speaker 4 (01:17:06):
And he gets a triple crown? Yeah, I think I
think some. I think he se couple of them are
pretty out of reach for everybody else. I think the
receptions everybody's pretty and I think he's got a seven
or eight catch lead something like that. Make sure he
gets it.

Speaker 15 (01:17:25):
Would how I would do?

Speaker 1 (01:17:27):
What's it like to kind of see kind of a
hero in er if you've done that's their careers making
home Hall of Famers or consideration.

Speaker 4 (01:17:34):
What's it like to see him? Kind of the Annas
graatestue of even how long you go, it's not surprising.
He works for it, he grinds for it. He's once
in a lifetime type player. And you know our careers
will forever be tied together college into the pro landscape,

(01:17:54):
and so that's just fun to be a part of,
you know, about him, Yeah, they said, we got this
recruit from New Orleans that we think is pretty good.
That's about all I knew.

Speaker 13 (01:18:09):
What would you consider the three most important stats for
a quarterback?

Speaker 4 (01:18:13):
Triple crown, m M probably yards, completion percentage and touchdowns?

Speaker 15 (01:18:25):
I guess.

Speaker 4 (01:18:28):
Yeah, when you play a team for the second time,
do you try to get in the head of depen
suppordinator kind.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
Of guess what tweaks and changes they might make?

Speaker 15 (01:18:36):
Or is that wasted time? You just adjust the real time.

Speaker 4 (01:18:39):
I've stopped trying to think about how defense is going
to play us a while ago, because I haven't find
myself getting into that mindset. And then you get out
there and you can see a bunch of stuff that
you hadn't seen before, and so at this point in
my career, I just I feel like I've seen enough
football that I can just read and react on the
fly to to whatever I'm in and whatever coverage is

(01:19:02):
are thrown at me, and I'll be ready for anything.

Speaker 1 (01:19:06):
Show before about the Steelers, you got to accept I.

Speaker 15 (01:19:09):
Forced to turnovers.

Speaker 1 (01:19:11):
That seems like I'm pretty mature going to say, like
when did you get as a perfectionist in the mindset
that like, okay.

Speaker 4 (01:19:16):
Like the balls got at each other and we played
there in twenty twenty two and T. J. Watt jumped up,
caught my ball on a choice route and then got slammed,
and I threw a pick. And then another time I
was throwing a curl route and somebody jumped up and
tipped to the line of scrimmage. I threw another pick,

(01:19:37):
and there's just nothing you can do about that. So, uh,
they have great players on defense that are gonna make plays.
You just gotta go on and make more.

Speaker 15 (01:19:46):
Just five past four gottinge.

Speaker 4 (01:19:50):
It'd be cool, but not really.

Speaker 19 (01:19:53):
I don't know if you've seen this show, but right
now you have the highest leader percentage.

Speaker 15 (01:19:57):
In NFL history.

Speaker 19 (01:19:58):
So that's a key thing for you for U a
trip round. What kind of goes into your work made
sure you are.

Speaker 4 (01:20:04):
So accurate the ball with quite is just understanding what
the intent of each play is, Understanding the guys on
defense that you're putting in stretched stress on their coverage
match with your concept. Aren't being fundamental in your in
your full work, making quick decisions getting the ball your

(01:20:26):
guys in space. You know, maybe it's not going to
be the perfect decision, but maybe he's open and you
can get it to him fast and you can try
to make somebody miss h You know, I've always prided
myself and and getting it to my guys quickly and
letting them go run after the catch.

Speaker 1 (01:20:42):
Is there something prep work that you do?

Speaker 5 (01:20:44):
You want to say five West so consistent that you
know part of the pressure to know.

Speaker 18 (01:20:49):
What he's got going out all over.

Speaker 4 (01:20:51):
No, we've been practicing just about the same intensity that
we have all year. We come to work every day
trying to get better. In the last couple of weeks
we've had more walkthroughs than than practice, cause guys are
banged up, but uh, guys are attacking it the right way,
trying to take what little rest we do get and

(01:21:14):
it's been transferring over to to how we're playing on Sundays.
Gonna have the guys pressure right for at this point
in the year. Yeah, you see what I.

Speaker 15 (01:21:23):
Mean, is your philosophy full whether or not.

Speaker 4 (01:21:26):
I mean, that's just seems to be find find completions,
Find completions. It's not always gonna be pretty. You're gonna
get pressured, you're gonna misread the coverage. But even on
plays like that, there's usually a completion to be found.

