11/10/25 - The Tony & Mo Football Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
The Bye week edition of the Tony and moul Football Show.
Let's start to it here at Twin Peaks at Westchester.
We are here until six o'clock. Moeger and Tony Pike,
A day after the Bengals did not lose. A bye
week for Cincinnati, a bye week for the Bearcats, a
bye week for the Bengals, Yet no shortage of things
to discuss over the course of the next two hours

(01:14):
and forty six minutes. You just heard Joe Burrow live
on ESPN fifteen thirty chatting with the media down there
at the avenue originally known as Paul Brown Stadium. On
the day we found out that he has been cleared
to return. He is practicing, though on a very limited scale.
So not a very busy weekend, but a newsworthy Monday

(01:35):
for the Bengals tone huge.

Speaker 5 (01:37):
The only news of the weekend essentially were the Bearcats
one Friday night, an FC Cincinnati got rid of Columbus
on Saturday. And now we get this and you know
the interesting part is now the twenty one day window.

Speaker 6 (01:48):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (01:49):
I think when this happened, I think everyone was like, Okay,
Miami would be today, Circle circle Miami. If you're looking
at the twenty one day window, and then you follow
along with what Jake Glacier reported today, Now you're starting
to think of maybe even Thanksgiving against the Baltimore Ravens.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
That's where my head is now.

Speaker 4 (02:06):
The question is number one, when he plays, if he
plays against Baltimore on Thanksgiving, will he play defense? And
number two, can Flacco play defense? What will the Bengals
record be going into that game. Those to me, I.

Speaker 6 (02:19):
Just I.

Speaker 3 (02:22):
Don't know anything. I haven't been told anything.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
I just I feel like this setting it this setting
itself up, and I can be dead wrong about this.
I feel like this is setting itself up for Joe
Burrow to make his triumphant return in Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.

Speaker 7 (02:35):
Are they playing for anything in the playoffs? Is the
main question.

Speaker 5 (02:38):
And it's been such a surreal day because every message
I've received has been why, like instead of the excitement,
because put the shoe on the other foot. They score
thirty eight and forty two. If they win both of those,
they're five and four, and then you get the shot
in the arm of this message today.

Speaker 3 (02:55):
Yeah, it just feels.

Speaker 5 (02:56):
Different at three and six, and you wonder how much
they have left in They've got to go to Pittsburgh
and find a way to win. Arguably the best team
in the AFC comes to your building after that in
New England Patriots. It's it's a little bit different how
I expected this news to go over based on the response.

Speaker 4 (03:14):
You've heard, Well, I'll give you my reaction. Number one cool.
Number two that doesn't fix their problem now is say
what you want about how great Joe Flacco has been
and say what you want about how the offense will
have to adjust when Joe Burrow comes back whenever.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
That is.

Speaker 4 (03:30):
The Bengals problem in the last three weeks has not
been quarterback play. The Bengals offense over the last month
has been fine. Yeah, they're losing games in spite of
their offensive fireworks.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
So my first thought was, that's cool.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
If they were losing games during Joe's absence ten to seven.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
If it was the ten Minnesota back to back weeks, yeah,
ten and three, Yeah, yes, need him right, Thirty eight
and forty two is different.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
So sign me up for Joe Burrow inching closer to health.
Sign me up for a ten sign that you know what.
That window we talked about in mid December, now that's
very much in play, and even before we've talked about
like just get to the postseason and have him healthy.
Feels like he'll be healthy come postseason. Will the Bengals
be there? That's the question. But yeah, like my excitement

(04:16):
was muted because his return doesn't solve their biggest issue.
We have a lot of ground to cover between now
and six o'clock. We're here at Twin Peaks in Westchester.
In Florence next week. We'll worry about that next week,
day after the Bengals take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, right
off I seventy five, by the way.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
As miserable as.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
A weather morning and early afternoon as it was, it
is gorgeous out right now. Now.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
It's cold.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
The little snowfall we got, which this morning, you would
have thought we were getting twenty eight inches of snow.
The limited snow we got that that's not melting. It's
still cool. But the roads are fine, not covered in
snow suns out right off I seventy five Union Center
Boulevard exit. So get out here. Between now and six.
Tony got the beloved meatball skillet back. The meatball skillet

(05:03):
is back. We are back Twin Peaks, Westchester. Great beer selection.
Good Monday night football game tonight Xavier basketball plays this evening.
You can watch both of those games and so much
more here at Twin Peaks in Westchester. We are here
till six o'clock. It's eighteen after three. Moegger Tony Pike.
We call it the Tony and Mo Football Show on

(05:24):
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (05:26):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

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(05:53):
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Speaker 4 (06:02):
This twenty three minutes after three o'clock. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty. It's the Tony and Moo Football Show. We
are broadcasting from Twin Peaks in Westchester. We are here
until six o'clock. So Joe Burrow has returned to practice
limited capacity. Zach Taylor earlier today said they're not planning
on having him play on Sunday or anything like that.

(06:24):
But you talked about how most people that you have
seen react to this are kind of shrugging their shoulders.
You know, who is not.

Speaker 7 (06:33):
Who Vegas?

Speaker 6 (06:34):
WHOA?

Speaker 4 (06:35):
So here are my show notes from this morning. Yeah,
because I was gonna start with what happened last night
between Pittsburgh and the Chargers. Bengals played the Steelers on Sunday.
There were the AFC North odds. This is as of
about ten thirty this morning. Baltimore the clear favorite minus
two seventy, Pittsburgh plus two seventy, Cincinnati plus seventeen hundred.

(06:59):
Right now Cincinnati is at plus eleven hundred.

Speaker 7 (07:03):
That's significant.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
It's significant movement.

Speaker 5 (07:05):
That's a significant jump, and if they beat Pittsburgh that
number only goes up. You know it's it is the
Joe Burrow effect. But again, if this was the Minnesota
Denver game that had just happened, right, you would think,
Holy col thank you. It's an offense that put up
thirty eight and forty two in back to back losses.

(07:27):
And I genuine I think Joe Burrow is one of
the best quarterbacks on the planet. I don't think they
could have done any better than what they did the
last two games. Offensively hard to imagine. And knowing that,
again out of the buy, is there something they can
do better defensively that makes you or gives you hope
into what they can be until we see that it's awesome.

(07:48):
I think I think it speaks to the work ethic
of Joe Burrow, the teammate that Joe Burrow is, because
it would be very easy to watch what's transpired and
come out of a buy and like, ah, I'm not
gonna try it.

Speaker 7 (08:00):
Sure, I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
I don't want to.

Speaker 5 (08:01):
Push this too far. Not only is you want to
get back. He wants to get back in like shatter
rehab records. He wants to get back quicker than anyone thought.
And I think there's a point to that that that
he wants to make. But also at the same time,
you think about this guy's future as well, and you
think about the long term availability of Joe Burrow. And

(08:23):
that's why I just wonder how much the next two
weeks would play into this, Because I'm with you.

Speaker 7 (08:28):
As soon as.

Speaker 5 (08:29):
They asked him today about playing in Baltimore in your
AFC North and that rivalry, you knew by his answer
that's where he wants to get back.

Speaker 4 (08:37):
That's two weeks from this third.

Speaker 5 (08:38):
Day, that's where he wants to circle. I was surprised
watching the video today, like at cleats on what the
room was making throws.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
He looked like a guy getting ready to go through
a full practice.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
Correct.

Speaker 5 (08:50):
So for me, obviously, I think the next two weeks
are meaningful. But if they drop the next two and
you're three and eight and your season is over, is
there a value behind an offensive line that I know
they've played better? But even with the toe, I don't
imagine Joe would come back and say, all right, let's
go under center. He would want to be comfortable with

(09:11):
a shotgun. I don't know that I'm confident enough in
the old line.

Speaker 4 (09:16):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (09:16):
I'm surely not confident enough in the defense. So if
you if you don't win the next two, what's the point?
And I think that's the overall resounding sentiment from folks
that I've heard from today. Win the next two. Yeah, okay,
I'll listen right now. It's interesting. Had they won the
last two, I'm very interested right now, season back on.

Speaker 7 (09:39):
Let's go.

Speaker 5 (09:40):
I just I wonder how much of what happens in
the next two goes into determining what that date and
timeline could look like.

Speaker 4 (09:49):
I think if Joe Burrow wants to play, he's gonna play.
I don't care if they're three and eight. I don't
care if he doesn't play against Baltimore and they lose
that one and they're three and nine, Like, I don't
think they have any who's gonna tell him no. I'm
of the belief that of Joe Burrow between let's say
Thanksgiving in the end of the season, regardless of where
they are in the standings, if he can physically go,

(10:12):
he's gonna go. Yes, let's talk about the game on Sunday.
Though this is not an overreaction to last night, but
last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers did nothing to make anybody
think that's a team worth taking seriously. In the AFC,
Aaron Rodgers played like he was my age, slow, inaccurate,

(10:32):
didn't have command of the offense.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
Pittsburgh has now lost three.

Speaker 4 (10:36):
Out of four, So all the things we have said
about the Bengals over the last month are valid. Defensively,
they're a train wreck. They're leaning way too heavily on
an old quarterback who just got here a month ago.
But coming off a bye against a team that you
have already beaten with an offense that is playing at
a really high level, Vegas is gonna say and they

(10:59):
have Cincinnati is a five and a half point dog.
I don't care. You're supposed to win this game on Sunday.
I mean again, we saw what happened the first time
they were here when Aaron Rodgers and Pat fryremouth exposed
became the latest to expose how bad the Bengals safety
play is. But I'm watching the last night, and I've

(11:20):
watched the Steelers over the course of the last five games,
and I go, They're not great. They're not imposing, they
don't physically beat you up the way you expected. Mike
Tomlin team too. The quarterback is old and ancient and
not playing at a high level. Joe Flaco may be
old and ancient, but he is playing at a really
high level.

Speaker 3 (11:39):
That's a game.

Speaker 4 (11:40):
On Sunday with your season hanging in the balance and
the carrot being dangled of number nine could come back
here soon and help you in the postseason. This is
a game on Sunday. You're supposed to win until you
realize that no changes were made to the Bengals defense
since they last played.

Speaker 5 (12:00):
Hard part and Joe Goodburry put it out there on
social media day because I on since he three to
sixty today, I was looking for tangible things they could
correct in the second half.

Speaker 7 (12:12):
What are actual attainable.

Speaker 5 (12:14):
Goals that you can look to this defense and say,
how can they improve in the second half? And to me,
the biggest one figure out who you got going forward,
figure out which young players can play. Joe Goodberry tweeted
out though in weeks one through nine. Since twenty nineteen,
the Bengals have ranked thirty first in defense in EPA
per play. In twenty twenty one, weeks one through nine,

(12:35):
they were twenty ninth ranked defense in EPA per play.
Run defense was thirtieth under Zach Taylor weeks ten through eighteen.
Since twenty twenty one, it goes up to eighteenth and
EPA per play in sixteenth in run defense.

Speaker 7 (12:48):
So under Zach Taylor, they.

Speaker 5 (12:50):
Have improved coming out of this stretch in the regular
season to not be a terrible defense, but a middle
of the pack defense. Now, obviously that was under lu
An Arumo. He's not here, and we were also talking
about a bad defense. Right now we're talking about historically
one of the worst in the NFL history. So for me,
is there things they can learn over the by that

(13:12):
are tangible that they can put into.

Speaker 7 (13:14):
To play, how to tackle.

Speaker 5 (13:16):
And that's the thing, Like when you look at the
mistackle lists and see all these Bengal players on it,
if they just tackle better, that's tangible. Are there things
they can note that that they can find to get
an increase in production on first down or second down
or getting off the field on third down. That all
becomes much more interesting. If you're now talking with the

(13:37):
thought of Joe Burrow potentially being back in the future.

Speaker 4 (13:40):
I guess for me, the tangible things would number one,
have Trey Hendrickson be on the field.

Speaker 7 (13:44):
Doesn't sound good, right, Yeah, I.

Speaker 4 (13:46):
Mean, you know, have your best defensive player on the field.

Speaker 5 (13:51):
That would help, Yeah, which doesn't seem to be the
case from Zach Taylor today.

Speaker 7 (13:54):
Yeah, he's still doubtful tackle yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:57):
I mean is as stupid and as basic as and
sounds tackle.

Speaker 6 (14:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (14:03):
And they're just gonna have to be better at getting turnovers.

Speaker 5 (14:08):
Austin alluded to this a couple of weeks ago. It's
not this doesn't just stop at the players. You're evaluating
coaches now down the stretch as well. Of course, Montgomery
was bad in New England last year. He left along
with Peters. They're they're now one of the best teams
in the AFC.

Speaker 3 (14:25):
Al Golden.

Speaker 5 (14:26):
I talked about this with Austin all the time. Al Golden,
in the most meaningful play of Notre Dame season last year,
went one on one with Jeremia in.

Speaker 6 (14:35):
The National championship game.

