The Tony and Mo Football Show -- 12/29/25

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Tony and Mo Football Show Live from
Twin Peaks, brought to you in part by Encore Technologies.
Visit OnCore dot Tech Penn Station, East Coast Subs Penn Station.
It's all and good taste Honda East and Honda East
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(00:21):
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drive on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the

(00:43):
Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
We are at Twin Peaks in Westchester for the Tony
and Mo Football Show on ESPN fifteen thirty Moegger with
Tony Pike, a day after the Bengals beat the checkout
Arizona Cardinals thirty seven to fourteen, the final score yesterday
at the venue originally known as Paul Brown Stadium, Twin
Peaks in Westchester is very easy to get to. Its
right off I seventy five, get off at the Union

(01:07):
Center Boulevard exit and you'll be here in less than
a minute. The food is awesome. The drinks you know, Picket,
you got it here, beer selections great. The wait staff
is awesome. Our servers Brie who didn't laugh at my
joke about her name being Brie and us ordering cheese
curds from her.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
But that's okay.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
This is a huge week here, obviously. You know you
got the NFL this weekend. You've got Bengals and Browns.
You've got college basketball tonight, you've got a mostly meaningless
Monday night football game this evening, the college football playoff
coming up New Year's Eve, so much more. You can
watch all of that stuff here on the many TVs
at Twin Peaks in Westchester. This is our last show

(01:47):
in Westchester. We're back in Florence next week. We'll worry
about that later on call show the Jeers. It's our
last show of two thousand together, our last show of
twenty twenty five, and.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
A weird week right that week in between New Year's
and Christmas. No one really knows what to do. Here's
an idea. Come see us in Westchester, right, Come on
out to Twin Peaks. We've got much to dive into today.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
We have a lot of ground to cover, and we'll
have Zach Taylor's press conference in the five o'clock hour
of the show. You'll hear him talk about yesterday's game,
which forever, as far as I'm concerned, will be known
as the Cody Ford game.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Give it to him on the goal line, give him.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
One try, Yes at the fullback position, but yes, awesome moment.
It was made even better by Dan's call with it.
Dan is like laughing as he's running. Added in the
wooly mammoth joke to mix in a little bit of
Joe Burrow's gift to the offensive lineman, which I'm sure
we'll discuss, but it was the first thing I said
to you today. It was a weird game to watch.

(02:47):
It was normally, when your team's dominating like that, it's fun.
And I'm not saying it wasn't fun, but you watch
those games in the lens of like what could have been,
and it almost had a preseason feel, kind of the
feeling around the crowd and the atmosphere. Yeah, and it
was a team that was completely checked out.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
It's a weird The game is situated kind of weird,
right because all right, last week against Miami is the
first game they play while being eliminated, there's still another
game to go against the Cleveland Browns. That game also
means nothing for either team, and so yesterday had a
week eighteen feel to it as far as I'm concerned.
But then you gotta come back and play another game

(03:29):
and get ready for another game if you're the Bengals
on Sunday, Yeah, it was. I enjoy it when the
Bengals win. I enjoy watching Joe Burrow and t Higgins
and Jamar Chase and Chase Brown play. I do think
there are some positives you can pull from the game.
But you know, I talked to so many people who

(03:50):
it seems like they're having a hard time processing this,
Like how should I handle it? For me, it's simple,
enjoy the victory. Understand that there's a lot of work
this franchise has to do. That's not that difficult. Both
things can be true. It's cool when they win. It's
there's benefits to players playing well. This front office has
its hands full of this offseason.

Speaker 4 (04:10):
I think that's the worry with most people is that
people are worried that the last two or three games
down the stretch will change how they view this organization.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
Going forward.

Speaker 4 (04:19):
And I'm not talking about the fans view it how
the organization sure, are those in charge of personnel sure
view it? You know, Austin at the end of Quick
Hits talked about the Al Golden comments on Geno Stones.
You know, if three games down the stretch changed the
organization's view on Geno Stone, then you have a bigger
problem with the last three games down the stretch, you know.

(04:39):
And I viewed yesterday in the way you mentioned it
felt like Week eighteen. It was an opponent playing for nothing.
The opponent coming up in actual Week eighteen. They're not quitting.
You saw that against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday. Miles Garrett
wants the sack record. He's not letting up that. It
to me, there are two different teams. Get it done
against Arizona, then you're done.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
They're out.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
It's a team that already checked out. The Cleveland team
coming in hasn't checked out. And that does possess problems
of what could derail the offseason for the Beat.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
I do wonder from Cleveland's perspective emotionally, and I know
Miles Garrett wants the sack record, and I'm sure his
teammates won him to get it, but that game mattered.
Yesterday they wanted to put a dent in Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.
No such dynamic here, and so I wonder if they're
from their perspective, there might have been so much put
into that game that there's maybe, naturally on the road

(05:31):
final game of the season, a little bit of a letdown.
I watched yesterday, and I watched this offense the last
couple of weeks through this lens that what is so
frustrating about this team is you watched them, in particular
on offense, and you wonder what could have been. What
if Joe Burrow would have stayed healthy, What if they
would have closed out any number of games where they