Speaker 1 (01:21:40):
Joe, uh only subjects of not being in controlled in
your own playoff daid going.

Speaker 15 (01:21:44):
In for this weekend. I know you guys are pro parent,
you know, focused on the task again. But I wonder
if in the quiet moments where you're with yourself and
your thoughts, if you think back to some.

Speaker 1 (01:21:59):
Of the close games out way, have regrets or you know.

Speaker 4 (01:22:04):
Yeah, yeah, that's gonna be different right now. I'm sure
I will. I haven't thought about that currently, but you know,
depending on you know, the next week. You know, after
the season, you you'll reflect on those and see where
you can improve your business.

Speaker 5 (01:22:20):
Feel like you're thinking about a feeling that couldn't the
last game you have both teams, you all really get
hold of it.

Speaker 15 (01:22:26):
How do you put yourself out.

Speaker 12 (01:22:26):
Of play about that?

Speaker 4 (01:22:27):
I haven't really thought about that. It's obviously possibility, not
not one that I'm excited about. But that's not that's
not in the plans. I would say.

Speaker 1 (01:22:40):
You still have to say Copas.

Speaker 10 (01:22:41):
Probably did that Capoy's game.

Speaker 19 (01:22:42):
Would you feel like you all maybe it's by the
way you want to people do?

Speaker 3 (01:22:45):
I think so?

Speaker 16 (01:22:46):
And that kind of stand main do you watch games
when you're watching other teams play with players.

Speaker 4 (01:22:52):
That formally played here that have gone on to.

Speaker 15 (01:22:55):
Play really well with their new teams.

Speaker 16 (01:22:57):
I mean the fan response sometimes I wish we could
have kept him, or you know, why weren't we able
to keep that player?

Speaker 4 (01:23:04):
Do you do you do that or do you kind
of just.

Speaker 16 (01:23:07):
What whatever happens you accepted, or do you find yourself
having a little bit of that spite when you watch
one of your former teammates perform really well for another team.

Speaker 4 (01:23:15):
Yeah, whenever, whenever a great player leaves you, you're you
wish you could have found a way to keep 'em.
You don't. You don't wanna make a living out of
letting great players leave the building, And you know. I

(01:23:35):
think that's why you gotta do everything you can to
to get those deals done early.

Speaker 19 (01:23:40):
Looking at Saturday, the the last time you guys met,
it's a high score game.

Speaker 15 (01:23:45):
There was turnovers mixed in there.

Speaker 19 (01:23:47):
Do you kind of anticipate, uh, another high score.

Speaker 12 (01:23:50):
Game or do you how do you kind of.

Speaker 19 (01:23:51):
Go into that when you guys are able to put
up points and then the second time that they see you.

Speaker 15 (01:23:55):
The adjustments that they made.

Speaker 4 (01:23:57):
Yeah, I'm I'm always ready to go and put up
as many points as we need to and drawback as
many times as I need to to go and win.
You know, I'm preparing for anything.

Speaker 15 (01:24:10):
What have you seen from Berle over the past two
months or so?

Speaker 4 (01:24:14):
Yeah, when he's he's a smart guy. He's really smart.
You could tell that in the first week that he
got here. You know, you weren't having to tell him
what to do on a ton of plays and that's rare.
And he makes plays when when he gets his opportunity.
You know, he had a big play for us last
week Chase went down and he came in there and
multiple drives and played well for us. So I have

(01:24:35):
a lot of confidence in him.

Speaker 1 (01:24:37):
Really good stuff there from Joe Burrow. We'll go from
Joe to Zach Taylor. That's right, you'll hear from the
Bengals head coach coming up next. I'm James arpin Informo
Happy New Year on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 20 (01:24:50):
You've been listening to football in Minetti on the official
home of the Bengals, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirties. The Bengals
like ESPN in fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's sports station.

Speaker 1 (01:25:04):
Welcome back to ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm James or being
in FORMO, Happy New Year, and let's get into what
Zach Taylor had to say on Tuesday. We know that
the Bengals have to beat the Steelers, a game you
can hear right here on ESPN fifteen thirty on Saturday
night with pregame coverage starting at three I believe, I
mean just early, early, early, because it's a big game

(01:25:29):
here for the Cincinnati Bengals season on the line. I
count down to kickoff starts at six thirty. But let's
dive into what is going to be a big game
by hearing from the Bengals head coach Zach Taylor in
the best of what he had to say. On Tuesday.