Speaker 5 (14:36):
Yeah, at that point I remember talking to you, like,
are we sure we texted that night? Yeah, biggest player
of your season, national title. You went one on one
with the best player on the field who no one
can stop him one on one. So I need to
see more from Al Golden coming out of a bye
with the second half of the season still in front

(14:57):
of you.

Speaker 7 (14:57):
So it's a lot to take in.

Speaker 5 (15:01):
I hate going back because it would have been so
much sweeter to be five and four and say, man,
the defense stinks. But hey, they're five and four and
now Joe Burrows opened the twenty one day window. Unfortunately
you can't. You don't have Luayna Rumo. You got Al Golden.
You got a defense right now full of misfits. Trey
Hendrickson's health is a question. He's doubtful, not sure about
Shamar Stewart.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
It's again the Alt Golden comparison. I will make is
to Mike Zimmer At the end of the two thousand
and eight season. That was the year where the Bengals
lost their first eight games. Ryan Fitzpatrick played I think
twelve of the sixteen games. Carson Palmer got hurt Week
three or four. By the end of the season last
year with a defense filled with guys who they pulled

(15:45):
off the street, with the unit that you had to
kind of tape together, by the end of the season,
they were pitching shutouts. Yeah, And I remember that that
period of time you were trying to just grasp onto anything,
and I remember thinking, like, I think they've got a
good defensive coordinator.

Speaker 6 (15:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (16:00):
The next year they go ten and six or at
least with with a vision. But like the way they
played down the stretch, those games meant nothing because they
got off to an OH to eight start.

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Those games meant nothing.

Speaker 4 (16:09):
The Bengals could still play in some very meaningful football games.
But I think by the end of the season you
thought you saw enough that you're like, all right, that's
the DC.

Speaker 3 (16:18):
Can I get that from Al Golden.

Speaker 5 (16:19):
The biggest thing now for me coming out of this
by Pittsburgh you mentioned putrid last night offensively was awful,
And I do think Pittsburgh's better defensively. They moved Jalen
Ramsey to safety. I think they're getting better in the defense.
For much of the night that worked correct. Yeah, I
think they're getting better there. My question is, though, if
you don't see it from Al Golden to the defense

(16:41):
this week, you're gonna see it against New England. Are
you going to see it against Baltimore twice down the stretch?
Are you going to see it against Buffalo on the road?

Speaker 7 (16:50):
Hell?

Speaker 5 (16:50):
At this point with Chris Greer gone, are you gonna
see it in Miami? I mean Miami took the Bills
to the woodshed yesterday. Yeah, that's a team that's not
it's a team that's playing well. So it'd be one
thing if you're coming up on the stretch that they
just finished right coming out of the by, if you
have the Jets and like, okay, we get something together.

(17:10):
If you don't show it against Pittsburgh, good luck showing
it anytime going forward.

Speaker 4 (17:14):
Well, last year they go on a run right win
their last five. But look at the quarterbacks they play.
I think Bo Nicks was the best one in that
game where they beat him on a Saturday night.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Beyond that, there was a lot of Cooper Rush right.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
That ain't the case here moving forward, now they've the
Bengals are going to be playing teams that have issues
of their own.

Speaker 3 (17:33):
I think Aaron Rodgers looked.

Speaker 4 (17:34):
Ancient last night, but he did just nearly come from
behind in Beach a few weeks ago. Drake May and
the New England Page Patriots have been a revelation for
a lot of people right now.

Speaker 3 (17:45):
The one seed in the AFC.

Speaker 5 (17:46):
Drake May has a lot of people's MVP. Mike Rabel's
a lot of people's Coach of the Year.

Speaker 4 (17:50):
Yeah, although he nearly committed a faux pall before halftime
yesterday that we are going to talk about Lamar Jackson
twice within two weeks in the middle of that, Josh
Allen on the road, a Miami team that hasn't given up,
and then Jacoby Brissette later on. But it's a lot

(18:10):
more of a gauntlet than what they went through last year.
Last year, what they did they deserve credit for. It
was improbable, but they took advantage of bad quarterbacks and
bad offense.

Speaker 5 (18:21):
But last year the thing was doesn't matter what happens
on defense, because Burrow will carry them.

Speaker 7 (18:26):
Well, guess what we've seen this year.

Speaker 5 (18:28):
It does matter on defense because we're not talking about
a bad defense, We're talking about getting through the by
the halfway point of the season at a historic pace
is one of the worst defenses that's ever taken a
field in the NFL. So no longer is the conversation of, well,
if you got Burrow and Chasing Higgins, you got a chance.
They've had Flacco, Chase and Higgins and have had more

(18:51):
than a chance to just get two extra stops one
extra stop a game and you're five and four. You're
five and four coming out of the by with Joe
Burroll on the practice field today. M hm, you're three
and six.

Speaker 3 (19:02):
Can you imagine how that would feel.

Speaker 7 (19:03):
It's unbelievable.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
You you would feel like in a wide open Difer
would field nine and oh. Yeah, you would feel nine
and oh today.

Speaker 4 (19:10):
You would be possibly the odds on favorite in Vegas
to win the AFC nor correct.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
In fact, I think you would be.

Speaker 4 (19:18):
It is twenty three away from four o'clock. We're a
twin peaks in Florence. We have a lot of ground
to cover between now and six o'clock. Coming out and
join this. Tony and No Football showed the bye week
ndition on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (19:29):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center.

Speaker 9 (19:37):
You'll find more options and clinical trials for pancreatic cancer
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Fast call five one three five eighty five UCCC in Kentucky,
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seventy five shut down due to that crash. You're going
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(20:00):
seventy four. It's an accident after New Haven Road on
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Speaker 2 (20:06):
This report is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati's Sports Station.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
Sports Headlines are a service to Kelsey chevrola home of
lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit approval from their family
to yours for life Kelsey chef dot com. Joe Burrow
has returned to practice in a limited capacity. He has
twenty one days where he can work out with his
teammates without counting against the roster. Zach Taylor today said

(20:34):
quote not looking at him playing on Sunday Bengals five
and a half point road dogs against the Steelers in
the game you'll hear at one o'clock Sunday on ESPN
fifteen thirty. Taylor also today said Trey Hendrickson is right
now considered doubtful for that game. Cincinnati linebacker Brian Ossamoa
has been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad,

(20:54):
and linebacker Antoine Powell Ryland has been signed by the
Bengals to the practice squad. Is a rookie from Virginia
Tech who was drafted by Philly in the sixth round
this season. Monday Night Football Tonight Antoine Powell Ryland's old
team at Green Bay. Seven o'clock is when pregame coverage
begins on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (21:13):
The Giants a fired head coach Brian Daboll.

Speaker 4 (21:16):
College Basketball Tonight, Xavier hooks up with Santa Clair at
eight thirty this evening. The game live on seven hundred WLW.
The FC Cincinnati Miami Tilt on the twenty third of November.
We'll start at five o'clock as the Orange and Blue
advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals after a thrilling and
stirring two to one victory in Game three over Columbus

(21:38):
on Saturday night in the Columbus Blue Jacket Skate Tonight
at Edmonton, Tony and Mel Football Show, Twin Peaks Westchester,
the bye week ndition, Joe Burrow back practicing.

Speaker 7 (21:49):
What a day we will see, what a week it'll be.

Speaker 5 (21:52):
And as you mentioned, your your Bearcats, your Flyers, Tomorrow night's.

Speaker 7 (21:57):
Tough night for you. Always on the calendar, hate it,
hate it?

Speaker 5 (22:00):
Yeah, I hated a lot of what I watched on
Friday night, So hopefully that's better.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
Not the most encouraging effort, was it?

Speaker 7 (22:07):
No? No, you know, last two was it the.

Speaker 3 (22:10):
Most encouraging performance by the day and Flyers on Saturday?

Speaker 7 (22:12):
Also true.

Speaker 5 (22:13):
This team's got a long way to go before uh
Louisville next Friday night.

Speaker 4 (22:18):
All Right, My quick take on it is last year's team.
A lot of good players, pieces didn't fit. Yeah, By
the way, look at where some of those players have
ended up and look how they have started at their
new schools. A lot of good players, pieces didn't fit.
The first two games of this season. You kind of
say the same thing. A lot of good players do

(22:41):
the pieces fit. Yeah, I don't think they did on Friday. No,
it's November. There's plenty of time, big picture.

Speaker 5 (22:48):
But you're thinking like watching that Friday, like, all right,
one more tune up before a good contest. Yeah, with
Dayton coming in? Yeah, how do you make the most
of it? It was not inspiring by any means on
Friday night.

Speaker 4 (23:01):
Poor outside shooting, poor free throw shooting, lots of turnovers. Yeah,
and an offense that it just didn't connect just to Yeah, yep,
I hate that they play it is.

Speaker 3 (23:15):
I want more regional games. I don't want this one.

Speaker 6 (23:18):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (23:19):
I'm not conflicted. You know who I'd rest, Yes, but
I don't like it.

Speaker 4 (23:25):
I don't like it. Since we last talked on this show,
the NFL trade deadline is coming gone. The Bengals did
not trade Trey Hendrickson. It is being reported that the
best offer of the Bengals got was for a fourth
round pick.

Speaker 7 (23:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (23:41):
When I read that today, to me, I don't blame
the Bengals for not moving Trey Hendrickson. No, I don't either,
like that been reported today, Like, hey, the Bengals they
only received one offer for a second rounder, then I
would have been like what are we doing?

Speaker 7 (23:54):
Like second rounder?

Speaker 5 (23:55):
Yes, I would have maybe even jumped at a third rounder,
fourth rounder for the defense, I mean, sac leader in
the National Football League and still a great player when
he's healthy. I think that's too low. I think that's
enough for me to say, Okay, let's hang on to him.
Anything higher I think I would have probably lean to
jump on it. But fourth round, I think is almost
disrespectful for Trey Henderson.

Speaker 4 (24:17):
I think the part of the Trey Hendrickson conversation that
didn't materialize the way it should have leaning up to
the trade deadline is the part where you have to
acknowledge he's hurt.

Speaker 5 (24:26):
Yeah, And that's I think what we're learning today as well.
You don't play, you go into a bye, you come
out of a bye, and already you're doubtful. Right, Like
if Zach Taylor's on the podium today, like, hey, we'll
see this week with Trey, because Zach usually holds stuff
pretty close to the vest Monday, doubtful. That's not ideal
for a guy that just had a whole week to

(24:49):
rest and recoup and get healthy. That's worrisome. And I
wonder how many teams that reached out you know, were
made aware or you know, asked a little bit more
about the injury and maybe shielded from giving anything higher
than a fourth.

Speaker 4 (25:04):
Since we last did this show together, Logan Wilson has
been traded, issued a farewell message and didn't mention Zach Taylor.

Speaker 7 (25:11):
Yeah, that was odd.

Speaker 5 (25:12):
It was odd in a sense that he went out
of his way to single out a ton of players,
a ton of people coaches, position players, defensive coordinators that
have impacted him along the way, and left out the
head coach.

Speaker 7 (25:26):
Seemingly weird.

Speaker 5 (25:29):
Also, you feel for the guy from going to the
worst defense in the NFL or the second worst defense
in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (25:34):
As I said on social media, it was like being
treated from the Titanic to the Hindenburg.

Speaker 6 (25:37):
Dang.

Speaker 4 (25:39):
I think Logan Wilson only at that statement so he
could ignore Zach.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
Taylor on it. Yeah, that's the only reason he said that.

Speaker 5 (25:47):
That's the only reason you said anything like that. It's
the only reason you go out of your way to
mention some people and not the head coach. Correct if
it was just like, I want to thank the organization
as a whole, players, coaches, evers, fans. Then you keep
it broad when you sing, so many people out because
that was the only take from it, Like no, it
was like, oh, what a heartfelt trait was right. He
didn't say anything about Zach You.

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Know I noticed during your brief time away. Yeah, you
didn't mention me in your farewell.

Speaker 7 (26:15):
No, nope.

Speaker 5 (26:17):
Oh my second my main farewell was going to come
after that, after I gathered myself and sat back and
listened to the obituaries be read.

Speaker 4 (26:24):
And since we last talked, the Bengals have not fired anybody,
have not moved on from anybody. I think there's a
lot of folks. You know, you and I were doing
the show last Monday. The Bengals had just lost another
game in heartbreaking fashion to the Chicago Bears, and I
think there are a lot of folks who woke up
last Monday morning thinking, well, they'll do something.

Speaker 7 (26:45):
They do not.

Speaker 5 (26:46):
I get that it's maybe too early to pull the
plug on Al Golden. What surprises me? And we have
a caller on three sixty John from Boston that calls in.

Speaker 7 (26:57):
He's a Patriot fan.

Speaker 5 (26:58):
Yeah, and he has been Adaman since day one. Jerry
Montgomery and Scott Peters were at the helm of some
of the worst units in football last year in New
England and look what you've done now. New England is
a team we're talking about as potentially the best team
in the AFC, while here are the struggles on both
lines for the Bengals. So it's one thing to say,

(27:19):
well and not moving on from Duke or Zach or
any of the coordinators.