(05:52):
scored a bunch of points with Joe Flacco or with
Joe Burrow and still figured out a way to win.
What if one or two plays would have gone differently?
Would we be talking about them winning the division? We're
making the postseason as a wildcard, that sort of thing.
At the same time, what makes them frustrating provides hope.
And I know there's a lot of folks who don't

(06:14):
want to hear this, but like what they have to
do this offseason is hard because winning is hard, and
maybe doing roster building and doing your business differently, maybe
that's difficult for Duke. Tobin and I have very little
trust in Duke, so I understand whatever skepticism is out there.
But the last two weeks to me have been just

(06:34):
evidence more than anything else, that they have the most
important piece in place. They have a ton of really
important positions in place. They have a loaded offense. They're
as solid as they've ever been on the offensive line.
I do kind of worry if they've wasted offensive line
health this year, because that tends that I carry over
from one piece to the next. And there are some

(06:55):
pieces on defense they're clearly aren't enough, but there are
some pieces on defense. All of those things are true.
There is a really good offense to build around. There's
an A plus guy at quarterback who's worth building around.
There's a lot of that that you could really be
excited about, and yet there's still so much work to do.
But I will say this, I think if you said

(07:15):
to most gms around the league, or if you said
to anybody who was looking at being a personnel person,
you can go to a place where you don't have
that offense and be tasked with rebuilding the entire roster.
Or you can go to a place where the quarterbacks
in place, the wide receivers in place, the running back
is in place, the weaponry is in place, the offensive
line is pretty good, and all you have to do

(07:37):
is fix the defense.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
And that's the thing too. And this was a discussion
early yesterday with Ken. It's one thing to say, yeah,
Miles Murphy has shown me a lot. Jamar Stewart got
his first sack, that the jury is out. Dax Hill,
I think, is a guy DJ Turner like, you have
to go into the offseason understanding you need at least
two proven guys on the D line. At least you

(07:58):
need two new linebackers in my new safety. In my opinion,
as long as what happens or has happened down the
stretch doesn't change that. I'm good with whatever happens down
the stretch. But it is a luxury to look and say, Okay,
now we've got good decisions to make. Dalton Reisner has
been awesome for this team. Do you buy back into him? Yes,
I'm Aris Mems. Dylan Fairchild year number one, Ted Karris,

(08:22):
you know, those offensive line pieces are things that now
you start to feel even better about. And then you
got a guy in Chase brown mow who you're talk
about playing for something in the final week. He's fifty
three yards away from one thousand rushing, He's thirty four
yards away from fifteen hundred total. He's been awesome, he's
been consistent. So not only do you have a wide

(08:44):
receiver in Jamar Chase, who take away the time that
Joe missed this year and the Jake Browning games second
in league in receptions, trails only Trey McBride, number four
in yards, top fifteen in touchdowns. Even on what feels
like maybe a Jamar Chase, he still is at the
top of so many statistical categories. T Higgins, I think

(09:05):
they've found even more to unlock with mi KEASICKI, like you,
look at offense, he's starting nitpicking. Do they need a
better option at wide receiver three? Yeah, probably if it's
not going to be Cody Ford next year, you know,
lining up in the slot and taking those wide receiver
three snaps. But again, it's it's almost a finished product
on offense. You've got so much to do on defense.

(09:26):
But what a luxury to have to go in and say, Okay,
we've got to rebuild, we've got to get back there,
but we get to do it with this as an offense.
And I think at the at the background of all
of that is something that has started ever since Joe Burrow,
the psychological conversations have happened.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
You don't have time anymore. No, if you're Duke Tobin.

Speaker 4 (09:44):
To say, well, you know what, let's give Demetrius Knight
and Barrett Carter the other year. No, maybe let's see
if he can get something out. Man, you know it's
year two now without Golden Maybe Geno like you're no, yeah.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
You no longer have that luxury.

Speaker 4 (09:58):
No, you've got to build a championship content for Joe
Burrow right now, and their actions in the offseason should mimic.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
That weird team.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
You know, if you look at all of the teams
that don't make the playoffs, and obviously there's the NFC
South winner to still be determined, in the AFC North
winner to still be determined. But if you look at
all the teams that don't make the playoffs, how many
of them can you look at their roster and go,
you know what, on this side of the ball. We
don't have to do pretty much anything.

Speaker 3 (10:27):
Now.

Speaker 2 (10:27):
Again, you can never have enough offensive lineman long term.
What are they gonna do it at left tackle or
right tackle depending on where Marius Mimms goes. Could they
use some upgrades at the bottom end of the depth
chart at wide receiver? Sure, who's the backup quarterback going
to be?

Speaker 3 (10:42):
All of that, But you.

Speaker 2 (10:43):
Could spend very little time this offseason on the offense
and feel pretty good. You have to devote nearly all
of your time, energy, resources, draft picks, money, whatever it is,
to the defensive side of the football. They're such a
weird team because I can't think there are many other
teams around the NFL that don't make the postseason. Where
you look at what they have to do this offseason

(11:04):
and look at one large area of the team and go,
you know what, we can pretty much leave well enough alone.
That is both good and awful because it highlights how
much work they have to do on defense.