Speaker 15 (01:25:46):
How about how about Cocker You sets up at the
bottom the rest late and he had to go to
the end. I mean, how is he as a guy
back in the rosters suddenly? Yeah, frustling, no doubt.

Speaker 11 (01:25:58):
I think he's responded really well done, excellent job when
called upon. And again that's that's his preparation, that's the
way he's practiced. And uh, I'm not sure he'll be
at practice to day because his wife is in labor.
I don't know if I was specify it or not.
But if he's missing today, it was personal. So we're
not there yet, we'll still have thirty minutes. Well, so

(01:26:21):
we'll just keep keep working through the trainers with him.

Speaker 15 (01:26:24):
Jack, going off of the question, I haven't. I'm wondering
what your confidence level is in Cada right now?

Speaker 12 (01:26:31):
You could?

Speaker 15 (01:26:32):
You would? You know, I missed an overtime, but obviously
got rage.

Speaker 5 (01:26:35):
We know that.

Speaker 17 (01:26:35):
Yeah, it's a tiny arder where and if you have
if you would say, if you do have confidence in him,
what does.

Speaker 15 (01:26:42):
That range look like from how far out?

Speaker 11 (01:26:45):
Well, I I got confidence when he goes out that day,
he's gonna make the cap for us. And so that's
where I staying with him and excited for him to
get us the next opportunity.

Speaker 15 (01:26:53):
Jill when t came in to get us in twenty
you know, back and back. Yeah, how do you see
in a relationship grow from at that?

Speaker 11 (01:27:01):
The other night, Well, they both, like you mentioned, coming
into the league the same so kind of gone through
the same stuff. Both dealt with injuries, both called upon
right away to contribute, both answered the bell, and so
I think they've kind of gone through their their growth
in the league, you know, all all five years they've

(01:27:22):
been here together, and they can probably answer that better
than I can, you know. But certainly two guys that
from day one we counted on and they answered for
us and have have found ways to improve and get
better as well.

Speaker 15 (01:27:37):
Two months. Yeah, how would you describing him as a player,
and how is he?

Speaker 11 (01:27:40):
He's a professional? You know, I really enjoy being around him.
He's got a great attitude, great approach. Has picked things
up really fast for us. You know, it's really difficult
to come in and I think be in this offense,
you know, from from the midpoint of the season and
not have any of the introduction and training camp for
the offseason. But he's proven that that he bongs in
this league and can understand it and has done a

(01:28:00):
good job when called upon.

Speaker 18 (01:28:01):
With the passive protection the Chase Brown has shown over
the past few months. Everyone sees the touchdowns catches. Yeah,
but how how big of a loss would that be
if you didn't have him for the past protective.

Speaker 11 (01:28:13):
Well, I think Khalil has shown that he's capable as well,
you know, in the limited opportunities he's gotten.

Speaker 3 (01:28:18):
He got some of the last game.

Speaker 11 (01:28:20):
I'm so excited to watch, you know, if he gets
that opportunity again for him to expand upon it. But Chase,
like you mentioned, has really stepped up in that regard.
As much as we throw the ball, you know, your
back's got to be able to protect and play in space,
and both those guys have shown that they're capable of
doing that.

Speaker 12 (01:28:34):
You guys on the.

Speaker 15 (01:28:37):
Reserve no football and on his list yesterday, What went
into the.

Speaker 16 (01:28:40):
Decision to do that this week.

Speaker 15 (01:28:42):
As opposed to any of the other leaves.

Speaker 3 (01:28:44):
Yeah, those are decisions made personal. So that's when we
did it this week.

Speaker 9 (01:28:48):
The last four weeks playing this season on the playoff
hopes on the line does this week though.

Speaker 19 (01:28:52):
The final of the regular season doesn't feel different.

Speaker 11 (01:28:55):
It feels like it's felt every week. You know, we
just got to put all our preparation towards Saturday, and
it's I used to have a seven day week. Last
week was a sixth day week, and so kind of
get back to a normal schedule. But just like I
told our guys, it's it's an important game, but our
preparation remains the same, Our focus remains the same. Each day,
we're getting the same work done. You know, they've they've
really done a good job in this backstretch the season

(01:29:16):
doing all that, and so that doesn't change our focus
going into this game. And we know it's a big game,
we know it's at stake, but I want our guys
to continue to approach every day like they.