Speaker 7 (27:25):
Would you have been alarmed?

Speaker 5 (27:26):
Would you have would shockwaves have been sent to the
city if you had moved on from an O line
or D line coach that has underperformed for much of
the year Like that to me was a little surprising, But.

Speaker 3 (27:39):
I wasn't surprised at all.

Speaker 5 (27:41):
Yeah, were you more surprised by that? Or that we
didn't hear anything from Duke Tobin during the bye? Not
that we ever do, but I just thought, like for me,
I just thought it would have went a long way
with where the franchise is, things spiraling out of control
the last two games before the bye, and how bad
they were, it would be nice for someone to get

(28:02):
up and say, Okay, it's not been good enough. We've
got a plan to identify the problems and address them.
And you don't even need to go into the details.
But it just would have showed a little bit of urgency.

Speaker 6 (28:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (28:14):
If, oh man, we really don't hear from Duke Tobin
at all, but he's going to speak during the bye week,
I think that would be that would have been important.
I think that would have went a long way to
a lot of folks.

Speaker 4 (28:23):
My take on this, and I talked about it last week,
is if I was Duke Tobin and I have my
coach three times per week have to answer questions for
things that I'm responsible for, I would have taken the
bye week as an opportunity to go, you know what, Zach,
you don't take care of it?

Speaker 3 (28:39):
I got it, yep.

Speaker 4 (28:40):
I just on a human level, I refuse to believe
that the people that Duke Tobin works for would not
let him do that. Like if Duke said, you know what,
my roster decisions are fair game, I'll answer for them.
I'll try to explain as best I can why I
think we are where we are and where we're going

(29:01):
to go. I cannot imagine that the people that Duke
works for would say, Nope, you're not allowed to do that.
I just if I was Duke, I have Jamar Chase
having to answer questions about my defense. I have Chase
Brown having to answer questions about my defense. Heck, Joe
Burrow today having to answer questions about my defense the
head coach of the team. That coach of the team

(29:22):
is basically the spokesperson for the organization. He's obviously very
complicit in the team's demise. But I would say to
Zach Taylor and those players, you know what, it's time
for me to take some medicine. And for this week
and maybe this week only, I'll be the guy who
answers the questions about a roster that I am primarily
responsible for.

Speaker 5 (29:41):
Also a tough week as a player personnel guy to
watch on a bye week. Former players of the Bengals
have such impact in games. Yep, Sheldon Rankins had a
defensive touchdown yesterday. Jesse Bates force fumble in an interception.
Who's the guy for the Jets the returner? It's Isaiah
Williams score a touchdown on a return. I mean DJ

(30:04):
readers played at a highlight Shadobi a Woozia like there
were every time I feel like I looked at a
highlight yesterday, I was like, Oh, that's a former Bengal,
Oh that's a former Bengal And meanwhile, during a bye week,
you don't get to hear from anyone in the personnel
department about how the roster is currently constructed and players
that are no longer here and why they're not here,
and what the plan is getting better going forward. I

(30:24):
think that's a miss on all levels in this organization.
But to you, at your point, you expect Zach Taylor
to get up there and take fire and have to
answer all these questions and go to bat for everybody,
and you ask the same thing of your players. He
has the same thing of Joe Burrow today, who's working
on his tail off to get better, to get back

(30:45):
to this team way earlier than anyone thought, and he's
got to take questions about the defense and about the
players out there. And yet Duke Tobin never seen from,
never heard. I think that's weak on all accounts. And
it's not like he's not being given time.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
Well, it's weak.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
And also I think there there's a lot of confusion
as to who's calling the shots. I think there's a
lot of built in confusion as to who does what,
who's responsible for what. And I think in part Duke
Tobin's relative anonymity feeds that, and so I get for me.

(31:22):
And again, if I'm putting myself in Duke tobin shoes,
I go, you know what, the team that I built
is not living up to expectation. I have to answer
for this. Yeah, throw the questions at me. Nobody may
like the answers. Chances are nobody would. I just I
think it's a weak act when you hide, and Duke Tobin,

(31:43):
in very adverse times is hiding. I respect the heck
gut of the fact that when they're good, it's not
like Duke Tobin makes himself available and takes all the credit.

Speaker 3 (31:55):
I think there's something cool about that.

Speaker 4 (31:57):
But when times are tough and other have to answer
for things that they're not responsible for and you hide,
that is weak as hell.

Speaker 5 (32:06):
For three years now, all I've wanted to know was
how that working relationship with Zach and Duke operates, because
for three years I've wondered, it doesn't feel like the
personnel in the scheme match when you're evaluating talent Duke Tobin.

Speaker 7 (32:23):
How involved does Zach Taylor with you?

Speaker 5 (32:26):
What does that relationship look like on a day to
day basis, in season out of season? Because the longer
this goes on, the more I'm convinced they don't talk.
That's how I view it, because there's no way that
the personnel that is on this roster matches the scheme
that Zach Taylor's trying to run. And that to me, okay,
does that trickle into the defense.

Speaker 6 (32:48):
Now?

Speaker 5 (32:49):
How much does Duke Tobin and Al Golden talk like
did I'll come in and say, okay, if you want
me to be successful, these are the types of players
I need? Or is it Duke saying here are the
players you have make it work? Because those types of
relationships don't work like that? To me, I come back
during this bye, I've thought time and time again about

(33:10):
just the word urgency within the organization. How do these
things get fixed? Is it communication? Does someone's head have
to roll? And then again, like I watch the Lions,
I feel like have been a good team all year.
Lions had one bad offensive week, yes and all of
a sudden, I turn on the game yesterday, Dan Campbell's
calling plays. It took them one bad not like abysmal, yeah,

(33:33):
just a bad offensive week and Dan Campbell's calling plays yesterday,
and I'm like, man, that's an organization right now that's
operating with urgency. And you see those teams across the NFL,
however you view them, are the Bengals operating behind those
closed doors, Duke Tobin and Zach Taylor with the utmost

(33:54):
urgency and where they're at. And when you go into
a buy losing games in which you've scored thirty eight
and forty two and you say we're not doing anything,
everyone's safe. Duke's not gonna talk like that to me?
Is status quo?

Speaker 6 (34:06):
Yep?

Speaker 7 (34:07):
And status quo with this team right now is not
good enough.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
Correct. We are way late, five away from four o'clock
here until six todium Mo Football Show twin peaks in
Westchester on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati.

Speaker 8 (34:19):
Sports Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (34:24):

Speaker 9 (34:27):
Fast call five one three five eighty five.

Speaker 1 (34:36):
U ccc.

Speaker 9 (34:42):
I is shut down due to an accident on Baltimore Avenue.
Another crash at Westwood Northern Boulevard and on Pittmin Road.
One more accident, this one is south of Springdale Road.
I'm at he Zelik with traffic.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
This report a sponsored by Jumbling.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
In the Steel City, Bengals look to toss the Steelers
into the recycling bin. There's a lot I can say
about Pittsburgh, but none of it can be set on
the radio. The Bengals slug it out with the Steelers.
Sunday coverage begins at nine am. Stream for free on
the new and impruved iHeartRadio ad or ESPN fifteen thirty,

(35:20):
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. This is the
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(35:43):
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(36:05):
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (36:09):
Bye week ndition of the Tony and mol Football Show
rolls on its twin Peaks in Westchester. We are here
till six o'clock. It is awesome to be here. It
has turned out to be a really pretty afternoon out
after all the snow misery from this morning. Come on
out and join us. We are here till six. Fun
plays to have dinner, fun place to watch a good
Monday night football game. Fun place to watch Xavier and
Santa Clara play basketball tonight. Just a fun place in general.

(36:32):
Great staff, awesome food, meatball skill. It is back. Great
beer selection, good bourbon selection. Two twin peaks in Westchester.
We're back in Florence next week. We are here tonight
till six o'clock. Hopefully my voice holds out.

Speaker 5 (36:48):
Is it just every single year when the first dusting
of snow happens that we just all lose our minds,
everyone forgets to how to drive. I just every year,
I feel like it's the same thing. Yeah it was today,
well because it was so early.

Speaker 4 (37:04):
Yeah it typically we don't get snow in just November tenth, right.

Speaker 7 (37:09):
Well that and like two days is gonna be back
to sixty.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
I can't wait.

Speaker 7 (37:13):
I think this Saturday for the Bearcats is gonna be
like a high of sixty.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
It's gonna be a great day.

Speaker 4 (37:18):
I had to explain to my daughter that just because
we got a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of snow, Yeah,
they weren't canceling school.

Speaker 5 (37:26):
Yeah, do you like subscribe to like the Farmer's Almanac
and stuff and see like, well, you know, based on
this shadow or based on these signs, it's gonna be
a tough winner.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
No, I don't either.

Speaker 4 (37:35):
I watched Jennifer Ketchmark in the morning on Channel nine
and she says, it's gonna snow.

Speaker 7 (37:39):
It's snows Yep. Pretty simple.

Speaker 3 (37:41):
That's that's how I get my weather.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
Speaking of the Bearcats, we are going to talk about
UC versus Arizona coming up, a game that I think
a lot of people are kind of overlooking. Yeah, spend
a few minutes on Texas Tech and BYU, a game
to shape the Big twelve race and the play of
the year in college football, turned in by Omar Cooper
of Indiana University.

Speaker 3 (38:01):
Joe Burrow is back.

Speaker 4 (38:02):
He is practicing limited capacity, not exactly doing eleven on
eleven work, but the window is open for him to
play in these next twenty one days, and theoretically he
could still practice and they could decide after twenty one
days to bag the whole thing entirely. We will see
Bengals and Steelers on Sunday at one o'clock. Pittsburgh loses.

(38:24):
Last night, Baltimore wins. I saw something yesterday that I
thought had probably never happened, but it actually had twenty
five years ago. A team playing at home getting eight
fall starts incredible, like the Minnesota Vikings did yesterday.

Speaker 5 (38:40):
I one of the more puzzling things in the NFL
is what Minnesota is doing at quarterback, yeah, because to me,
it's almost like they're allowing the greatness of Kevin O'Connell
to like who you are a huge, huge fan of Yeah,
and on the defensive side of the ball floors as well.
But it's like, right, well, he's such a great coach

(39:02):
that we don't have to get a great quarterback. We
can just out coach, Like, just get a good quarterback.
Doesn't have to be like elite Hall of Fame level quarterback,
just get a good one.

Speaker 7 (39:14):
I've seen an I don't think J. J. McCarthy's that guy.
I really don't.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
I've never felt at that point, yestually watching that game
like Baltimore was in trouble.

Speaker 4 (39:24):
No, although they've had so many sort of dumb meltdown
quarter losses that the door was. It may have been
the worst like two minute drill I've ever watched a
team run with Minnesota's last offensive drive. The amount of
time they were wasting and taking their time, it just
it was awful. I just I don't understand how if

(39:44):
you're Minnesota you can't just go get a top tier
quarterback and then use Justin Jefferson and Kevin O'Connell in
a way the best one bring out there. At You
would argue they had one Sam Dark Yeah, moved on,
They mean one would nothing.

Speaker 7 (40:00):
Talking about a team right now?

Speaker 3 (40:01):
Right they had one. Seattle's a wagon.

Speaker 5 (40:04):
For thirty eight in the first half, two defensive touchdowns yesterday,
just completely overmatched the Arizona Cardinals. I'll tell you the
NFC that the NFC playoffs are going to be insane, Yes,
because I can make a case for Seattle. The two
games tonight, or two teams tonight, Green Bay and Philly,
Tampa Detroit, the Rams Matthew Stafford right now I think

(40:27):
would be my MVP four touchdown passes in the last
three games each. Like the NFC from top to bottom
is incredible right now, Like that is going to be
cinema in the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (40:38):
So with JJ McCarthy, it's not that dissimilar from Des Ritter,
where I watched a lot more Dez than I did
to J McCarthy. But I remember, after having watched him
at Michigan, where he had a terrific career, won a
national championship. But after having watched him at Michigan, when

(40:58):
you would hear people talk about a first round grade
on him, I'm no talent evaluator by any stretch, but
I would go like, really, and you know, Des was
not taken in the first round, but there was quote
first round buzz around Des and I remember going, man,
I love him, Yeah, but I watched every snap and
I don't know that he's a starting caliber quarterback in

(41:19):
the NFL. I think JJ McCarthy is a better quarterback,
better pro prospect, but not a great pro prospect.

Speaker 3 (41:26):
Baltimore's defense, the Bears, Yeah, you know what, they do.

Speaker 7 (41:32):
It again, William finding ways to get it done.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
They do it again. Coaching matters.

