January 3, 2025 • 5 mins
Jay Morrison of BengalsTalk.com joined us to discuss - you guessed it - the Bengals.
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Instagram too: @MoEgger
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi Jay, Hi Mo, Sorry I'm late. Everything okay, Yeah,
everything's good, very good. I don't have a good excuse.
I wish I did, but I don't.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know what, you don't need a good like we're
showing over you know, four figure checks for you to
do this, So no, there's no excuse needed. You could say,
Moe Pound Sand I'm going to enjoy my Thursday afternoon
and that would be more than fine.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
So we're just happy to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Well in talking to you does make for an enjoyable
Thursday afternoon, of.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Course it does. Best. Guess Chase Brown going to give
it a go on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, I don't know. I would say probably he'll be
active and they'll see what he can do. And maybe
even if you can't go, you still make him active.
So you've got him for an emergency situation. But not
looking good, I mean, just the nature of the injury anyhow.
And then the fact that he hasn't favorite practice this
week not a great sign.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
How much faith do they have in Khalil Herbert.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I can't imagine he gets the same exact workload, but
he would be then the guy I know you've talked
about this with Paul This week, what Dan Pitchers had
to say about Khalil is one thing to express verbally
your confidence in a player, at something else to actually
show confidence in him.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
If he's running back one on Saturday night. How much
do they use him?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
That's a great question. You have to use him, you
have to run the ball against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
He is.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He's new to this team, but he's been in the
league for several years and he's been an effective runner.
He's average close to five yards per carry. I think
maybe the bigger concern might be pass protection. He has
only been here for eight weeks and kind of getting
that part of it down could be an issue. Even
(01:52):
last week, you know, they ran a speed option with
him and Joe Burrow basically had to like lean over
and tell him what to do on that play, and
it worked. They gained thirteen yards. But you feel much
more comfortable with the chase down in there, obviously because
of how long he's been here. But I don't think
it's dire if they have to lean on Khalil Herbert.
He's been a really good back in the league.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, I like the speed option.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
By the way, I don't know how deep they had
to go in the playbook to pull that out. But
when that unfolded, we in the stands were exchanging a
lot of really happy looks with each other.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I want more of that.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah he had. I mean he got thirteen on Maddy
another run he gained eight, So he does have a
little bit of pop in his game, and he's knowing
that is going to be as explosive as Chase Brown is.
But Chase Brown, even if he plays, I don't think
he's going to have his normal explosion on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Will they go forward on fourth down every time in
plus territory rather than ask kid Yorke to kick? Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Man, it's a great question. I mean, it's clear from
talking to Darren Simmons that there's a trust issue. He
didn't come out and say it, but you can read
between the lines, and Zach really didn't want to take
part in that question either when he was asked after
the game and then again this week. I think if
it's you know, maybe inside of forty five, they would
(03:12):
trust him. But anything beyond unless it's just a situation
we've got no other shot, I do. I think you're
going to see them go for it quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
All right, if the Bengals pull this off, they're favored,
by the way, if they win on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Which of the two results that we need is most
worrisome to you?
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I guess probably Kansas City Denver, just because Kansas City
is resting their starters, and not only are they resting
their starters, you know, you have to feel that they
don't want to see the Bengals in the playoffs. They've
lived this before. They even though they've hosted him in
two AFTY Championship games. The Bengals gave them everything they
could handle in both of those and won one of them.
So I don't think there's a lot of motivation for
(03:54):
Kansas City to win that game. It's not just the ambivalence.
I think they would probably rather lose it the Bengals
and Borough in the playoffs. But on the other hand,
Kansas City's beat Denver seventeen and last eighteen times they've played.
That's that's significant. When you own a team like that,
and plus you've got Denver, it's going to be super
tight knowing everything's on the line, and those those chief
(04:16):
backups are going to be playing loose. Let's not forget
it's a two time Super Bowl champion roster. Their backups
are not bad. I think it's more concerning than the
other game. But I still think there's a chance that
the Denver could fall in this game in Kansas City
could win.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Have you recalibrated since I asked last year, which was
the Thursday Burrow's postgame comments after the Dallas tilt, have
you recalibrated your expectations for what they do with T
Higgins this offseason?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah? I think everybody has to. The way Joe has
been stumping for him and in the way not just
saying he's in need, but the line yesterday where he
said that that's not the plan, and when he goes
asking about he getting the he said, I would hate
to see that happen, obviously, but that's not the plan.
I don't know if that's the plan in his own
(05:08):
mind or if he's actually had discussions with the front
office about that not being the plan. But I don't
know how this front office can look at what he
has done in this last month, really all year, but
especially this last month, and they've been on this run,
and especially with Jermaine Burton not developing the way they
had hoped. I think there's a much better chance than
(05:29):
I did a month ago that he will be back
this year.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Awesome as always, enjoyed the rest of your Thursday afternoon, Jay,
appreciate Okay, thank you, Mo.