Speaker 3 (01:29:24):
Have been.

Speaker 15 (01:29:27):
Game before to help you in the next set.

Speaker 11 (01:29:29):
I don't think that's the worst thing. You know, there's
no distractions there. You're just we're all human, and so
I understand the things that could happen if they were
all at the same time, and so I do think
that's probably a positive for us that we're just going
to play by ourselves and focus on Pittsburgh and and
that's that's all.

Speaker 15 (01:29:45):
We can do is frustrating.

Speaker 3 (01:29:47):
Exactly to.

Speaker 17 (01:29:49):
See the team get in this screw this great hot stream,
play up to his potential in all these different ways,
but then at the ultimate moment the season, have some
of these mench well, obviously out of your control.

Speaker 3 (01:30:01):
No, that's that's our doing.

Speaker 11 (01:30:03):
And so right now we just control what we can control,
and let's find a way to win on Saturday.

Speaker 18 (01:30:07):
What would mean to finish this season at fourth straight
winning record or pourts straight season.

Speaker 11 (01:30:14):
I haven't looked at it that way yet, to be
quite honest with you. You know, it's just we want
to be Pittsburgh. I want to make sure this team's
in a great spot Saturday night, and you know, after
the season's over, whenever that concludes, you have a chance
to look back in at all. But right now, haven't
gotten caught up in any of that.

Speaker 10 (01:30:30):
What would you say, Zach, are some of the biggest
improvements you've seen over the last four weeks in your
team that have led the Beings wins?

Speaker 11 (01:30:38):
Well, those plays down the stretch, you know, player here
there that helps you finish with a win. Defense has
been creating a lot of turn numbers. I think first
in the league, the last four or five weeks in
creating those turn numbers, and so that goes a long
way and limiting the other team's points and find ways
to capitalize the scoring opportunities on offense. And so I

(01:31:00):
think that the team has done a good job that way,
putting away some games and putting us on better spots
be able to win on the stretch.

Speaker 1 (01:31:05):
You think you guys have played care free more like,
not as tight, not as round out.

Speaker 3 (01:31:12):
Hey, I don't. I don't feel that really, no, I don't.

Speaker 13 (01:31:17):
Outside of turnovers, I guess what defensively, how do you
see in terms of the progress it's made you encourage
or maybe is there something else that you're.

Speaker 15 (01:31:26):
Still looking for more from.

Speaker 11 (01:31:27):
But you've seen a lot of young players get more opportunity,
and so as they've gotten more experience, you're seeing that
confidence level race. And you can really point to all
levels of the defense where guys have been thrust into
action due to injuries or whatnot, and as they've gotten
that game experience really stepped up and being able to
become dependable and make plays for us, and combine that

(01:31:50):
with the bets that are out there, and it's been
a pretty good recipe. And so again I'm excited watching
those guys play. I think they've done a good job
stepping up.

Speaker 15 (01:31:59):
Can be airing, that's very starish.

Speaker 11 (01:32:01):
Yes, what makes the connection of show as you sees,
I mean better around the league almost point?

Speaker 15 (01:32:08):
What makes the connection between him as receivers?

Speaker 3 (01:32:10):
So neat the communication aspect of things.

Speaker 5 (01:32:14):
You know, he is.

Speaker 11 (01:32:17):
Talking to them pretty much after every rep you know,
in practice, whether it's it's a group install, whether it's
routes on air, whether it's a team rep, sidelines, durned game,
same thing they've got, they've got feedback, they got questions
for him as well. And so I just think the
constant dialogue, it's not just a coach telling a quarterback

(01:32:37):
to throw this ball and the receiver run the route
and you move on and the coaches correct or adjusts.
It's you've got a guy who's who's an extension of
our coaching staff really, who's out there taking upon himself
to get it done exactly the way he wants it done.
And the receiver's smart enough and willing enough to be
able to adjust to whatever it is that we're trying

(01:32:58):
to change. And so oftentimes we're putting the routes on
on paper, here's what it's going to look like. And
then the nuances of it we really give, you know,
Joe and the receivers and tight ends the ability to
adjust and make it their own.

Speaker 17 (01:33:12):
What do you think about us preparation tough years, this
years and stuff.

Speaker 15 (01:33:18):
Look anybody's preparation and how we go about it.