Speaker 4 (41:36):
They come back and beat the Giants yesterday caused Brian
Daballa's job with Baltimore. In the first half of the
first half of the season, the defense was Bengals esque.
Last four games, they have allowed twenty points or fewer
in each. They have won three of those four games.
They are now the odds on favorite to win the
AFC North. They've gotten healthier. They have to do everything

(41:58):
safety and in Brian Hamilton, but they Kyle Hamilton, they
you're allowed to get better on defense within a season.
There can be incremental improvements, and they have two great
safeties because they took Starks, the kid that we talked
a lot about in the in the run up to
the draft, and not from what they were to what

(42:21):
they are now. So my question is, can we can
we see something similar take hold here?

Speaker 7 (42:27):
I hope so. Have you seen any of the groundwork
for that yet?

Speaker 5 (42:31):
Absolutely not, because when I look at the Ravens, I've
thought nothing adds up because they've actually got talented players
over there, like Kyle Hamilton's a really good player, Marlon
has a good corner. Alex Ki Starks I thought was
a great prospect. Rokwan Smith is a great linebacker. Your
thought they got to figure it out at some point.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Similar to what I thought.

Speaker 5 (42:50):
I just don't see that talent on the Bengals roster.
And to to your Ravens point, they come out, they
play Cleveland next, and then the Jets. I mean they're
gonna right back over five hundred the Jets. By the way,
did you see justin fields line yesterday? His idea, his
final stat line had Granted he had a forty two

(43:11):
yard touchdown pass to Breeze Hall. He finished six of
eleven for fifty six yards.

Speaker 4 (43:17):
Yeah, in a win.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
And by the way, they don't win.

Speaker 4 (43:21):
The good players they traded were not offensive guys.

Speaker 5 (43:25):
Correct, I've never seen anything six of eleven under sixty
yards and one was a forty two yard completion to
the running back.

Speaker 4 (43:34):
How many points did they score here?

Speaker 5 (43:37):
Seventy thirty nine, thirty nine points and then from that
to two defensive touchdowns to get to twenty seven on
the Browns.

Speaker 4 (43:48):
Well, if you look at the bengals last three games
in Chicago, did come back and win that game yesterday,
but we're talking about a Pittsburgh team that the Bengals
did beat, that scored a garbage time touchdown late.

Speaker 3 (43:59):
Yet yesterday was on the.

Speaker 4 (44:01):
Verge of scoring just three points against the Chargers, the Jets,
who have bookended just total ineptitude with a Bengals game
in the middle where they had their way with Cincinnati's
defense in the second half, and then the Bears last week.
And that's the scary thing about the next few games
for me is you're struggling to beat now. Caleb Williams

(44:23):
and the Bears are interesting and they've got some good weaponry,
but Roman Dunze wasn't a big factor in the Bengals game, right.
They didn't have their top running back Swift. The issue
with the bad defense is how you can make a
bad offense be good and a decent offense be great.
They're gonna play some like MVP candidate guys here in the.

Speaker 5 (44:42):
Company, and like, if you're Pittsburgh right now, like this
is like, man, thankfully we got the Bengals to get
ourselves back, right, That's what the talk has to be. Yeah,
as bad as yesterday was, all right, well, the Bengals
are coming in, so let's get right on offense because
if not, then there's a big issue.

Speaker 7 (44:59):
In I think of it.

Speaker 5 (45:01):
Like we talked about the NFC side, and we you know,
there's a pipe dream and a small percentage chance of
how can the Bengals get themselves back in and can
the Bengals buy for a playoff spot. I already wonder
about teams in the AFC that I think are playoff
teams getting in, like right now if the season ended, indeed, Denver,
New England, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Jacksonville the seven playoff teams.

(45:25):
I think Kansas City's a playoff team. I think Baltimore's
a playoff team, but that would require two teams that
are in to fall out. Which teams in the AFC
right now do you see falling out? I don't know
if Jacksonville's got stay in power. Can you lose twenty
six nothing to Davis Mills in the fourth quarter, That
could be one that kind of breaks your season. But

(45:45):
I don't think Buffalo is gonna fall all the way out.
The Chargers. I give the Chargers a ton of credit
because they've lost two extremely talented tackles and have found
a way to be seven to three. And by the way,
I think the Chargers their next two they play the
Race and the Jags. So I think the Chargers will
be just fine. But if you're Kansas City, Baltimore, if

(46:07):
you're even Cincinnati, in Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and then who else
would melt down for you to have.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
A spot at the table. That's the hard part.

Speaker 5 (46:17):
The numbers are extremely hard in the AFC right now,
and not a lot of great teams at the top.

Speaker 4 (46:22):
I mean from a Buffalo perspective, you do look at
their schedule and it's challenging. Tampa Bay and home at Houston.
The Texans are plucky. Their offensive line is terrible, but
certainly have some interesting players on offense. Davis Mills, I
don't know how much I would call him interesting, but

(46:44):
was really good yesterday. And they have to go to Pittsburgh,
which is not going to be easy. They have to
host the Bengals at New England. They still have the
Eagles on their schedule. Like I think the Bills are
a little shaky. Kansas City, I don't know, you would
expect to mean terrible start, then Mahomes plays like Mahomes again,

(47:04):
and now it's you know, they're on the outside looking in.

Speaker 5 (47:07):
But for the Chiefs, they play at Denver this week,
right and then Indy, so I mean, let's just if
you look at where the Chiefs are and everyone just
seems to think Kansas City will get it right, if
they lose the next two they're five and six, that
math becomes a lot harder. And that's a team that
still has the Chargers the Broncos twice. They got to

(47:30):
go on the road to the coup. Like, there's just
there's still a lot.

Speaker 7 (47:33):
That can play out.

Speaker 5 (47:34):
But from a numbers standpoint, it would not only take
the Bengals being a lot better, it would take some
other teams collapsing down the stretch. You so, like Joe Sah,
you look at the AFC North if you.

Speaker 4 (47:51):
Well, yes, but I mean like to attach a number
that they would get in without having to lean on
a tie breaker. You got to get to ten, yeah,
which means they can lose just one more game. Now
they would win the head to head tiebreaker with Jacksonville.
If they were to beat the Buffalo Bills and being
a tiebreaker with them, they would win the head to
head tiebreaker with Buffalo. But to get in as a
wild card, they have to win all but one game

(48:14):
right to win the AFC North, nine wins may do it.

Speaker 3 (48:20):
This division's not great. Nine wins may do it.

Speaker 5 (48:22):
What Joe alluded to that today, I mean Joe's quote was,
it will be very hard for us to be a
wild card team.

Speaker 6 (48:28):
Right.

Speaker 5 (48:29):
The AFC North is a priority. And again, as bad
as it's been, you've taken care of business in the
AFC North so far this year.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
And if you win one on Sunday, it's you head
to head with Pittsburgh as in the bag.

Speaker 7 (48:41):
Correct, see, and we're talking ourselves back mo so.

Speaker 4 (48:45):
But to get to nine wins, you gotta go six
and two. Yeah, how much money would you put on
this tackling six and two the rest.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
Of the way.

Speaker 7 (48:54):
I think I'd probably invested elsewhere.

Speaker 4 (48:57):
I mean, like, and I know what folks are gonna do.
They're gonna clan to what they did last year. Yes, well,
they won five straight games.

Speaker 7 (49:04):
I want this team. You don't want to see him.

Speaker 3 (49:05):
I would look at.

Speaker 4 (49:06):
Those five games versus any five game stretch they have
remaining and go, it ain't apples to apples.

Speaker 5 (49:13):
Give me the last three, Miami, Arizona, Cleveland. Sure, if
you can get you to what six?

Speaker 4 (49:20):
If you can get me to that, if you can
win four to the next five, yes, because that gets
you to get you seven.

Speaker 5 (49:29):
And then you finish with I think three winnable games.

Speaker 3 (49:33):
Yeah, Miami on the road, Arizona, Cleveland here yep.

Speaker 5 (49:37):
And again that Miami game may be totally different because
that Miami team that I watched yesterday looked completely different
than the Miami team that I thought was ready to
roll over completely going into that week. I mean, they
dominated Buffalo.

Speaker 4 (49:50):
So the variable here is Baltimore playing well, improved defensively,
softest schedule.

Speaker 5 (49:57):
And we've talked about this team's and ability to tackle,
and they've not been asked to tackle Derek Henry and
Lamar Jackson this year. They've not been asked to tackle
you know, James Cook and Josh Allen this year. They've
not been able to tackle, which no one could do. Yesterday,
a Trayvon Henderson for New England running at a high level.

(50:20):
We already watched them make, you know, Pat Fryermouth and
Aaron Rodgers look like you know, Mahomes and Kelsey in
their prime. So, as you the main point that I
took today and as you've driven in, it's not like
you've got this schedule shaping up to where you're going
to be favored in six of the next seven. Right,

(50:40):
your schedule alone, even if Burrow's the quarterback this week,
is daunting. The schedule alone with this defense unless there
is a major major change, I just don't see how
the defense, even if Burrow's back, can do enough.

Speaker 4 (50:57):
A team that has lost six out of its last
seven games has to play three of its next four
on the road. Three of the quarterbacks they have played
or will play have won the MVP Award, and Drake
may may win it this year. Yeah, like, all right,
Burrow is practicing. That is awesome. I think the reason

(51:19):
why the excitement is muted is three and six, how
they've looked and who they have to play.

Speaker 5 (51:26):
And I also, like before the Borough news broke today,
what I was gonna talk about was like, there are
the cast of teams you always know are gonna be
tough to beat. I have seen North, You're gonna bounce
back next year. You would imagine Cleveland has done a
great job drafting, They're gonna be poised to be in
a better spot. But now all of a sudden, I'm
looking at Indy, New England, Denver. Now there's new teams

(51:49):
to the party. Chargers are gonna get healthy, Kansas City
will still be there with Mahomes, Josh Allen and Buffalo.
All of a sudden, you start to think, like, well,
it's not just about getting like you've got to make
steps to make sure you're staying competitive in the AFC
as a whole, because there are teams right now that
have kind of taken the AFC by storm that you
weren't counting on. Look at the top of the AFC Indian,

(52:10):
New England and Depper Before the year it was what Baltimore, Buffalo,
Kansas City. All of a sudden, there's a lot more
teams at the at the table that you're gonna have
to answer to, not just this year, but in the
coming years. Are you equipping yourself the best way to
compete going forward, not only the rest of this year,
but going forward Like that, to me, that's the most

(52:32):
fascinating thing, Like if the if you're putting your money
down today AFC, who do you still have at the
top to win like right now, to win the conference?
Teams come what team comes out of the AFC. Indy,
you like your that because like part of me is
like still got to go through Mahomes, Like until I

(52:52):
see it differently. Somebody's got to beat Mahomes, and two
weeks from now it could be Buffalo because they could
turn it around and play great. Sure, Baltimore could go
on a run. Okay, there's still part of me that's
and it's crazy because they're not even in the playoff field. Right,
there's still part of me that's like Kansas City.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
No, it's just you say the same thing about them
we said about the Bengals in December last year. Right,
if you're hosting a playoff game and Number nine comes
walking in, you don't feel great. It's the same about
number fifteen. But having watched a half season, the team
that has most consistently impressed me with the way they
can throw it, run it and play bed but don't
break defense. And they just got a great corner added

(53:32):
to them. Yeh, I'll take the Colts. Yeah, twenty five
after four. Hold the thought there on next year because
I want to get to that. Coming up in ten
minutes on the Tony and Mo Football Show, twin Peaks
in Westchester, ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (53:44):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (53:49):

Speaker 9 (53:52):
You'll find more options and clinical trials for paintcreatic cancer
Fast call five one three five eighty five u CCC
in Walton on northbound seventy one at the exit ramp
to northbound seventy one. Seventy five is shut down due
to an accident on westbound seventy forts an accident after

(54:13):
new Haven Road and on Burnett Avenue. In accident at
Forest Avenue. I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 10 (54:20):
This report is sponsored Bass Football in the NATI, brought
to you by Modern Office Methods on ESPN fifteen point thirty,
the official.

Speaker 11 (54:30):
Home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (54:33):
Joe Burrow back practicing limited capacity for Cincinnati twenty one
day window in which he can work out without coming
against the fifty three men roster. We're at Twin Peaks
in Westchester. By the way, When you come on out
and join us, you get great food, great service, cold
beerd You could also scan the QR code for the
SIMS Furniture Ultimate Fan Cave giveaway, where we are giving

(54:56):
away a recliner, a fifty five inch television, a TV
console that has an electric fireplace and area, rug and
end table that's got speakers built in. This whole package
retails at over three thousand dollars. You could sign up
here thanks to SIMS Furniture, you can win that entire thing.
Would be like remodeling your living room or your basement,
your man cave, whatever it is. So do that when

(55:19):
you get here to Twin Peaks in Westchester. We are
here till six. Tony and Moe Football Show on ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 11 (55:29):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 8 (55:41):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (55:45):

Speaker 9 (55:48):
fast call five one three five eighty five u CCC.
Good news out of the Alton area. Northbound seventy one.
The off ramp to northbound seventy one seventy five has
now been reopened.