Speaker 4 (11:14):
Yeah, and again, I've went back to it time and
time again because I've been torn on how you view
the stretch run for this team. As long as the
stretch run doesn't dictate how they operate once this season
wraps up on Sunday. I'm good with it, and it's
I think it's so many fans worry, surecause you've seen

(11:35):
it happen in play out before.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Sure what happened last year?

Speaker 4 (11:38):
They won a couple of games down the stretch, they
were on the cusp of sneaking into the playoffs, and
then there was the conversation of man, if they sneak in,
no one wants to play them, and it led to
an offseason which, like take away the stretch run last year,
the conversation should have been about all the holes this
team had.

Speaker 3 (11:54):
Ye instead, what did it become?

Speaker 4 (11:56):
We can fix it with a couple band dates and
you know it's that old thing, you know, with the
damn and you plug up one hole and water starts
shooting out of the other. It feels like that's been
NonStop for this team, especially on the defensive side of
the ball. Lou An Arumo was the problem. Now it's
alt Golden Logan Wilson was a scapegoat. Now it's the
whole line back, Like there's just there's too many problems

(12:17):
and you can't skin any more of ruining or missing
on another offseason because you just kind of want to
run it back.

Speaker 2 (12:25):
We said, actually it was the for the season. We
talked about a head and that is after they lost
where they won their last five parked.

Speaker 3 (12:40):
Yep, here's what.

Speaker 2 (12:42):
There's what they're gonna do with safety, here's what the
plan should be at linebacker. And that was knowing lou
Ana Arrumo had been bounced. They let him go immediately, right,
and so it's okay, new defensive coordinator, whoever that is,
come to some sort of solution with the Trey Hendrickson thing.
And then you need edge, you need three technique, you
need linebacker help, you need corner help, and you.

Speaker 3 (13:04):
Need safety help.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
You need guys who can step in and make an
immediate impact. You need an overhaul. We said that a
year ago, and we talked about that with certainty. So
understanding that we talked about such things with certainty last
year and they didn't happen, I will assume nothing's gonna
happen this go round.

Speaker 4 (13:22):
Could you just imagine the conversation of well, you know,
they were better defensively after the bye and they've got
a new decordinator. It just took time, Like that's that
is what so many people fear for the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Yes, and that's why.

Speaker 4 (13:37):
There's been this Like, that's why there's been this, Like
I feel like it's torn right of Yeah, you want
to win games, yeah, and when it matters, and then
there's the other side that I've seen this. I don't
want them to be talked into this again. I don't
want to try to be talked into this again.

Speaker 3 (13:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:54):
They mentioned on the broadcast yesterday since the bye week,
Al Going's defense has been better. Yep, that Bull's fear
going into next year because we don't have time anymore
to wait on folks to develops about Joe Burrow is
gonna be thirty next year, Tamar Chase is gonna get older.
You have a small window, and I know we've talked
about the Super Bowl window is Joe Burrow's career. That

(14:16):
window is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. You can't
operate in the sense of patience anymore if you're the
front offense.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
Twenty one minutes after three o'clock ESPN fifteen thirty Word
twin Peaks in Westchester, Tony and Mo Football Show. We
have another Mike Tomlin special to talk about. We have
what I thought was the most fun game of the season.
There's been a bunch, it's been a really fun year,
but the game last night between Chicago and San Francisco
I need to see again. In the playoffs, we'll get
to everything that went down Week seventeen to the NFL

(14:46):
Liberty Bowl Week. We're gonna preview the Liberty Bawl. We're
gonna look ahead to twelve opener, all four all four
college football playoff quarterfinal games, and I want you to
weigh in on the offensive lineman gifts that Orlando Brown
has received during his NFL career. There's a lot of
ground to cover between now and six o'clock and Twin
Peaks in west Chester, Tony and Mo Football Show on

(15:09):
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 5 (15:12):
Cody Ford lines up as a wide receiver outside the
numerals at about three hundred and fifty pounds. Burrow throws,
Cody Ford catches.

Speaker 3 (15:22):
He's down to the fifty the ten the.

Speaker 5 (15:28):
Around the three lord line almost of big Man TV.
For the all time highlight reel has Burrow threw it
to Cody Ford and the Wooly Mammoth began running down
the near sideline.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Dan and laugh with the call, just Cody Ford's twenty
one yard reception.

Speaker 4 (15:51):
Laughter mid call about what they were missing, and Burrow's
reaction to the video of him reacting as the play
was happening.

Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah, incredible.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
When Cody Ford lines up, Yeah, he's got to get
the ball. You have to, Lake, You have to if
you're the Arizona Cardinals, you have to know like they're
gonna throw it to him. If you throw it at
anybody else, it's his birthday, the game doesn't matter. He's
lined up wide, throw it to anybody else. We're not embarrassed.
You're not gonna embarrass me by throwing to an offensive

(16:22):
lineman like you had. They had to know Cody Ford
was gonna get it.

Speaker 4 (16:26):
Yeah, and he got it and no one wanted to.
It reminded me of the Bengals wanting to tackle or
not wanting to tackle Darnell Washington, and it feels like
they played about the same weight.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
There was also a very very entertaining race to be
the first to tweet that he has more catch up
a season than Jermaine Burton.