Speaker 11 (01:33:21):
He's always ready, you know, because he's he's had limited
practice time these last couple of weeks. But I know
that once we get in the game, he's going to
know exactly what to do. And uh we we practice
things a lot of different ways with guys at different spots,
and then may change them late in the week, may
change them during the game. And I never have any
fear that uh t Jamar Dre, anybody's ever gonna gett.

(01:33:43):
If there's a moment, then the other guy's gonna help them.
But they're just so smart. They do a really good
job adjusting.

Speaker 15 (01:33:50):
Safe to say you already know who the coin Flip
captains are going to be.

Speaker 3 (01:33:53):
I think that's pretty safe to say.

Speaker 15 (01:33:58):
Joe wins another AFC Player of the League, you just
give him the trophy there.

Speaker 11 (01:34:06):
He's impressive and he continues to impress. He's in a
really good rhythm right now. I know he feels really good.
His confidence is very high. But like all this, you
start over every week and you got to put it
in the prep work. And he's a guy you can
point to that that follows his process every week, and
so you know you're gonna count on him on Saturday.
And he's a great example for everybody else. You know,

(01:34:28):
to just keep doing your job and and you know
your prep work leads to great things on the field.

Speaker 17 (01:34:34):
How much do you think the Steelers will change up
on Saturday or do you a piculus s Steelers football?

Speaker 11 (01:34:42):
I think when you get these late divisional games, especially
a team you played a couple of weeks ago, you
always got to be ready for teams to evolve and
change and because of them, because of us, whatever it
may be. That's that's part of you getting these games,
and you've got your changes you've made, and then you're
ready to adjust.

Speaker 3 (01:34:59):
Based on what you see as well.

Speaker 15 (01:35:00):
Well. What is it that Tom the teams so difficult
to prepare for?

Speaker 11 (01:35:06):
There will coach they go. They got good, hard nosed players,
you know, so it's always a challenge when you play them.

Speaker 1 (01:35:12):
Good stuff there from Bengals head coach Zach Taylor. The
Bengals are trying to get to nine and eight on
the season and win their fifth straight game and who knows, maybe,
just maybe sneak into the playoffs. Up next well, coming
up in the five o'clock hour, What about Joey b
for MVP. Everyone's talking about it. Is it realistic? Should

(01:35:34):
it happen? I'll give my thoughts, you'll hear from his
teammates and much much more as we roll on. James
or Penin from Oh, this is ESPN fifteen thirty. Oh
borrow be the NFL and VP. It's the question a
lot of you have been asking. I'm going to answer
it coming up in just a bit right here on
ESPN fifteen thirty. That and more ahead, man, oh man,

(01:35:58):
we are stacked. We are packed. We are heading to
the final hour of our New Year's Day show. Sean mcmahont,
Today's producer, is excited. I'm excited. James Arpeen INFORMO stay
with us right here on ESPN fifteen thirty and welcome
to ESPN fifteen thirty and Happy New Year. I'm James
ropein INFROMO Leder with you till six o'clock. Plenty plenty

(01:36:22):
to get to on today's show. We have a lot
of Bengals for you over the next three hours, and
so that's where we will start today. Guests include j
Morrison of Bengals Talk dot Com in the Growlar podcast,
I'm James Arpeen. As mentioned, Happy New Year. Hopefully had
a great New Year. It was wet, the weather stunk overnight,

(01:36:45):
but overall, I hope you had a safe one, hope
you had a fun one. We are going to dive
into the Bengals playoff chances. Like I mentioned, Jay Morrison
will join us in a bit, but plenty to discuss
between now and six o'clock. And looking for more on
the Bengals or curious who the heck is filling in
for Moegger, I'm James or Pina cover the Bengals for

(01:37:05):
Sports Illustrated at Bengals Talk dot com, the Lockdown Bengals podcast,
and Cincinnati Bengals Talk on YouTube. Feel free to check
out the Socials if you want to interact with the show.
But Happy New Year's Day. Let's dive into it, and
let's start with Joey b because a lot of people

(01:37:26):
here locally, I think understand what Joe Burrow means to
the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 5 (01:37:30):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:37:30):
I think that there are a lot of people that say, yeah,
he should be MVP, and yet nationally you have some
that are on board.