Speaker 1 (56:06):
The accident.

Speaker 9 (56:07):
They're cleared away northbound seventy five near seventh Street. There's
an accident and on westbound seventy four, another accident after
New Haven Road on that eazelic with traffic.

Speaker 10 (56:18):
This report is spine Well, he's.

Speaker 2 (56:20):
Taylor versus Tumlin in the Steel City. The Bengals look
to toss the Steelers into the recycling bin. There's a
lot I can say about Pittsburgh, but none of it
can be set on the radio. The Bengals slug it
out with the Steelers. Sunday coverage begins at nine am,
stream for free on the new and improved iHeartRadio app

(56:41):
or ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (56:50):
Sports headlines are a service of Kelsey Chevrolet, home of
lifetime powertrain protection and Kartee credit approval from their family
to yours for life Kelsey chef dot com. Joe Burrow
has returned to practice in a limited capacity. He is
a twenty one day window that is now open that
he could practice without counting against the active roster Bengals

(57:11):
and Steelers on Sunday. Zact Taylor Today said quote not
looking at him playing on Sunday. Also Today said that
Trey Hendrickson believed to be doubtful for that game against
the Steelers. You'll hear it live on ESPN fifteen thirty
kickoff at one o'clock. Linebacker Brian Assamoa has been added
to the active roster off the practice squad, and Cincinnati
signs linebacker Antoine Powell Ryland to the practice squad. A

(57:34):
rookie from Virginia Tech drafted in the sixth round by
Philadelphia this year, played in five games Eagles and Packers.
Tonight the Push Push Bowl.

Speaker 7 (57:43):
Wow, it's a big one tonight.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
It is good game of the NSF.

Speaker 5 (57:47):
We talked about NFC's nuts. It is NFC is great
from top to bottom.

Speaker 4 (57:52):
The Giants aren't great, so they fired their coach, Brian Daball.
College basketball Tonight, the Xavier host Santa Clara at eight
point thirty on seven hundre WLW. The game time for
FC Cincinnati's conference semifinal tilt against Miami has been said.
They'll play at the Soccer Venue in the West End
of Cincinnati on Sunday, the twenty third of November at

(58:13):
five PM and hockey tonight, the Blue Jackets try to
snap a three game losing streak skating tonight at Edmonton.

Speaker 5 (58:21):
Double Dip Yes Sunday, Bengals Patriots yep. Right from there
to the west end.

Speaker 3 (58:28):
You could pull it off.

Speaker 6 (58:29):
Yep.

Speaker 7 (58:29):
It's doable.

Speaker 4 (58:30):
It is doable. Street car gets you there, Street Carl'll
get you there. Uber will get you there. Walking will
get you there. You think walking would make.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
It, You can walk from absolutely.

Speaker 4 (58:44):
I used to live in the Turret Lost building, which
is right next to TQL Stadium, so I walk from
that building to PBS a few times. Yeah, it's do
Double dip might be kind of cold. Hopefully it's not
a daylight today, We'll see double dip. Let's see Tony
and Mo Football Show, ESPN fifteen thirty. You want to
do some college stuff in the five o'clock hour.

Speaker 7 (59:06):
I got that.

Speaker 4 (59:07):
But you brought this up as it relates to the Bengals,
and I'm here for the very small surge of optimism
that came with finding out that Joe Burrow is back
in the practice field. That is a good thing. But
you talked about like the AFC this year, which is
wide open for the season. It was, well, there's a
big three. It's Buffalo, Kansas City and Baltimore. Who else

(59:29):
joins them? And I'm not sure any of those three
teams would make up a Big Three right now. So
the AFC is wide open, but you've got good franchises
who are probably going to reload. You've got teams that
are that feel like they're kind of set for long
ish term success.

Speaker 3 (59:45):
Here's my question.

Speaker 4 (59:46):
The Bengals don't have a championship roster right now. Would
you agree correct? Can you turn that in one year?
Can you go from what the Bengals were prior to
this season, which was a team that we thought had
a chance to be pretty good, but we weren't talking
about in championship terms, to a team that this year
as maybe the worst defense in the history of the sport,

(01:00:08):
to one that next year is legitimately thought of as
a Super Bowl championship.

Speaker 5 (01:00:13):
Contender without any major changes in the staff. I don't
think so, Like say what you want, Duke Tobin has
not been able to get this together, and it's not
just been under Joe Burrow. After Carson signed his deal,
they had a under five hundred record and the remaining
tenure of Carson Palmer, after Andy Dalton's deal under five

(01:00:36):
hundred in the remaining tenure of Andy Dalton, and since
Burrow signed his deal, they're now under five hundred in
the tenure, so it's not just been a flash in
the pan. Duke Tobin has been fantastic when it comes
to putting a roster together.

Speaker 7 (01:00:49):
With a quarterback on a team friendly deal.

Speaker 5 (01:00:52):
When you got to pay the quarterback and in their case,
you got to pay both wide receivers, how are you
able to build that roster successful? They've not done it
in the draft. They've hit on some free agents, but
they've also missed on decisions like they are still reeling
from letting Andrew Whitworth go, they are still reeling from
letting Jesse Bates go. It's just where where is the

(01:01:17):
equity been built up that they can get this thing
turned around and build it And to your point, like
Buffalo's gonna have staying power as long as Josh Allen's
the quarterback. New England Drake May rookie quarterback, that's gonna
be easy, easier to build around. In the AFC North,
I don't expect Pittsburgh to disappear for long in the

(01:01:39):
AFC North. I don't expect the Baltimore Ravens to go
anywhere in the South Indy like they've got it with
Daniel Jones. They just went all in with Sauce Gardner
not going anywhere anytime soon, and and and the rest
of the South, Like I think Cohen's a good spot
in Jacksonville, Houston's an interesting team. And then in the West,

(01:02:03):
as long as Mahomes is the quarterback, they'll have a say.
The Chargers under Harball with Herbert and getting their two
tackles back next year, are going to have a significant
seat at the table. And the Denver Broncos right now
have the longest winning streak and football with the New
England Patriots. So like is it's becoming harder and harder

(01:02:24):
and harder. I mentioned this before going into this year.
It was Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, That's all anyone talks about.
And now you're talking about much deeper AFC. And it
doesn't feel like any of the teams we just talked
about are one and done type teams. It feels like
they're here to be competitive going forward. What do you
have for the Bengals that makes you think, Okay, they're

(01:02:45):
going to be able to reload in a year with
how bad this defense is and probably still figure out
things on the offensive line and get it fixed.

Speaker 4 (01:02:53):
And I'm not interested in Hey, next year if they
missed the postseason this year, year year, they can get
to nine wins. Ah, that's not as the seventh. This
is super winning a championship. And I think that's the
issue right now. It feels like they are so far
away A with the roster, B with the the landscape

(01:03:16):
of the AFC and C with what you just outlined,
the poor track record of Duke Tobin trying to build
Super Bowl championship teams when he's got the quarterback under
a second deal. Do you think though, that if the
Bengals moved on from Duke Tobin, that his success or
whoever that is, could put the Bengals in a position

(01:03:41):
to compete for a championship next year? Like, is that
undertaking doable if you hired the right guy?

Speaker 5 (01:03:47):
I think so yeah, Because again I think the biggest
disconnect has been scheme versus personnel. So if a new
guy is coming in, that has to be the first
thing you're on. Is Zach the head coach? And if so,
does the g matched the scheme and personnel roster that
they want to run with. This roster doesn't match with

(01:04:08):
the scheme. It doesn't the way the offensive line is
a symbol doesn't match with who they are offensively, defense
meshes nowhere together, and again to me, it's you know,
people go back. Well, Duke Tobin was the executive of
the year. I get that, Duke Tobin, and I pulled
the stat up. Duke Tobin has always built a competitive

(01:04:29):
team until he's had to pay the quarterback. Carson Palmer
got paid in two thousand and five after that thirty
three and forty six, one playoff appearance and a loss.
Andy Dalton got paid in twenty fourteen, thirty three and
forty six after that one playoff appearance and a loss.
Since Joe Burrow got paid zero playoff appearances and they're
twelve and fourteen, Like that is that's a track record.

(01:04:53):
Great when you got a rookie deal. Bad after that,
this team and they've not been able to figure out
how to formulate the roster when you've got to pay
a quarterback a lot of money and not only a quarterback,
a wide.

Speaker 7 (01:05:06):
Receiver, two wide receivers. Yeah, so top end money.

Speaker 5 (01:05:08):
So that that's an uphill battle, right, So you have
to do what draft well.

Speaker 4 (01:05:13):
Well, yeah, you have to try to build the team
moving forward the same way that Duke Tobin has tried
to build the team the last couple of years and
has failed miserably. So why am I to believe that
if you give him more cracks of doing the same thing,
that he's going to achieve better results.

Speaker 3 (01:05:27):
You can't.

Speaker 5 (01:05:28):
And for years it was what it was, Well, you
can't pay Whitworth and still put this team together. You
can't pay Jesse Bates and still put this team together,
and then it will well you can't pay Tea and
then keep trying like it's always something. You can't do
this and have that. Good teams find a way to
make it work. Good teams find a way to build
the roster. Good teams find a way to identify talent

(01:05:49):
in the draft. That again I went. I mentioned this
with Jack Sawyer last week. I watched Ohio State play,
and when I watched Ohio State play, I thought to myself,
Jack Sawyer is a good football play. Jack Sawyer is
one of the highest graded rookies in the National Football
League right now heading out. He was directed in the
fourth round. A lot of teams passed on him. But

(01:06:12):
all we're told here normally is other's The numbers just
don't match he's a step slow or doesn't jump as
the explosiveness, you know, undersized. Instead, all we're told is
what measurables. Going back to John Ross, what about John
Ross other than you had the fastest forty made him
a viable option? What about Shamar Stewart this year? Four

(01:06:35):
and a half sacks in three years at college? But man,
look at the physical traits that you cannot rely on
that when you're trying to build a super Bowl winning team,
you can't just rely on Well, the production wasn't there,
but we'll get it out of him.

Speaker 3 (01:06:50):
Here, go get guys at play Like.

Speaker 5 (01:06:52):
You watch enough football, you can turn on a game
and see, Okay, that guy's a playmaker.

Speaker 7 (01:06:57):
That's not Rodriguez from Texas Tech.

Speaker 5 (01:07:00):
I'm sure there'll be people that's why he's a little
bit undersize, or maybe he's a step slow. I watch
that guy and I think that dude can make place.
Give me eleven of those guys on the defensive side
of the ball that are productive and not just well,
we got to develop and the physical traits are there.
Because I heard that with Miles Murphy, heard that with Josephosai,
I've heard that with Shamar Stewart. I heard a lot

(01:07:22):
about Barret Carter and Demetrius Knight. They're smart because they're older.
The trade stuff just is give me production, Give me
guys that produce and win in college and build your
team that way.

Speaker 7 (01:07:35):
I don't trust right now that Duke Tobin can do that.

Speaker 4 (01:07:38):
And I don't maybe, but I don't envision a scenario
where the Bengals shift their priorities when it comes to
what they prefer with kids coming out of college.

Speaker 3 (01:07:52):
I just maybe I'm wrong.

Speaker 4 (01:07:54):
Maybe the bottoming out, of the bottoming out of the
defense and all the failed draft choices in recent years
is gonna compel Duke Tobin to go. You know what,
I need to focus more on what the guy does
in games. I need to look at the statute. I
need to actually watch the tape of the game itself, sure,
instead of, you know, paying attention to the raw measurables.

(01:08:15):
But I don't think that's gonna happen, right I think
this is a franchise that is famously stubborn. Duke Tobin
is a big part of this franchise. My guess is
next year, in the draft, at some point early we're
gonna hear about a guy who's a little bit of
a project.

Speaker 7 (01:08:30):
Oh but but I mean you see his forty.

Speaker 4 (01:08:32):
Marcus Hunt was drafted by this team in twenty thirteen.
And what I remember about Marcus Hunt was, you know
what he is great throwing the shot put?

Speaker 7 (01:08:44):
Yeah, do you see his broad jump?

Speaker 4 (01:08:46):
But when you get to look at this dude's frame
and I go, yeah, but at SMU he didn't make
any plays. Well, he was really good at blocking kicks. Like,
that's neat took a guy in the second round because
he could throw the shot put in block kicks.

Speaker 5 (01:08:59):
Right, That was that who It's been twelve years ago.
Like Miles Murphy. You go to a training camp practice.
You look at Miles Murphy like that guy's got to
be an all pro, Yes, but he didn't produce. It's
one thing to look that way. It's one thing to
have the measurables. You also got to be a football player. Like,

(01:09:20):
there are guys that can make up with a little
lack of explosiveness just because they're smart. Like I go
back to a guy that I got to watch, Luke
Keigley was never gonna win a forty yard dash. He
probably wasn't gonna be the most explosive guy in the
room wasn't going to be the most athletic, but he's
the smartest, yeah, and he knew what was coming, so
he could.