Speaker 3 (16:43):
Yeah. I saw it first from our guy Daner. Yeah.
Shout out to Paul Danner Junior. A lot of folks,
A lot of folks were tied for first.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
Felt like the loudest ovation from the game in which
I witnessed on TV at least, was fans chanting for Cody.

Speaker 3 (16:57):
Yes, to get the ball.

Speaker 2 (16:58):
Again, give him the rock, give him the ball.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
You're already up by a ton. Yes, it was unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (17:05):
My guy, my guy, just put you in scoring position.

Speaker 3 (17:08):
Yeah, give it to him.

Speaker 2 (17:09):
Yes, it will be forever known as the Cody Ford Game.
Let's talk about another Mike Tomlin special in preview the
AFC North Championship Game. When we come back, Tony and
Moe Football Show twin peaks in Westchester, ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. Sports headlines are a service to Kelsey

(17:33):
Chevro Laley home of lifetime powertrain protection and guarantee credit
approval from their family to yours for life kelseyschev dot com.
Joe Burrow is going to start the season finale on Sunday,
Bengals hosting the Cleveland Browns. That game, we'll kick off
at one o'clock and you'll hear it live on ESPN
fifteen thirty with pregame coverage starting at nine am UC

(17:53):
football news. Themericants have hired David Road to be the
program's new cornerbacks coach. He has spent the last two
years at Rutgers, his alma mater, in the same capacity.
College hoops Tonight, Cincinnati is taking on Lipscumb final non
conference game of the season for the Bearcats, tip off
at seven on seven hundred WLWNKU is at Robert Morris tonight.
That game is on one hundred point seven and one

(18:15):
oh six point three. The Project the Mark Pope Radio
Show is tonight at six o'clock. You can listen to
that on Fox Sports thirteen sixty. ESPN fifteen thirty has
Bengals line. The latest College basketball Coaches poll has Kentucky
on the outside. Look, they do not vote this week.

(18:36):
I think there are there's no voting in either poll.
If I'm not mistaken, maybe I am who cares.

Speaker 3 (18:41):
Hockey.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Tonight, the Blue Jackets skate at Ottawa. That game is
gonna start thirty minutes later than originally expected because apparently
the Jackets had some travel issues getting to Ottawa.

Speaker 3 (18:51):
And good to know that the Cyclones.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Yes, the EHL strike is over, Yes they missed two games.

Speaker 3 (18:58):
Yeah, I don't know. I haven't seen if they're gonna
be restarched. Schedule. Very good.

Speaker 2 (19:03):
Well, the Clones are back and that's awesome for all parties.
And they got helmets that fit. I think so they
wanted helmets that fit. I know that was one of
the sticking points.

Speaker 4 (19:11):
Which should be that should be at the top of
a lot of list if you're playing a contact sport,
correct helmet that fits.

Speaker 2 (19:19):
I just saw a tweet from Andrew Philippony, who covers
the Pittsburgh Steelers for a ninety seven to three the
fan in Pittsburgh, who tweeted something that Adam Schefter apparently
said on the Pat McAfee show, which is that quote,
it's in the realm of possibility that Mike Tomlin leaves

(19:39):
the Steelers if they lose on Sunday to the Baltimore
Ravens and perhaps goes and does TV next year or
coaches somewhere else. In twenty twenty six, Mike Tomlin with
another Mike Tomlin Special as the Steelers needing just to
win over the lowly Browns to clinch the AFC North
lose lose to the Brownie in a game where Cleveland

(20:01):
said afterward Miles Garrett and other commentators said the Steelers
were too focused on keeping Miles Garrett from the sack
record than they were actually winning the football game.

Speaker 4 (20:12):
At A buddy of mine sent me a stat that
the Steelers are four and one in their past five
games against teams entering the game eight games or more
below five hundred. They lost again twenty twenty to the
two ten and one Bengals.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
Uh huh. The next year they tied Ryan Finley.

Speaker 4 (20:29):
Next year they tied the Ozho to eight Lions. They
lost to the two and ten Cardinals, the two and
ten Patriots, and yesterday's three and twelve loss against the
Cleveland Browns.

Speaker 3 (20:40):
The crazy thing about Tomlin and.

Speaker 4 (20:42):
The Steelers, as bad as that was, it wouldn't surprise
me if they'd beat Baltimore on Sunday night.

Speaker 3 (20:47):
Oh not just how they it's just how they operate there.

Speaker 4 (20:50):
And I like Cleveland's I know they've only won three
games or had only won three games. Cleveland's defense is
a tough matchup, and I think you saw the major
flaw in losing DK Metcalf. They are Pittsburgh is built
to run the ball, and when you decide to load
the box. They take their one on one chances with

(21:12):
DK Metcalf and he wins a lot of those. Yesterday,
those one on one chances went to Marquis Valdez Scantling,
and it's not eight years ago. He's not a good
receiver anymore. They went, they went to get They went
to Denzel Ward three straight times in their last possession.
I don't know why they didn't find Pat Fryermuth Moore.
The running game was non existent, but I know it's

(21:33):
the loss of one guy. That offense is awful without
DK Metcalf and easy to guard.

Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, I guess I wonder this. I watched the Ravens
on Saturday night. That was a fun game, but they decided,
all right, we've got a backup quarterback, Tyler Hunting screw it,
We're giving the ball to Derrick Henry, which at times
this year we've gotten away from thirty six times. And
I wonder. I wonder if they can do the same thing.

(21:59):
We'll see if Lamar Jackson can go Frankly, I'll say,
and I think Tyler Hunley healthy is right now a
better option than a compromise Lamar Jackson crazy. If what
we've seen from the compromise. Lamar Jackson is what you're
gonna see on Sunday night. No outcome in that game
would surprise me, but I think the conversation about the
losing coach is interesting. Mike Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game,

(22:21):
for all of his accolades, for all that he has achieved,
hasn't won a playoff game since the twenty sixteen season.
They were head and shoulders out in front of everybody
in the AFC North, a down AFC North early in
the season, for them to lose to the Browns and
then perhaps lose it home to the Baltimore Ravens. I'm
sure there's gonna be a lot of folks in Pittsburgh

(22:41):
who go, look, we gave him a Hall of Fame quarterback,
hall of fame quarterback who I think has passed his prime,
but gave him a Hall of Fame quarterback. Spend a
lot of money on the defense that we don't even
make the playoffs, can't even clinch the division with a
game against the Cleveland Browns, lose at home to Baltimore.
And I think the Ravens are interesting because I think
that team has been mismanaged this year They've had a
lot of opportunities in the postseason with Lamar Jackson, they

(23:03):
haven't taken advantage of John Harball has a great resumes,
won a Super Bowl, all that sort of stuff, but
it's felt like their championship window is closed. I think
the fallout in either city that loses is frankly more
interesting than talking about what the winner has in store
for it in the postseason.

Speaker 4 (23:20):
We obviously have head coaching conversations, and he in Cincinnati
a lot. I have friends, diehard friends with the Pittsburgh
Steelers who said immediately they would take Zach Taylor for
Mike Tomlin.

Speaker 3 (23:30):
And a heartbeat. I mean, it's just soured. Wow with
Mike tom how many Bengals fans would make that trade
a lot?

Speaker 4 (23:37):
It's just weird that there's a lot of teams on
both sides that's say I'd take Mike Tomlin here in Cincinnati.

Speaker 2 (23:41):
I'm gonna do a poll. I'm gonna do two pole questions. Okay,
one is who's the best coach in the AFC North
sure right now? And the other's gonna be about Christmas gifts.

Speaker 4 (23:49):
I wonder as well, like it's easy when when things
are going well, last week in Baltimore was weird between
Lamar and the and the French and certainly a question
around Harball if they don't make the playoffs. You just
talked about the Mike Tomlin situation. Bengals could all of
a sudden be sitting in the cap parts seat going

(24:11):
into twenty twenty six. Maybe I mean uncertainty right now
with what's going on in Baltimore, a team that has
underachieved and injuries have played a big role. And also
a team in Pittsburgh who like, what's the future in
Pittsburgh right now? What is that team been built around?
Who's going to be the quarterback of the future. I
think the Browns have drafted really well. The Browns are

(24:32):
putting themselves in a better position going forward. Yeah, but
you want to talk about talent and sure things probably
feel pretty good about the Bengals going into twenty twenty
six in the AFC North well.

Speaker 3 (24:42):
Compared to the others.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
The Browns win, so now they can't draft in the
top two. We'll see what happens in the draft. We'll
see what happens with Gwinnshawn Judkins and his injury. But yeah,
there's a lot of good young players. We'll see what
happens with Kevin Stefanski.

Speaker 3 (24:57):
I mean, their rookie linebacker is gonna run away with
the Yes the year.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
The Sean Watson thing still looms over that franchise, right,
Bengals have no such thing.

Speaker 3 (25:07):
Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 (25:08):
There's been a quarterback issue for a while where they
Ben Roethlisberger overstayed his welcome and then they tried the
Russell Wilson thing and Kenny Pickett. Neither one of those
really took Will Howard Will Howard. Aaron Rodgers isn't going
to play forever, and the longer that he does play,
I think the more bouts of ineffectiveness we'll see. The
Ravens are a very well run organization and Lamar when

(25:29):
he's healthy, is an awesome player. But they took a
step back this season.

Speaker 4 (25:33):
But Lamar now, the sudden early part of Lamar's career,
he was durable. Now his playing style with injuries is different.
At some point, Derek Henry's got to fall off, right,
He's getting older.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
This is why I don't play Joe Burrow on Sunday.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
Correct. I want to.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
I want to go into the off season next year
looking at those franchises going.

Speaker 3 (25:53):
Our QB's all set. Yep.

Speaker 2 (25:55):
Our QB is set, our offense is set. What about you, guys?

Speaker 3 (25:58):
Correct?

Speaker 2 (26:00):
I think it's going to be interesting. Hey, that the
fallout from that game, Like the Steelers don't fire coaches,
the Ravens don't fire coaches. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had
three coaches since the nineteen sixties. The Ravens have had
two head coaches this century, which is why it would
be It would be something if failing to make the

(26:23):
postseason in either city resulted in a coaching.