Speaker 5 (01:37:37):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:37:38):
Michah Parsons endorsed Joe Burrow multiple times over the past week.
But it's a lot of local stuff and we'll start there,
and before I get into it, before I say whether
or not I think Joe Burrow is the most valuable
player in the National Football League. I want you to
hear what Jamar Chase, what Orlando Brown Junior, and what

(01:38:02):
Zach Taylor told reporters, and specifically with Orlando told me
after the game when they beat the Denver Broncos thirty
to twenty four in Week seventeen to keep their season alive.
Here's Jamar Chase, Orlando Brown Junior, and Zach Taylor.

Speaker 9 (01:38:19):
I've been said he was MVP last week. So I
think him winning his game right here just got him
in first place.

Speaker 1 (01:38:26):
At a race. He's so important to our success.

Speaker 10 (01:38:28):
I think it's loud and clear he's been the most
valuable player obviously for us. You know, he's kept us
in games, he's won his games, He's done everything he
needs to do to go out and win that award
in my opinion, man, And I've obviously been a part
of two separate MVPs on two separate teams, two separate years,
and man, I feel like Joe's the best quarterback in
football right now and best player in footboy's playing like.

Speaker 11 (01:38:48):
I don't know that anybody can stand on a field
and watch Joe Burrow and say he's not the best
player in the world, you know, And then you can
transfer that argument to Jamaar Chase as well, you know,
and you can argue those two to death. But the
clearest thing I can say is I would not trade
Joe Burrow for any player in the universe.

Speaker 1 (01:39:07):
And so to me, that's MVP to me, all right,
when I hear those guys say that, And Zach Taylor
was the first one to comment, Jamar Chase was the
second one that was asked about it, and then Orlando
Brown Junior. The reason I was able to get that
quote is because I caught up with him right at
the end. The locker room lights were coming or were

(01:39:28):
going off, and Orlando was gracious enough with this time
to give me a few minutes after what was a
hard fought game and a tiring game in multiple media sessions.
And look, I think when I think of MVP, it's
one of those things where I I view it much
much differently than I think most voters because a lot

(01:39:52):
of voters And I heard Rex Ryan say this on
one of the ESPN shows. I think he was on
Get Up last week. He's like, Joe Burrow can't win
it because his team's not good enough, and it's really
a team award. No it's not. No, it's not, and
it's not a team award. It should never be a
team award. And that's what's wrong with the voting process.

(01:40:17):
Most Valuable Player means who is most valuable to their team?
The reason why there hasn't been a player that has
won MVP with a five hundred record or a sub
five hundred record, or been out of the playoff like
all of those things. Right, you've seen all those stats.
Over the past few weeks. This Joe Burrow has led
the Bengals back into the playoff hunt. The reason why

(01:40:41):
is because people don't understand what valuable means, and if
they do, understand they don't vote on that criteria, But
when I think of MVP, the NFL's MVP the most
Valuable Player, I don't know how you can't understand why
Joe Burrow should get serious consideration, not to be in
the top three, not to be in the top two,
but win the award. Because when you talk about most valuable,

(01:41:06):
where would this twenty twenty four Bengals team be without
Joe Well, I'll say this, They've played in ten one
score games. They wouldn't have played in ten one score games.
They probably would have played in about three to one
score games. They wouldn't be eight to eight they might
have and that three number will creep up again. Probably
three wins going into this week. This team is flawed.

(01:41:29):
They have questionable coaching at times, They have questionable interior
offensive line play. The defense has been awful for most
of the season. There are plenty of national pundits that
question what they are or aren't as a franchise, and

(01:41:49):
fans do as well, and so sometimes you just got
to say it out loud. And so if the Bengals
are eight and eight going into Week eighteen with a
shot at the playoffs, but their defense stinks, defensive coordinator
is clearly on the hot seat. A lot of you
listening thinks Zach Taylor should be on the hot seat.
So the coaching is a huge question mark. Ownership is

(01:42:10):
a fall where they're too cheap, A musing other people's words,
not mine. I think there's a lot of context needed,
But for this point, if you think the Bengals ownership
is cheap, and the coaching stinks, and the defense stinks,
and the offensive line can't protect Joe the way you
want them to, and and then you look up and
he's setting records forty two touchdowns, four thousand, six hundred

(01:42:33):
and forty one yards, completing sixty nine point eight percent
of his passes, which leads the NFL leading or he
leads the NFL in passing yards excuse me, in passing touchdowns,
near the top of the league. In completion percentage, no
one throws it more than him, leads the NFL and completions,
and he's getting hit more than anyone else, and he's
been sacked over forty times and he just keeps finding