Speaker 7 (01:09:40):
Get a head start that way.

Speaker 5 (01:09:41):
Like, there are ways to get around just raw athleticism
and the problem they've just not been able.

Speaker 7 (01:09:47):
To develop the players they've drafted.

Speaker 5 (01:09:50):
And then when you do take a chance on a
Shamar Stewart, you can't have the guy sit out all
off season Like that just makes it worse. Right, here's
a guy that had four and a half sacks in
three years and he's not gonna do anything in the offseason,
but then he's gonna be really a guy that you
got to rely on to help win games.

Speaker 4 (01:10:08):
I guess the frustrating thing about Shamar Stewart in particular
is it was a really good class of edge guys.

Speaker 5 (01:10:14):
Oh right, yep, you know, I watched Dophin Azeraku. I
mean there's but that's the same thing we're talking about.
We talked about last week about what receivers from last
year's draft, and we're talking about Jermaine Burton that's not
dressed like McKinley Jackson. It just it goes on and
on with so many different it's not one position specific,

(01:10:34):
it's just it's been a comedy of airs.

Speaker 4 (01:10:37):
It is eight away from five o'clock where a Twin
Peaks in Westchester. It's a Toni and Mo football show.
The Power Hour is still ahead on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 8 (01:10:45):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:10:50):

Speaker 9 (01:10:53):
care at the UC Cancer Center at a see an
opinion fast call five one three five eighty five u CCC.
Good news out of the Walton area. Northbound seventy one.
The off ramp to northbound seventy one seventy five has
now been reopened. The accident they are cleared away northbound

(01:11:14):
seventy five near seventh Street there's an accident. And on
westbound seventy four another accident after New Haven Road on
that eazelic with traffic.

Speaker 8 (01:11:23):
Sure this nationwide keyword on our website.

Speaker 3 (01:11:26):
Credit that's credit. Enter it now.

Speaker 2 (01:11:30):
This is the Tony and Mo Football Show Live from
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home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (01:12:13):
It is the bud Light five o'clock Happy Hour, the
Power Hour of the Tony and Mo Football Show at
Twin Peaks in Westchester, the bye week edition. We are
here until six o'clock when the Mark Stopes radio show
comes your way.

Speaker 3 (01:12:25):
I want to win.

Speaker 4 (01:12:26):
Yes, we're here till six. We're back in Florence next week.
Bengals did not lose yesterday, so they couldn't ruin our weekends.

Speaker 5 (01:12:36):
But although it was closer than I expected it to
be with the bye bye, I mean they played a
good second half.

Speaker 3 (01:12:43):
Hard to slow down.

Speaker 4 (01:12:43):
Yeah, Twin Peaks, you got a good Monday night football
game tonight, Packers and Eagles.

Speaker 3 (01:12:50):
You got to Xavier basketball tonight.

Speaker 4 (01:12:52):
The Musketeers playing a later game against Santa Clara at
A thirty. You can watch boat those and so much
more here at A Twin Peaks in Westchester. We love
the staff, we love the food. The beer selection is
top notch. All we are missing is you? So come
on out and see is right off the Union Center
Boulevard exit off I seventy five. Joe Burrow back practicing

(01:13:13):
limited capacity. He's not gonna play on Sunday. That's what
Zach Taylor says. Here's what I want to know. What
will the Bengals record be on Thanksgiving morning? Bengals play
Baltimore that day. I think the target is for Joe
Burrow to come back and play against the Ravens. Yeah,

(01:13:35):
they have two games at Pittsburgh, home for New England.
Little Twitter poll, Oh thanks to night at Heartland Insurance
check out you someone could just go to yeah i
ns dot com vote and vote right now. Just posted it.
Five and six, four and seven, three and eight or

(01:13:56):
a tie will be involved.

Speaker 5 (01:13:58):
Oh oh, four and seven. Find a way to win
one of the next two. I don't see a I
don't see a path that they win both. Yeah, I

(01:14:19):
think I would lean four and seven.

Speaker 3 (01:14:21):
If they are four and seven.

Speaker 4 (01:14:24):
And Joe has responded well to practice and he's getting better,
and he's in a place physically and mentally where he
thinks he could.

Speaker 3 (01:14:32):
Play against Baltimore, would you run him out there.

Speaker 5 (01:14:36):
At four and seven? There will still probably be a chance,
knowing Joe Burrow, like Joe Burrow is going to put
himself out there, So yeah, I think he'll still be
out there. I worry because so much of what we've
built the Joe Flacco conversation with is the under center stuff.

(01:14:56):
I just don't I just don't view Joe is saying
I'm gonna come back and know I'm gonna go under center,
especially with the left toe. Like I just logistic wise,
if you're lining up under center, the left foot is
what you're gonna push off of every time you get
away from center. I just don't think you want to
mess with that as much. Right, So then you're gonna
have to go back and resort to what shotgun, which

(01:15:18):
the running game couldn't get going in shotgun.

Speaker 7 (01:15:20):
The old line struggled with the shotgun.

Speaker 5 (01:15:22):
I just think you're running yourself in circles because I
don't think the old line's good enough.

Speaker 6 (01:15:27):
Now.

Speaker 5 (01:15:27):
Do I think they'll put him back out there? Absolutely,
it's a way to I mean people are gonna come
and want to watch that anyway. Even I think if
they're three and eight, they'll put them out there.

Speaker 6 (01:15:37):
I don't think.

Speaker 3 (01:15:37):
I don't agree with it, but I think they will.
At three and eight.

Speaker 4 (01:15:41):
I would tell Joe, here's a ball cap, correct said,
enjoy watching Joe Flacca.

Speaker 7 (01:15:46):
What would be his response?

Speaker 3 (01:15:48):
He wouldn't be happy about it. That's fine. I don't
want him to be.

Speaker 5 (01:15:50):
But that's the same thing like he wasn't happy about
the under center conversation, and they came back and didn't
go under center again, even though we saw Jake Browning
have success running under center, so like we've already seen
this before. Of well, they operate better than but Joe
don't like to do it, and they're gonna do what
Joe is wanting to do.

Speaker 7 (01:16:10):
So I think overall that's my concern.

Speaker 4 (01:16:12):
I think, if if he could play, as long as
they are mathematically alive, if he can play, if they're
mathematically alive, which they're they're not gonna be mathematically eliminated
from a playoff spot if they lose their next two.
He's gonna play.

Speaker 6 (01:16:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:16:27):
I mean, it's not like they benched him last year
towards the end of the year because they had a
mathematical chance of making the postseason until the very last game.

Speaker 5 (01:16:34):
Three and eight with six to go would almost be
mathematically eliminated.

Speaker 4 (01:16:39):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:16:41):
I think I think ten has to be the number.

Speaker 3 (01:16:43):
To get it as a wild card.

Speaker 7 (01:16:44):
Yes, you only got six games left.

Speaker 4 (01:16:47):
Yeah, but then nine and eight. Can nine and eight
get the division?

Speaker 6 (01:16:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:16:52):
I think it's a fascinating conversation when you talk about
what Joe wants versus what the team wants. Yeah, Joe
is very powerful. He's the reason why T Higgins is
on this roster. But you are allowed to tell him no.
And like, I expect the guy to want to play.
He's a competitive dude. He loves to play, Like I

(01:17:15):
expect him to want to play. I appreciate that the
Bengals have to protect their investment. He remains the most
important investment in the history of the franchise.

Speaker 7 (01:17:25):
Without a doubt.

Speaker 4 (01:17:25):
Putting him out there in games that don't count is irresponsible.

Speaker 5 (01:17:31):
Yeah, And my concern would be, what's the worst case
scenario he gets hurt again? He gets he goes out
there and he gets hurt again. Yeah, and then the
whole the conversation completely changes about your future as a franchise.
So yeah, it's hard to Again, this would be so
much easier had they just by scoring thirty eight and
forty two won both games. And they're five and four today, right,

(01:17:53):
and it's like five and four going to Pittsburgh sethons
back on.

Speaker 7 (01:17:57):
They're not.

Speaker 3 (01:17:58):
They are what their record shows.

Speaker 5 (01:17:59):
So you have to hold your players accountable with what's
best for the future of the franchise as well.

Speaker 4 (01:18:07):
And yet, despite what we have watched from this team
defensively all season long, despite the fact that they have
lost six out of seven games, despite the fact that
the five and a half point Dogs winning in Pittsburgh
is not inconceivable.

Speaker 5 (01:18:23):
No, and if that's the case, it's not. If that's
the case, then it's okay. New England's good, right, But
can they find a way at home to beat New England,
get a lead? Make drake Drake may play from behind,
like there are conversations that you open yourself up to
if you've been if you win in Pittsburgh, but you
got to know what you're like We've talked for years
about matching intensity, Like you know, Mike Tomlin carries this

(01:18:47):
week differently in Pittsburgh.

Speaker 4 (01:18:48):
Yeah, but you know what, and you know, at five
and four, I'll say this, I don't buy that nearly
as much.

Speaker 5 (01:18:53):
I think they understand they're playing for their their season now. Yeah,
like Baltimore is on their heel.

Speaker 6 (01:19:00):
Uh huh.

Speaker 5 (01:19:02):
I don't know if it's a different level of like
that they looked last night unfocused, they looked last night
ill prepared. Is that the same team you see? Like
I was shocked when they came here. They ran man
a man as much as they did right they got torched.
Is it a team that now swallow takes their medicine
and says, Okay, we're gonna go zone. We think we

(01:19:24):
can still score on this Bengals defense, but we're gonna
slow them down a little bit. Like I think there's
so many fascinating things about it. But you know, if
they find a way to win Sunday, then everyone jumps
back in.

Speaker 4 (01:19:35):
No, no, no question on my mind. That the Pittsburgh thing.
I know what that looks like. When the Mike Tomlin
team shows up and is which I thought they did
against Indy last week.

Speaker 3 (01:19:48):
Is there for a fight? Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:19:50):
I thought we would see it when they were here
because they had just beaten Cleveland and that that was
the chance.

Speaker 3 (01:19:54):
We talked about it going in.

Speaker 7 (01:19:57):
They could put a stranglehold on the North.

Speaker 4 (01:19:59):
Pretty much, and the AFC North Race at least put
Cincinnati out of its misery. Aaron Rodgers did a lot
of awesome things against the terrible Bengals defense. Pat Fryermuth
is an All Pro when he plays against Cincinnati. Yep,
But I didn't see it from Mike Tomlin's team last night.
Then I'm watching last night on Sunday Night Football, thinking,
you know what, if you're a Steeler fan, it's like

(01:20:20):
I already saw the Ravens win. We got that game
against the Colts. We saw Baltimore win. Our season effectively
starts tonight. Aaron Rodgers looked ancient. That team didn't bring
the level of physicality that you expect. Come back to
the playoff game last year, where the Baltimore Ravens didn't
exactly dive deep into the playbook. They basically said we're
gonna push you around, and they did. That was kind

(01:20:43):
of Pittsburgh's mom down the stretch last year. So look,
the Bengals against anybody, it's an uphill battle because defensively
they're atrocious.

Speaker 3 (01:20:52):
But what you.

Speaker 4 (01:20:52):
Expect the Steelers to be often hasn't been what they've been.
And I don't think that would be that surprising if
that was the case on Sunday.

Speaker 5 (01:21:00):
Yeah, I just you know here in Cincinnati, if they
can find a way to beat Pittsburgh, because then almost mentally,
you check yourself into Burrow will be back against Baltimore.
Can they get by a week? Can they find a
way to win one game they're probably not supposed to
win against New England and all of a sudden, it's

(01:21:21):
go time, let's go, let's make a run at to
down the stretch.

Speaker 4 (01:21:24):
Do you think Joe Burrow accelerated his recovery so he
could practice against the Bengals defense.

Speaker 5 (01:21:30):
I think that would go a long way in it.
I think him getting to practice against this first unit, Yeah,
probably gives him confidence that would be unmatched.

Speaker 4 (01:21:37):
Which, like you know what, I don't know how good
I'll be against the teams we play.

Speaker 5 (01:21:41):
I actually hope that UC would have done that during
the bye week. I was hoping that Scott Sadderfield was like, hey, pal,
your defense stinks. My offense needs to get this consistency thing.
Let's go at it. But the Bengals can never cover
tight ends. You think Joe Royer would get some touches
in that make believe scrimmage. He had one target, one catch.

Speaker 3 (01:22:00):
For you at sports Well check down.

Speaker 7 (01:22:03):
Yep, yep.

Speaker 5 (01:22:06):
But they had no answer on the outside. None, none, none.
Onso SyRS Allen had a field day.

Speaker 4 (01:22:12):
Let's talk about the Bearcats when we come back. Tony
and Mo Football Show twin Peaks in Westchester till six
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

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Speaker 11 (01:22:57):
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Speaker 4 (01:23:12):
Twenty two After five o'clock, It's the Tony and Me Football.