Speaker 4 (26:26):
But think about, like what we talked about in Cincinnati.
You talked about the build up of the roster. Let's
say hypothetically you go into this offseason Bengals, Ravens, Steelers
all become open jobs.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
Which is the most coveted job, the one with Joe Burrow? Correct?

Speaker 4 (26:43):
Yes, and a franchise who doesn't move coaches very often.
You could say the same the two you just talked
about with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. If I'm talking about what
I'm walking into, Pittsburgh's offense is going to be Lamar
has not shown the ability to be a your passer,
and now injuries are becoming a question. Dereck Henry's getting older,

(27:05):
or I can walk into Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase.
It would easily be the most coveted job, Yes, of
any of the AFC North jobs open.

Speaker 2 (27:12):
Yeah, I mean I'd like to have Lamar Jackson healthy. Sure,
Lamar Jackson healthy is a two time MVP, but I
it's a back issue, right Like I I'm not a doctor.
I wonder could that be a degenerative or chronic situation?

Speaker 4 (27:29):
For years, it's been well with Lamar. He's elusive, he's fantastic,
He's avoided injury.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
He's gotten better as a passer.

Speaker 4 (27:36):
He has, but still I don't think the ability to
carry a teams just a pass like. The worry with Lamar,
in my opinion, has always been as he gets older
and the body takes more punishment, how's it going to react? Sure,
just missed a lot this year, and does that get
rectified or does that become more of an issue? And
if so, how you build that roster now completely changes?

(27:58):
They're built with Lamar as a runner right now you'd
have to rebuild with Lamar as more of a passer.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
I just from a Raven's perspective. You think of having
the AFC Championship game in their building two years ago, losing.
You think of Lamar has his postseason moment last year
against Buffalo and then Mark Andrews drops the two point conversion.

Speaker 3 (28:18):
Who knows how.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
Things unfold from there, because it wasn't a great Kansas
City team that they would have played in the AFC
Championship game, but great rosters, loaded rosters and MVP caliber
seasons from a quarterback that got through both seasons healthy,
and they don't win invariably. Maybe they were going to
take a step back this year, but I do think
what's next for them is fascinating.

Speaker 3 (28:41):
Sure.

Speaker 2 (28:41):
And then the Tomlin thing in Pittsburgh, Man, they have underachieved.
Like there is the Steelers brand and there's Mike Tomlin's career,
but over the course of nearly the last decade, no
postseason advancement.

Speaker 3 (28:57):
Just got beaten physically.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
Last year in the post season, they took a stab
at it with Aaron Rodgers, and look, one of those
two teams will win the AFC Norris So one of
those two teams will be playing in the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (29:07):
And maybe you don't want.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
To play them, but I think the fallout from losing
in whichever city loses that game is pretty interesting.

Speaker 4 (29:14):
You talk about the playoffs, and I know we'll talk
about the rest of the NFL. If if Pittsburgh or
or the Ravens win, they would play who the Texans?

Speaker 3 (29:24):
Yeah, like that's not the five seed you want to play? Right?
You know?

Speaker 4 (29:27):
I think the NFC is fascinating because there's a scenario
where you know, you've got San Francisco and the Rams
as the five and six seeds.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
Who would want them coming into their building week one?
It is.

Speaker 4 (29:39):
It's a fascinating year. The AFC, to me is so
intriguing because, like you could talk me into like Ravens
sneak in and Raven's win a game or two in
the playoffs because the AFC is open.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
Do I get healthy Lamar? Right? I mean, like if you.

Speaker 4 (29:54):
Get healthy Lamar who people still have questions about Denver.
People still have questions about even though I mean you
want to talk about workman, like what the Patriots did yesterday,
the Jacksonville Jaguars. I mean, it's not the who's who
that you normally see. Buffalo certainly has chinks in the
armor right now when you look at that team. It
is it to me, it wouldn't surprise me if like,

(30:15):
who's more capable of getting in and winning Baltimore.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
Pittsburgh, Baltimore because I feel like I can give it
to Henry, Right, I feel like.

Speaker 3 (30:24):
I can give it to There's not enough consistency with Pittsburgh.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
Yeah, Steelers offense is painful to watch. Am I gonna
get t J?

Speaker 3 (30:30):
Watt? Sure?

Speaker 2 (30:31):
I feel like with Baltimore I can Derrick Henry my
way to a win. You know what my big takeaway
was from Baltimore's game on Saturday. I wish the Bengals
would have made that trade for Malik Willis.

Speaker 3 (30:42):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 4 (30:44):
You know, a couple of years ago, Malik Willis, Derrick Henry,
Mike Vrabel were all Titans. You want to talk about fumbling?

Speaker 3 (30:52):
Yeah, Like, I'm not telling you.

Speaker 2 (30:54):
Malik Willis is a starting caliber quarterback, but there were
reports the Bengals made inquiries.

Speaker 3 (31:00):
Maunt Lafloor is.

Speaker 2 (31:00):
A terrific offensive coach and he's elite. In that game,
they he was awesome, like he he played at a
starting caliber level on Saturday, and the Bengals made overtures
by by According to a lot of well sourced people
about being what.