Hi Jay, Hi Mo, Sorry I'm late. Everything okay, Yeah,
everything's good, very good. I don't have a good excuse.
I wish I did, but I don't.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know what, you don't need a good like we're
showing over you know, four figure checks for you to
do this, So no, there's no excuse needed. You could say,
Moe Pound Sand I'm going to enjoy my Thursday afternoon
and that would be more than fine.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
So we're just happy to have you.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Well in talking to you does make for an enjoyable
Thursday afternoon, of.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Course it does. Best. Guess Chase Brown going to give
it a go on Saturday night.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, I don't know. I would say probably he'll be
active and they'll see what he can do. And maybe
even if you can't go, you still make him active.
So you've got him for an emergency situation. But not
looking good, I mean, just the nature of the injury anyhow.
And then the fact that he hasn't favorite practice this
week not a great sign.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
How much faith do they have in Khalil Herbert.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I can't imagine he gets the same exact workload, but
he would be then the guy I know you've talked
about this with Paul This week, what Dan Pitchers had
to say about Khalil is one thing to express verbally
your confidence in a player, at something else to actually
show confidence in him.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
If he's running back one on Saturday night. How much
do they use him?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
That's a great question. You have to use him, you
have to run the ball against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
He is.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
He's new to this team, but he's been in the
league for several years and he's been an effective runner.
He's average close to five yards per carry. I think
maybe the bigger concern might be pass protection. He has
only been here for eight weeks and kind of getting
that part of it down could be an issue. Even
(01:52):
last week, you know, they ran a speed option with
him and Joe Burrow basically had to like lean over
and tell him what to do on that play, and
it worked. They gained thirteen yards. But you feel much
more comfortable with the chase down in there, obviously because
of how long he's been here. But I don't think
it's dire if they have to lean on Khalil Herbert.
He's been a really good back in the league.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, I like the speed option.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
By the way, I don't know how deep they had
to go in the playbook to pull that out. But
when that unfolded, we in the stands were exchanging a
lot of really happy looks with each other.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
I want more of that.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
Yeah he had. I mean he got thirteen on Maddy
another run he gained eight, So he does have a
little bit of pop in his game, and he's knowing
that is going to be as explosive as Chase Brown is.
But Chase Brown, even if he plays, I don't think
he's going to have his normal explosion on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Will they go forward on fourth down every time in
plus territory rather than ask kid Yorke to kick? Oh?
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Man, it's a great question. I mean, it's clear from
talking to Darren Simmons that there's a trust issue. He
didn't come out and say it, but you can read
between the lines, and Zach really didn't want to take
part in that question either when he was asked after
the game and then again this week. I think if
it's you know, maybe inside of forty five, they would
(03:12):
trust him. But anything beyond unless it's just a situation
we've got no other shot, I do. I think you're
going to see them go for it quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
All right, if the Bengals pull this off, they're favored,
by the way, if they win on Saturday.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Which of the two results that we need is most
worrisome to you?
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I guess probably Kansas City Denver, just because Kansas City
is resting their starters, and not only are they resting
their starters, you know, you have to feel that they
don't want to see the Bengals in the playoffs. They've
lived this before. They even though they've hosted him in
two AFTY Championship games. The Bengals gave them everything they
could handle in both of those and won one of them.
So I don't think there's a lot of motivation for
(03:54):
Kansas City to win that game. It's not just the ambivalence.
I think they would probably rather lose it the Bengals
and Borough in the playoffs. But on the other hand,
Kansas City's beat Denver seventeen and last eighteen times they've played.
That's that's significant. When you own a team like that,
and plus you've got Denver, it's going to be super
tight knowing everything's on the line, and those those chief
(04:16):
backups are going to be playing loose. Let's not forget
it's a two time Super Bowl champion roster. Their backups
are not bad. I think it's more concerning than the
other game. But I still think there's a chance that
the Denver could fall in this game in Kansas City
could win.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Have you recalibrated since I asked last year, which was
the Thursday Burrow's postgame comments after the Dallas tilt, have
you recalibrated your expectations for what they do with T
Higgins this offseason?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
Yeah? I think everybody has to. The way Joe has
been stumping for him and in the way not just
saying he's in need, but the line yesterday where he
said that that's not the plan, and when he goes
asking about he getting the he said, I would hate
to see that happen, obviously, but that's not the plan.
I don't know if that's the plan in his own
(05:08):
mind or if he's actually had discussions with the front
office about that not being the plan. But I don't
know how this front office can look at what he
has done in this last month, really all year, but
especially this last month, and they've been on this run,
and especially with Jermaine Burton not developing the way they
had hoped. I think there's a much better chance than
(05:29):
I did a month ago that he will be back
this year.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Awesome as always, enjoyed the rest of your Thursday afternoon, Jay,
appreciate Okay, thank you, Mo.
Mo Egger News
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