Speaker 3 (01:23:15):
Show on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:23:18):
We are broadcasting from Twin Peaks in Westchester. We're back
in Florence a week from today, the day after the
Bengals play the Pittsburgh Steelers next Monday. Will we be
talking about a big twelve showdown between Cincinnati and BYU,

(01:23:38):
both going in with one loss in the league.

Speaker 7 (01:23:42):
I think so.

Speaker 5 (01:23:43):
I mean, I think on the UC side of things,
if you take care of your business early and get
back to doing what you've done best, which is run
the ball, you swersby and get him comfortable the passing
game Ben, but don't break on the defensive side of
More importantly, special teams has to get back to who
they are. But I think I think they beat Arizona

(01:24:06):
BYU and this will this will hold true for UC
as well. That's a this is a tough spot for
b YU because you go Texas Tech. You got UC
next week. TCU is a good team. TCU can give
BYU some fits this weekend. They've got to get it
right as well. But yes, I think at this time
next week UC had won, BYU had won, and we're

(01:24:27):
talking about an opportunity to go into the final week
of the season with a chance to go to a
Big twelve title game.

Speaker 6 (01:24:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:24:35):
Obviously, Texas Tech beat BYU and beat him pretty soundly.
The Red Raiders right now, frankly, look like the best
team in the conference, and they only have two league
games remaining, and they're not against tough opponents West Virginia.

Speaker 5 (01:24:48):
I was told we went to lubback last year, and
I remember I was talking to someone at the dinner.
We went to a Texas Tech fan and he said,
if they can identify the correct talent, they will be
a perennial contender in this landscape of college sports. They
have spent seven million dollars on their defensive line. They

(01:25:12):
are a top ten offensive and defensive team in football.
They are a I think a top ten basketball team. Yeah,
like you think, Like it's what Jerry Jones Stadium that
they play in, Patrick Mahomes. They've got a lucrative deal
with Adidas. Are you trying to suck up the Joe
Walter They've got well this Joe and I might have

(01:25:33):
a side bet Hoppen, but they are. I think that
the thing is they've identified the talent and they've got
it right. They are as well balanced as you can get.
But like there's no there's no talk of donor fatigue
in Lubbock, Like that's not a thing there. It's oil
Jerry Jones, Patrick Mahomes, Like there is there's money down there,

(01:25:56):
like we we saw the facilities, we saw the press box,
the stadium. I just think they've identified the talent. Like
we talk about this with the Bengals, Like I think
they know like how they want to build the roster
based on how they want to play, and I think
that matches and messes with what they're doing right now.
They are they're twenty four and a half, their twenty

(01:26:17):
four faite point favorite. This week, they're gonna be big
favorites against West Virginia.

Speaker 7 (01:26:21):
Texas Tech's gonna.

Speaker 5 (01:26:22):
Play in Dallas. Yes you seeing BYU have a chance
to go at it if both take care of business
this weekend. To take one step further into who can
be that team that goes and plays Texas Tech.

Speaker 4 (01:26:33):
If the bear Cats went out, they'll play the Texas
Tech Red Raiders in Dallas. Will see how that goes.

Speaker 3 (01:26:38):
The Red Raiders have lost one game in the league.

Speaker 4 (01:26:40):
Their starting quarterback, Baron Morton didn't play against Arizona State.

Speaker 3 (01:26:43):
They lost that game by four. I'm curious.

Speaker 4 (01:26:49):
I guess what I'm curious about the Bearcats is how
much of what we saw against Utah is a one off?
The bad special teams play the turnovers, But more than anything,
Brendan Sows the middle of the season last year has
a bad game. Yep, never could put the toothpaste back
in the tube. Does the Utah game prove to be
just a bad night for him or is it the

(01:27:11):
beginning of a personal slide that the team is maybe
not quite good enough to help him recover from.

Speaker 5 (01:27:18):
Yeah, my worry with them. The two best defenses they've
played this year. Wide receivers have struggled like they were
couldn't get open. They were non existing against Nebraska, and
they left Brendan Soresby no room to throw deep balls
at Utah. I mean they were They were pushed out

(01:27:43):
physical at the wide receiver level outside of the Cyrus
Allen big play. Yeah, And what's been lacking or what
hasn't been lacking, is the rhythm offensively. Sworsby didn't really
use his legs against Utah. They were down Evan Pryor.
I thought that'd be more of a game plan. You
and I talk all the time about Joe Royer. It

(01:28:03):
felt like it was weird because as bad as it was,
it felt like the defense gave them chances. Yeah, they
cut it to ten. Defense got a pick. Yeah, and
the second half they.

Speaker 7 (01:28:12):
Got the ball back.

Speaker 5 (01:28:13):
But their margin for a Your margin for aer in
big games is minuscule. We said going into the Utah game,
you have no margin for air. And they had too
many swords be fumbled inside the twenty he threw another interception.
Special teams was a disaster. Too many things happen. You're
not gonna win a game like.

Speaker 6 (01:28:34):
That, right.

Speaker 5 (01:28:35):
Can you get back to who you've been for a
majority of the year, and more importantly, can you get
that like swagger and confidence back that they've carried themselves
with because that was gone last year.

Speaker 4 (01:28:46):
No outcome these final three games would surprise me.

Speaker 7 (01:28:50):
Yeah, I think that's the hard part.

Speaker 4 (01:28:52):
I mean, I certainly don't want this to happen. Yeah,
but if they lost the next three, yep, I don't
think that's a huge shock.

Speaker 7 (01:28:59):
I don't either.

Speaker 4 (01:29:00):
If they win the next three, I don't think that's
a huge shock.

Speaker 6 (01:29:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:29:05):
The possibilities kind of run the gamut. What that tells
me is they're probably not going to do either.

Speaker 7 (01:29:12):
Yeah, be somewhere in the middle.

Speaker 3 (01:29:13):
Somewhere in the middle two and one or one and two.

Speaker 5 (01:29:15):
Yeah, I mean, I have not started a ton on
Arizona yet, but I do know in a lot of
their games they've been competitive this year. Yeah, six and three,
I mean that BYU Arizona game. I remember watching over.
We had a wedding that night. I remember going to
we were watching the double overtime. It took b WYU
to win that game. I'm interested. It feels like one

(01:29:37):
of those games Arizona Houston was thirty one, twenty eight.
It feels like one of those that you got to
you gotta get up early. Yeah, you got to take
care of business. Like you and I were both impressed
with Kansas. They have a win against Kansas, like the
Arizona's got some good wins this year.

Speaker 4 (01:29:53):
Won the game in Kansas kind of the way the
Bearcats did with the last second touchdown.

Speaker 3 (01:29:57):
Yeah, this is.

Speaker 4 (01:29:57):
One of those where you know, folks don't love not
having Nippet night with My guess is BYU will be
a night game if it is what we think it
can be. Yeah, and if you if you got to
play a noon game, better to do it against a
team that's traveling three times on And.

Speaker 5 (01:30:13):
It's also like it's been the game on the schedule
that's just kind of sandwiched awkwardly. Everyone's talking about Utah,
everyone's talking about BYU. You gotta take care of business Saturday, yeah,
or else all the work you've done, yeah, kind of
falls flat. Like think of the air out of the
bubble if you lose Saturday and then the BYU game
because now you're you know, it's an uphill battle and

(01:30:34):
you're still playing for some because you never know how
the two loss team can shake out. But man, I
want so bad to have a nip at night with
both BYU and UC with one loss in the league
like that atmosphere. Yes, that that's what I want. That's
what you signed up to play in the Big twelve?

Speaker 7 (01:30:51):
Correct? Correct?

Speaker 3 (01:30:53):
And it's attainable.

Speaker 4 (01:30:56):
I just again the Utah game, there were so many
things that have been characteristic about this team that bubbled
to the surface against the Utes. I'm interested in how
much all that stuff proves to be an outlier.

Speaker 5 (01:31:14):
Yep or ends up being someone that dooms this season,
Like by this time next week we're saying here we
go again. Or man, they put that past them and
it was one bad game, right, because the way Utah plays,
a lot of teams probably say that was a bad
game for us. I mean, they are physical, but you
knew that. You knew that atmosphere out there was incredible,

(01:31:36):
you knew.

Speaker 4 (01:31:36):
They were going to run the ball, you knew that
it was how they how the Bearcats were complicit in
their own demid Yep, specifically at quarterback.

Speaker 7 (01:31:42):
Correct.

Speaker 3 (01:31:44):
And I wonder about that because.

Speaker 4 (01:31:46):
Last year I saw Sores be down the stretch where
it just it blew up and he said, a very
good season. But I I am curious, does the one
bad game end up being one bad game or does
it into four because last year it turned into five.

Speaker 5 (01:32:02):
I'll tell you what I don't want to see Saturday.
A ball batted down on the first possession because I
legitimately thought that that that Toyd with sores be a
little bit I think it. You know, you think of
the next set of throws he made. None were over
the middle for quite some time. It was low percentage
outside throws that just low likelihood and completion.

Speaker 3 (01:32:25):
Let's tell you what I want to see.

Speaker 4 (01:32:27):
I want to see in the first play of the game,
in eight yard pass to Joe Royer.

Speaker 5 (01:32:31):
You know what's crazy, I should love people you and
I don't get paid money to talk about Joe Royer. No,
Like I think Joe's a great player, great family. Like
I just can't I can't fathom, like for like, from
playing quarterback, a favorable matchup at tight end is one
of the best things you can have, Like think of

(01:32:52):
Mahomes and Kelsey, Like there's a reason that's been Like
if you've got a favorable matchup at tight end that
alleviate it's a lot of problems. H And I am
shocked that we are in year two of this with
three games to go, still talking about Man, it just
doesn't feel like they're utilizing it.

Speaker 4 (01:33:11):
And you've brought this up before. We're not paid to
talk about Joe vill No, but there's two things.

Speaker 3 (01:33:15):
I'll give you. One.

Speaker 4 (01:33:16):
You know, I live on the west side of Cincinnati.
I can't go anywhere without somebody asking me, like, why
why is it your guy throw Joe Royer at the ball?

Speaker 3 (01:33:23):
Number Two?

Speaker 4 (01:33:25):
You and I read draft list, Yes, we read evaluations.

Speaker 3 (01:33:29):
Everybody.

Speaker 4 (01:33:29):
The NFL people love Joe Royer. The people who do
the NFL draft leees love Joe Royer and so.

Speaker 5 (01:33:34):
And by all accounts, like when I see stuff like
posted by UC Yeah, I see traveling with the team.
They're great friends. It's not like they hate each other
off the field, like they are legitimately great friends. Nothing
about it makes sense nothing.

Speaker 4 (01:33:52):
I'm pulling it up here. So that's why you hear
the hesitation. But I mean, if you just look at
the numbers, twenty three catches on the season for three
hundred and fifty yards, and I think, what was it,
five of those catches came in one game.

Speaker 3 (01:34:07):
Yeah, he's got a.

Speaker 4 (01:34:09):
Pass each each of the last two. Prior to the
five catch game, that one went for sixty seven yards.
He had two catches. Like what I watch on Saturdays
doesn't mesh with.

Speaker 7 (01:34:22):
What two and a half catches per game, right, doesn't.

Speaker 4 (01:34:24):
Mesh with what I know about Joe Royer and how
how in high regard he is held.

Speaker 3 (01:34:31):
And it's one thing when they're winning, Yep.

Speaker 4 (01:34:33):
It's something else when you see a game like Saturday
against Utah last week and the offense isn't working and
it felt like he wasn't even a part of the
game plan.

Speaker 5 (01:34:42):
Yeah, in a game you were already shorthanded without your
leading back right and your receivers were struggling to get separation.
That didn't make sense. So yeah, the hope is it's
a one off. The hopes is they bounce back and
you go from there.

Speaker 4 (01:34:57):
I just first play, give me make it a ten,
Make it a first and ten pass for ten yards.
That number one is a high, high percentage completion for
Brendan Sores. Meet number two announces, here's the guy you
gotta stop. Yep, this is the NFL guy on our offense.

Speaker 7 (01:35:13):
Here's the guy. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:35:15):
During the by a week we decided, you know what,
you're gonna have to figure out a way to stop
our NFL tight end. I don't get it, man.

Speaker 7 (01:35:22):
Yeah, it's baffled me for a year and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:35:25):
Yeah, this goes back to last year. Yeah, like Joe
Royer had forty five catches last season, which I think, Yeah,
it's a team school school record. The numbers should have
been closer to sixty five. All right, Twin Peaks and Florence,
Tony and Mo Football show More to come. ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 11 (01:35:42):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI brought to
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Speaker 8 (01:35:56):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (01:36:00):
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(01:36:23):
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Speaker 10 (01:36:35):
On ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (01:36:40):
Sure at us Sports headlines are a service a Kelsey
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from mayor family to yours for life, kelseyshove dot com.
Joe Burrow is practicing, I mean not right now, but.

Speaker 3 (01:36:56):
He practiced today.

