8/4/25: The Afternoon Training Camp Report

The Bengals didn't practice on Monday, but that didn't stop us from doing a training camp report. 

Tony and Mo have Bengals training camp reports weekday mornings at 7:25 on 700WLW, and weekday afternoons at 3:45, 4:45, and 5:45 on ESPN1530.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tony. Tomorrow is the Bengals' final practice before they play
a game on Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It's hard
to believe. We've talked a lot about Bengals players playing
more in preseason games now. Typically you expect offenses to
be vanilla, defenses to be basically nondescript. But if you're
emphasizing the preseason this year, does that dynamic change.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Yeah, because the emphasis of this team in this offseason
has been about starting fast and whatever has been done
in the past has not worked. So on that hand alone, yes,
it changes things. Two, Joe Burrow has been vocal about
wanting to play. I think he needs to be in
there in Three. There are rookies that are going to
be relied on for this team to start, Demetrius Knight,

(00:46):
Dylan Fairchild. They need as many game reps as absolute
possible before the regular season gets here. And if you're
Dylan Fairchild, that's Miles Garrett and company, So those reps
for them. Shamar Stewart, the defense as a whole. You've
got a new decordinator, you've got a new scheme, and
you've got so many young players that are kind of
at this prove it level of their career. They need

(01:07):
as many reps as possible. Now, best case scenario, offense
gets the ball, they go down, they score a touchdown,
you take the guys out, and you move on to
the next one. But I think it'll be interesting to
navigate how long the offensive lineman play, what does the
defense look like from a starter standpoint, because this team
does need these reps that are very valuable from a
preseason standpoint, especially when you think about them not having

(01:28):
the ability to have those joint practices this year as well.

Speaker 1 (01:30):
Yeah, and look, we've talked a lot about how good
the defense has looked. It's playing with confidence. Al Golden
seems to be really thrilled with what he's getting from
some of the individual players. It's one thing to say
that in a practice setting, I want to see the
defense take a step forward on Thursday.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Yeah, you know, the one kick in the armor came
yesterday for the defense because by all accounts, when they
went unscripted, the offense moved the ball extremely well. Joe
Burrow was something along the lines of twenty or twenty
one of twenty four multiple touchdowns, and it was the
first time the defense had looked that votable. It was
also the first time that they hadn't scripted plays. You

(02:06):
know a lot of practices are scripted on offense and defense.
You know what's coming, you know the situation. When you
go unscripted, that's the sense of what you're doing. First down,
you run a play whatever that play games you move
on to second down, and that is the worst the
defenses look. So the reps on the field are going
to be valuable. The reps in a game setting that
aren't charted are extremely valuable for Al Golden and this defense.

Speaker 1 (02:29):
All right, there you go. Tony Pike with us on
the Ray Saint Clair Roofing Hotline. He and I are
back tomorrow for the AE Dor and Window Tony and
Mo Football Show beginning at ten am. Then Tony has
since he three to sixty at noon, and we are
back tomorrow at three zero five. Our show today, however,
is over. Thanks to Taran for producing, and thanks to
you for listening. Have an awesome night. This is ESPN

(02:51):
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.