Speaker 3 (31:17):
Joe Flacco ended up being.

Speaker 2 (31:18):
Joe Flacco's in need story, But would I'd rather have
him Elik Willis as my backup right now or Joe
Flacco despite the fact that Elite got hurt in that game.

Speaker 3 (31:26):
Yeah, you want to talk about a teams falling off? Yeah, Packers.

Speaker 4 (31:29):
Yeah, I'd like to know the temperature of Matt Lafleur.
You know, Austin brought it up today. Since the playoffs
have been expanded to seven, that's been green Bay, it
has been. If it's not this, if it's not the
expanded playoffs, you're talking about a green Bay team that's
missed multiple playoffs and certainly trending in the wrong direction.

Speaker 3 (31:44):
Obviously the Michael Floor would be out of work for
about three minutes.

Speaker 4 (31:48):
Correct, But you just think of what team's put up with, yes,
and what that temperature is. I think there'd be a
lot of frustration. I mean that that was a team
early in the year that was like, that's the super
Bowl team in the end.

Speaker 3 (31:59):
The Floor and Joe Burry together, let's do it.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
Kidding me, Let's push it. Who's green Bay got next week?
Let's go lose, Lose. La Floor's on the market. He
comes to Cincinnati as zaxx Oc.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
It is ten away from four o'clock. We're a Twin
Peaks in Westchester. I am gonna devote one more segment
to Geno Stone for the rest of my life.

Speaker 3 (32:17):
Oh why not? That's coming up for the rest of
my life.

Speaker 2 (32:19):
This is it next week for sure, for the rest
of this year, because next week I'm gonna be looking ahead.

Speaker 3 (32:24):
Well, Genostone will be a part of that.

Speaker 2 (32:26):
If Genostone is on the Bengals next year, I am
taking that day the next three weeks off because I'm not.
It's gonna be hard for me to be responsible for
what I say. Yeah, like there's gonna be some major
major like I will have to like launch a podcast
to talk about how I feel about and Look.

Speaker 4 (32:44):
The defense has been better since the bye week. Yeah,
and Genostone's a big part of that. It's not a
what you see in the statue, and a lot of
times you have to look past it because you don't
see him at all on the statue.

Speaker 3 (32:54):
I watch them try to tackle dudes.

Speaker 2 (32:56):
It doesn't if Geno Stone, if they announce we're resigning
genostone want prove it deal one year team friendly proven
deal in if he is on the team next year.
I am not responsible for how I behave privately, and
I'm not responsible for what I say publicly. And I
may just go ahead and need to stash some money
away to pay the FCC fines.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
Deil It is.

Speaker 2 (33:19):
Nine away from four o'clock Tony and Mo Football Show.
We're here till six Twin Peaks in Westchester. ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (33:26):
Station is the Tony and Mo Football Show Live from
Twin Peaks, brought to you in part by OnCore Technologies.
Visit OnCore dot Tech Penn Station, East Coast Subs Penn Station.
It's all and good taste, Honda East and Honda East
Power Equipment Dealer, First State Bank. Built on belief. R

(33:47):
and L Carriers, Visit RLC dot com and make R
and L Carriers your global transportation provider and by your
tri Stage Chevy Dealers. Chevrolet the number one selling Brandon
Cincinnati the past eight years. Chevrolet Together, Let's Drive on
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Our number two of the Tony and Mo Football show,
the final one of twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (34:16):
We are and this place is electrical unbelievable. What the
electricity in this room? Because this is our last one here?

Speaker 3 (34:23):
Maybe Yeah, excited? Yes, we're here till six o'clock.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
I seventy five Union Center Boulevard, Exit Twin Peaks in Westchester.
We are back in Florence for the final show of
the season a week from today.

Speaker 3 (34:36):
Damn.

Speaker 2 (34:38):
You know, as a native of northern Kentucky, I'm trying
to figure out if I should be.

Speaker 3 (34:42):
Offended by this A lot amazing.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
Well, the place in Florence is delightful and you can't
wait to go back. But we're here in Westchester and
thrilled to have the folks with us that are here today,
including the guy that brought me a cigar.

Speaker 4 (34:56):
Unbelievable. So I want to be named, doesn't want to
be na this cigar giver.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
He asked to be anonymous. Yeah, and we might have
blown his cover by saying he's a guy that brought
a cigar.

Speaker 3 (35:07):
Yeah, to be anonymous.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
But nonetheless, we are here at Twin Peaks in Westchester
till six o'clock. Tons of TVs, great plays to watch,
all the college games this weekend. If you want to
watch kind of a dud of a Monday night football
game tonight, Rams and Falcons U see plays the night
against Lipscomb NK you and Robert Morris. The NFL playoffs
obviously coming up starting in twelve days. That picture obviously

(35:32):
crystallizing a little bit. You can watch all that stuff
and so much more here at Twin Peaks in Westchester.
We love the staff, love the food, and love the
folks who come on out and check out our show.
We thank you for doing as much. I have our
poll questions out that I'll get to here in just
a bit. Paul Danner Junior wrote about something that I

(35:52):
talked about a little bit last week, and I think
you did as well. The class of twenty twenty three. Yeah,
Duke Tobin's taken and deserved a lot of criticism for
how he's drafted. But that twenty twenty three draft class
admittedly has come on later, perhaps at the top with
Miles Murphy than we would like, but it has come on,
and you look at a group that includes Murphy who's

(36:14):
played very well, DJ Turner who's had an excellent season,
Jordan Battle who is serviceable at worst, Chase Brown, who's
a huge part of this offense. Andre Yoshavas game yesterday,
good game. Yeah, there are some pieces there. I want
to run through all these guys, but I want to
start with Dak.