Speaker 7 (01:36:57):
Might still be out. There could be limited extra working.

Speaker 3 (01:37:00):
Limited capacity.

Speaker 4 (01:37:01):
He has been cleared to resume working out, not really
doing eleven on eleven work, according to Zach Taylor. Not
expecting him to play on Sunday. According to Zach Taylor,
but taking a step in the right direction. He has
twenty one days where he could practice without counting against
the fifty three man roster. Zach also said today Trey
Hendrickson right now considered doubtful for Sunday Bengals and Steelers

(01:37:23):
at one Sunday afternoon on ESPN fifteen thirty. Linebacker Brian
Assomwah has been added to the active roster off the
practice squad, and linebacker Antoine Powell Ryland has been signed
by the Bengals. Added to the practice squad a rookie
out of Virginia Tech who played in five games for
the Eagles this season. Eagles take on the Packers tonight
Monday Night Football on ESPN fifteen thirty. Giants fired their

(01:37:46):
head coach Brian Daball. College basketball tonight, Richard Patino trying
to make it three and o Exavier as the Musketeer's
host Santa Clara tip off at eight thirty on seven
hundred WLW. The kickoff time for the FC Cincinnati game
against Miami on the twenty third was said today that
game will begin at five o'clock and the Columbus Blue
Jackets skate tonight at Edmonton.

Speaker 3 (01:38:06):
There we have it got like a good ten minutes
in you.

Speaker 7 (01:38:09):
Yeah, what do you think?

Speaker 3 (01:38:11):
I think your voice right now sounds better than mine.

Speaker 5 (01:38:14):
You want to talk college basketball, we can do some
of that. College hoops, you can do some of those.
There's an awesome college basketball weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:38:20):
It really was.

Speaker 7 (01:38:21):
Saint John's Alabama was phenomenal to watch.

Speaker 6 (01:38:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:38:25):
I thought Kansas North Carolina Friday night was a great one.
Michigan State taking care of Arkansas. Yeah, I mean there
are some early, early good games going on. I think
the build up between Louisville and Kentucky, albeit like weird
as you said, because they're playing so early, but the
Louisville player essentially leaving the press conference with Antham, I

(01:38:49):
think just adds to the rivalry. And I also think
like more of a of a the personality the coach
is showing through, Like I could see Kelsey in like
the meetings, like, hey, this is Pope's just kind of
like a little laid back and yeah, and I think
that's how the two sides have kind of reacted towards it.

Speaker 4 (01:39:05):
It also feels like, you know, Louisville went through a lot, yeah,
Chris Mack post Chris Mack, And it feels like Pat
Kelsey has the program on very and I think Mark
Pope has a team that has a shot at least
offensively and being really.

Speaker 3 (01:39:23):
Good like it.

Speaker 4 (01:39:25):
It feels like, I have no idea why they're playing
this early, but it feels like that rivalry has a
chance to be what it should be and to a degree,
really hasn't been in recent years.

Speaker 5 (01:39:38):
And both teams playing well in the early part of
their schedule. And I think it's interesting watching tonight becuz
they if you're two and zero, they've been tested twice. Yeah,
and then the nine line is like three and a
half or four and a half tonight. I think they're
an interesting team to see how they improve going forward.
But to me, like tomorrow night, like you said it

(01:40:00):
selfishly for you because you're a fan of Dayton and
you see you wish that game wasn't played selfishly for me,
that's a good night at college basketball. Yes, like Wake Forest,
Michigan can be good, Florida State, Florida can be good. Kentucky, Louisville,
Texas Tech and Illinois play tomorrow night. Gonzog and Creighton
is a top twenty five matchup. And you see, eventually

(01:40:24):
we have to start talking about U see differently, eventually
we have to start talking about them in the sense
of okay, it feels like they're turning a corner under
west Miller. I think you alluded to something earlier that
I was watching over the weekend. Arrington Page can his
debut at Northwestern like twenty five and twelve or something
like that. Dylan Mitchell has been good for Saint John's.

(01:40:48):
There are players that have left this program that are
playing well early on elsewhere. Dan Skillings has said a
good start to his Baylor tenure. My good players less
that's the thing. Talented players I watched. I look back
to the last year they were talented. I've been I
went Friday. I think they have talented players like I.

(01:41:11):
I think Chim is A is a talented big man.
I think Bobob Miller is a really good player. I
think Seana Bive like I just think they have really
good pieces. But I left Friday wondering the same thing
I wondered so much last year, as how do all
these pieces fit?

Speaker 7 (01:41:27):
Yeah, Like, I get it's early on.

Speaker 5 (01:41:30):
I'm old I'm old school in the sense that I
feel like at some point you got to get your
lineup down to eight, seven or eight, or you got
to go with it. I know it's harder in today's
era because you want to make everyone happy and you're
worried about guy. The most competitive teams, when the season
gets to the thick of it, are going to play
eight guys like they have to find a way to
get to that.

Speaker 7 (01:41:50):
It makes uneasy conversations.

Speaker 5 (01:41:51):
I get that, But if you want to be a contender,
you've got to be able to trim the roster. And
I think one of the hardest things in coaching is
adjusting on the fly. Like you start the game, someone
doesn't have it or someone does have it, because you
go into every game with a plan, right, And I
genuinely think that Coach Miller goes into a game and says, hey,

(01:42:15):
at this mark, we're subbing here. They're they're rotating so
many guys and it doesn't feel at times like guys
have a feel for the game. And that that, to me,
I think, is if you're going to be a contender.
You mentioned since here Harris was awesome early on night
the other night, and then he came out for no
other rhyme or reason other than that's his time to

(01:42:37):
come out. Ride the hot hand. Somebody's making shots, if
someone's struggling. I think that confidence for this team of
Seannabie is going to be incredible. If I'm in an
early on setting and I see that it's not going
for him, is there something I can call to get
him one, get him go to the basket, let him
see one go in. Just the little stuff like that,

(01:42:59):
and then I get it. They can't turn the ball over.
They've been a bad shooting free throw team since I
can remember. They've not shot the free throw well at all.
They didn't shoot outside on Friday night particularly well. Again,
I like the makeup of this team. They just got
a lot of questions.

Speaker 4 (01:43:17):
So come back to three themes we've been talking about
for a while. Depth is not overrated, But the idea
that you're gonna play ten to eleven guys, I think
is what I watch. Good college basketball teams play hard
games in January and February for the most part, and
there are exceptions, but for the most part, they're not

(01:43:39):
playing eleven dudes, yep. They're playing eight in some cases
seven and in some cases.

Speaker 7 (01:43:45):
Gets in foul trouble, get it, put.

Speaker 4 (01:43:47):
In a specialist, or there are exceptions. So I think
what we've seen here over the last couple of years
is a willingness to just play everybody.

Speaker 6 (01:43:59):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:44:00):
Early in the season. That's okay if you shrinking.

Speaker 8 (01:44:17):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic in erl.

Speaker 9 (01:44:22):
Ainger on eastbound two seventy five, there's an accident on
the right shoulder after seventy one seventy five. Police are
there on scene. Also a crash westbound two seventy five
after Lebanon Road, that one also on the right shoulder,
and Anderson Berry Road.

Speaker 1 (01:44:38):
An accident at Juwelmar Drive. I met e Xelic with
traffic looking for I solutions.

Speaker 7 (01:44:45):
Oh that's what happens.

Speaker 5 (01:44:46):
I bring up one college basketball second on a football
shelf and we get pulled off the air.

Speaker 7 (01:44:51):
We get ripped off the air, all right?

Speaker 4 (01:44:53):
Really for a second, I was nervous, really quick. I
wish we would play fewer guys. Yes, still try to
figure out how the pieces are gonna fit, and the
program needs a mood turning victory that you feel like
is tangible proof of the program taking a hard pivot

(01:45:14):
toward being an NCAA tournament mainstay.

Speaker 5 (01:45:16):
And I got an opportunity coming up next Friday.

Speaker 4 (01:45:19):
Against a really good Louisville team on what's going to
be a neutral floor. Wes has not won a lot
of those games, quite frankly. He's won some good Big
twelve games, but I don't think he's won a game
like that. And to me, like the program last year,
there were a couple of times where before games Wes

(01:45:39):
would say, no one thinks we have a chance to win.
That has never been a part of my vocabulary as
a Bearcat fan. With a handful of exceptions, mixed first
year or two. That cannot continue.

Speaker 3 (01:45:52):
To be a thing.

Speaker 4 (01:45:54):
The way it ceases becoming a thing is winning games
like that. I think the Dayton game will be a challenge.
The Fly on Saturday against Maryland Baltimore County were not great.
That Louisville game is going to be won. Yeah, and
like at some point you gotta go get a game
like that and.

Speaker 7 (01:46:08):
For that, like you know, Louisville inten tit wise is
gonna bring it.

Speaker 3 (01:46:11):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (01:46:12):
My whole life has been about intensity and toughness with
UC basketball.

Speaker 7 (01:46:15):
It was lacking last year. They need to get it back.

Speaker 3 (01:46:18):
Yeah. And again like.

Speaker 4 (01:46:20):
Last year's team had good players, Yep, they didn't fit.
I think this year's team has good players. It is
fair to go. Look, it's gonna take more than two
games for the pieces to fit, yep. But they better
fit by next Friday. Frankly, they better fit by.

Speaker 5 (01:46:34):
Tomorrow, correct or else you're gonna get beating your home
for who uh, who's your Who's your second best team?

Speaker 7 (01:46:40):
In college football? Are we?

Speaker 5 (01:46:43):
It's it's odd? Are we just not talking at all
about Texas A and M. I was gonna say Alabama,
I mean A and M went to Missouri top twenty
five team took care of business. They're undefeated their third
and I feel like they're the least talked about team
in the top ten.

Speaker 4 (01:46:56):
I think ohiost eight is actually I think I think
Ohio State is the least talked about team in the.

Speaker 7 (01:47:02):
Tam because they're alone at the top.

Speaker 4 (01:47:04):
Alone at the top, beating teams in solid fashion, but
not overly spectacular. Julian saying, obviously is a fair bet
to to win the Heisman for Nanda Mendoz is gonna
have something to say about that as well. I I
feel like Ohio State, especially in this part of the country,
for being number one, being the defending national champion, it

(01:47:26):
just there's and this is no knock on them, because
I think they're the best team in the country. I
feel I feel like nobody talks about how good they are.
I feel like, frankly, all the conversations about all the
coaches getting fired and all the other stuff in the
sport means we really don't talk about teams.

Speaker 5 (01:47:42):
Yeah, and it's weird, like they win thirty four tenant
Perdue and it's like, uh whatever, Yeah, Like, I mean,
they're just they've taken care of business in a good way.

Speaker 4 (01:47:50):
And I also feel like to a degree, Ohio State,
Texas A, and m Indiana those are playoff.

Speaker 3 (01:47:55):
Teams no matter what.

Speaker 6 (01:47:57):
Yeah, and so.

Speaker 4 (01:47:58):
Okay, we're gonna not talk so much about them, but
we'll talk about the teams that are going to be
vying for those last few spots.

Speaker 5 (01:48:04):
I think Texas Tech solidified a playoff spot. Can the
Big Twelve get two teams in the twelve team?

Speaker 4 (01:48:11):
I think if BYU beat them, I don't think Cincinnati can't.

Speaker 5 (01:48:15):
What if they win the Big Twelve title, if they
win the Big Twelve title, If they win the Big
Twelve title, would Texas Tech still be a playoff team?

Speaker 3 (01:48:21):
Possibly because that would be the.

Speaker 5 (01:48:23):
Path, right, you see your BUYU go to the Big
twelve title win over Texas Tech.

Speaker 3 (01:48:27):
Yes, and Texas Tech, because.

Speaker 7 (01:48:29):
Of how highly rated they are, still stays in the
top twelve.

Speaker 4 (01:48:31):
How the game would be played would have something to
say about that.

Speaker 6 (01:48:34):
But yeah, all right, let.

Speaker 3 (01:48:36):
Omar Cooper catch the play of the year.

Speaker 7 (01:48:38):
Stupid good.

Speaker 3 (01:48:40):
That's a fun game.

Speaker 5 (01:48:41):
And since getting rid of the VEST, Luke Fickel want
to know and a voter confetence, a voter confidence that
VEST should have gone a long time ago. Yep, right,
we're done.

Speaker 7 (01:48:53):
Tick.

Speaker 4 (01:48:55):
Tony is back for Tony Pike since he three sixty
at noon. I am back tomorrow three oh five if
we are at the Twin Peaks in Florence next week.
Thanks to Mike Mills for producing on site. Thanks to
Terren Bland for producing back in Kenwood day before he
leaves for vacation.

Speaker 7 (01:49:12):
Yeah, have a great vacation, Tarren.

Speaker 3 (01:49:15):
We'll talk to you tomorrow. I have a great night.

Speaker 4 (01:49:16):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati sports station

Speaker 1 (01:49:27):
From the UC Health Traffic

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