(01:42:55):
a way to win. Well, yeah, yeah, I think he's
the MVP if he's overcoming all of these things. Around
him telling how hurt earlier this week compared him to
Lebron James in Cleveland, and I don't love that comparison.
I actually think that the Bengals are more well run
than the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Speaker 12 (01:43:14):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:43:14):
That might be a take. I don't think it is.
I have a unique perspective of covering both teams multiple seasons.
Understand it. Loved the NBA. I think that the Bengals
are more well run there. It doesn't mean that they
don't have their flaws. They do, absolutely. I think that
there's multiple scenarios where over the past couple of years
I would have found I would have picked the right

(01:43:35):
guys over them, especially earlier in the draft, where they
appear to have gotten it wrong at times right. And
so when an average Joe behind a mic can do that, well,
then why didn't the Bengals just do that and go
with consensus. That wasn't me patting myself on the back.
My point is is that draft consensus has been better
than the Bengals and key moments from a draft standpoint,

(01:43:55):
they got it wrong in free agency more than they've
gotten it right over the past couple of years. I
would say esecially with the big money. You lose Jesse Bates,
you go with Nick Scott. That didn't work. You'll lose
dj Reader, you go with Sheldon Rankins. Obviously that didn't work.
So Joe Burrows had to overcome a lot. And honestly,
that's where it is is to me when you think

(01:44:17):
of most valuable. What does Joe Burrow mean to the franchise?
What does he mean to the city, What does he
mean to the organization, What does he mean to the
fan base, what does he mean to the coaching staff? Well,
he saves Zach Taylor's job a few years ago. That's
what he did. That run in twenty twenty one where
Joe was awesome. Obviously the entire coaching staff has to
thank and should thank Joe Burrow. Leuenarrumo, if he's here

(01:44:38):
next year, should thank Joe Burrow. It's a big reason
why Joe brow will return or Louenomo will return, if
that does happen. I do think that's still up in
the air going into week eighteen. But my point is
is everything revolves around him. The reason why the Bengals
have an indoor facility, even if it is temporary, is

(01:45:00):
why because of Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow has changed the franchise.
And so when you have a franchise changer like that,
like the Ravens. Did you see who's watching Hard Knocks?
Raise your hand unless you're driving, don't do it. And
James are pen In promote today. By the way, here
on the SPN fifteen thirty Happy New Year, watch Hard Knocks.

(01:45:20):
You see that Ravens practice facility. That's their practice facility.
You see that thing that looks like boarding school that
my mom threaten me to to send me to when
I was twelve when I acted up. I mean that
place looks like Hogwarts. And that's their practice facility. The
Baltimore Ravens have always been a quality franchise and well

(01:45:43):
run and well respected in the NFL. And so that is,
without a doubt, no brainer. And so to me when
I think of the MVP, it's like, oh, well, yeah,
Josh Allen has elevated, completely elevated the Buffalo Bills franchise,
and so is Joe Burrow. Lamar Jackson's won multiple and
by the way, I love Lamar. I thought the Bengal

(01:46:04):
should have drafted Lamar and on these airwaves set it
back in twenty eighteen, Moega wrote it, By the way,
it's out there on the web somewhere. But yeah, they
should have drafted Lamar. They didn't. It led to Joe
Burrow and that worked out. But think about where the
Bengals franchise was in twenty nineteen, twenty eighteen, twenty seventeen,
and those those were coming off. Even let's go to

(01:46:26):
twenty sixteen, right, the Bengals did something in twenty sixteen,
or in twenty eleven through twenty fifteen going into twenty
sixteen that they have never done in franchise history. They
made it to the playoffs five straight times, finished with
a winning record five straight times. They've never done that
in team history. They've never outside of that window, finished

(01:46:47):
with a winning record of four times in franchise history.
They have a chance to do that on Saturday Night
if they win four straight times. Excuse me, they have
a chance to do that, finish with a winning record
for a fourth straight time on Saturday Night by getting
to nine and eight. That would be only the second
time in franchise history they've done that. But my point is,
think about how you feel about the Bengals now and

(01:47:08):
how they're viewed nationally locally, all of the above in
the excitement and what they've done. And yeah, they haven't
gotten everything right, but they're certainly spending more money in
free agency than they ever have. They're certainly trying. I
do think they try. By the way, I do think
they want to win. I know people question it. I
do think they want to win. And by day I
mean ownership. And so they're aggressive in their minds in

(01:47:33):
free agency, and they weren't that in twenty eleven, twelve,
twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, or twenty sixteen when
they lost pieces after being awesome for most of twenty fifteen.
What's changed? Why is it different? It's Joe Burrow. It's
because they realize that they need to do this around
at a star quarterback. And so when you talk about

(01:47:56):
like if there was a most Transformative Player award, Joe
Burrow would get it for the for a decade. He
would have gotten it in twenty one, twenty two, twenty three,
twenty four, twenty five, twenty six. Because he is. He's
transformed the entire franchise. Everything feels different, everything feels bigger,
games feel bigger. Primetime feels bigger that they're gonna be
playing in their sixth primetime game on Saturday Night five

(01:48:18):
on the road. He's box office. That's not because of
Mike Brown and the Bengals history. It's because of Joe Burrow.
That's why they've been on primetime so darn much. Obviously,
Jamar Chase is a factor, t Higgins is a factor,
But it's Joe Burrow that's it. So fine. I know

(01:48:38):
he's not gonna win Most Valuable Player, like I know that,
even though in my mind when you look at his value,
he certainly not only should be in consideration. I would
vote for him if I had to vote, and I'm
not alone, by the way. Troy Aikman on the Monday
Night Football broadcast this week endorsing Joey b Yeah, I'm
looking forward.

Speaker 12 (01:48:56):
To that matchup, and I know there's gonna be a
lot of people out there make votes and who's the
MVP and all of that. I will just say that,
no disrespect to anyone in the great years that they've had.
If I had a vote, it would go to Joe Burrow.
What he has done has been terrific, and that game
the other night. He just refused to lose. And this

(01:49:17):
is going to be quite a game next week.

Speaker 1 (01:49:19):
That's Troy Aikman on Monday Night Football. And yeah, I
think that should be a much more common thought, is
how I would say it. That should be a much
more common thought among everyone, anyone all of the above
that watches football weekend and week out and pays attention.

(01:49:42):
And that doesn't mean that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson
aren't deserving. But I think value wise, what Joe has brought.
I think Joe in the bank or without Joe, the
Bengals would be contending for a top three draft pick.
That means three wins. They'd be contending for a top
three pick right now. Instead, they're knocking on the door
of the playoffs, and who knows, maybe they'll get there,

(01:50:03):
maybe they won't. I'll plenty of time to dive into
that and discuss that. But overall, I look at that
and I say, yeah, most valuable, But I don't think
he's going to win it full disclosure, So fine, we're
going to give him a new award on this New
Year's Day. Addition of ESPN fifteen thirty, this is The
Moeger Show. I'm James R. Payne New Award, and that
award is simple the MTP. He's the most transformative player.

(01:50:29):
He's transformed the entire franchise, the entire city, the entire
fan base, and rejuvenated this franchise and taken it to
heights that they've never been before. And he's trying to
do something that they've never never done outside of that
twenty eleven to twenty fifteen range, regardless of the playoffs,
which is guide them to a winning record for a

(01:50:51):
fourth straight season. They've only done that from twenty eleven
to twenty fifteen. Think about that in their entire history,
never done it outside of that window. They will try
to do that on Saturday Night plenty to discuss when
it comes to Saturday Night, what that game means, what
it could mean for the Cincinnati Bengals. So let's do

(01:51:11):
that up next, I will be joined by Jamorrison of
Bengals Talk dot Com. We will discuss Joe Burrow. I
will ask him about this matchup in primetime against the
Pittsburgh Steelers and so much more because history, well it's
not on the Bengals side. We will talk with Jay
about that and much much more. James Repeene infor Mo

(01:51:34):
Happy New Year. This is ESPN fifteen thirty. Rapid radios
are instant. Well we got a run, but that was
a lot of fun. I'm James Repen, Thank you so
much for listening today here on ESPN fifteen thirty. It's
always a pleasure, always a lot of fun. Filling in
for Moeger here, Happy New Year. Hopefully had a great
day and great new year. And it's a big football day,

(01:51:58):
big football weekend, and and certainly excited about all of
the above. If you're looking for more on the Bengals,
please check out Bengals Talk dot com, Cincinnati Bengals Talk
on YouTube, the Lockdown Bengals podcast. And shout out to
today's producer Sean McMahon for keeping us in line on
a holiday. That's gonna do it for me again, thank

(01:52:20):
you for listening. Until next time. I'm James Erpine and
this is ESPN fifteen thirty.