Speaker 3 (36:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
So Dak Cell finally has found a home on the outside.
It's gotten through the season healthy. In the second half
of the season, his pro football focused great has been terrific.
He's been awesome in coverage. He is winding down his
fourth NFL season. Would you sign Dak's Hill to an extension?

Speaker 3 (36:51):
Yes, because I think it could be. I don't think
you have to break the bank for him now.

Speaker 4 (36:55):
It's a position of need across the NFL, so maybe
someone would be willing to. But I look at his play,
but I also look at the body of work. He
was drafted and everyone just talked about what a great
athlete he was. But is is he an inside guy?
Is he an outside guy? And then it was he's
going to be a safety for US. So in his
four years, he's been asked now to change positions twice,

(37:18):
He's played under two different defensive coordinators, He's come back
from multiple injuries, and now that he's playing consistent playing
time we're seeing the best stretch that he has played
with at a position that's hard to come by in
the National Football League. You know, he's not going to
have to be cornerback one. I feel good with him
going into a season as cornerback number two and resigned.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
What about DJ Turner?

Speaker 4 (37:41):
Love what you've seen out of him? I mean yeah,
I mean again, you've seen it before where they've chosen
to walk away from guys that they drafted, and they've
spent years trying to or failing at replacing that player.
DJ Turner is a guy you can build around on defense,
a guy you can sit out there and say, okay,

(38:01):
we've got our corner number one, Dax Hill's corner number two.
That would at least allow you to say, okay, now
we can go about and picking and choosing linebacker, front four, safety.
There are just too many holes. Maybe if it's a
different year, maybe if you're talking about this defense in
the sense that you talk about the offense and there's
not much to address, you say, okay, can you get

(38:22):
nitpicky and look at a Dj Turner or Dax Seiel.
The way this defense is assembled and the moves that
they have to make I'd be perfectly fine with both
those guys.

Speaker 2 (38:32):
Would you sign with one more year left on his deal?
Jordan Battle, Jerry's out still? Yeah, Like there are.

Speaker 4 (38:40):
Times okay, there are times I think he is and
yeah and to his like, I'd like to see what
he could be if he hit a above average player
next to him.

Speaker 3 (38:49):
Sure, you know it's it's probably hard.

Speaker 2 (38:51):
But does he look good because Gino Stone is so bad?

Speaker 4 (38:55):
Yeah, that's a fair, fair question and criticism, Like, I
just don't know he he's the guy like for me
out of that whole draft class. I look at him
and I know he's been solid in a fan favorite.
I look at Yoshi Vash and say, do you do?
You run it back there?

Speaker 3 (39:09):
Right? Like Yo with Yoshi? Good story, But.

Speaker 2 (39:13):
He's been for a sixth round pick, he's been terrific.

Speaker 4 (39:16):
Yes, but if you had your choice, you'd probably address
wide receiver three in a different way.

Speaker 3 (39:21):
Okay, but let me ask you this.

Speaker 2 (39:25):
Joe Burrow loves Andre yoshawaks does that how much weight
does that carry it?

Speaker 3 (39:30):
It depends if it's.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
Joe Burrow on the podium Sunday saying, you know, season's done,
we need to make sure we get Andre yoshivashs back,
then all right, Joe, here you go again. If not,
and who knows what those conversations are behind the scenes.
I just I look at what Yasiki's done down the stretch.
I look at what as a sixth rounder Yoshi Vash
has done. If you get another level up from Yoshi Vash,

(39:52):
how do you stop this offense?

Speaker 3 (39:53):
Then?

Speaker 2 (39:54):
So that's kind of where I am with Yoshavas.

Speaker 3 (39:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:56):
At the same time, he is a known quantity quarterback.
Loves him his role on this team. He knows what
his role is. There's value there.

Speaker 3 (40:03):
And again, there are only so many spots you can't address.

Speaker 2 (40:06):
I certainly want him on the team next year. Again,
another guy who's under contract for one more year. I
don't know that I have a huge appetite for something
long term.

Speaker 4 (40:14):
I'm starting to if I'm the Bengals, I'm starting to
go down the path of what's next there.

Speaker 2 (40:18):
Miles Murphy has been terrific and like folks roll their
eyes when you mention this, he has come on way
too late, right, But that doesn't mean he can't be
part of your team moving forward. Like you can't hold
against him as you talk about what's next, what he
didn't do in twenty three and twenty four, Like it
was impossible not to be frustrated with him, but it's

(40:41):
also impossible to watch him and not feel like, dude,
this guy's playing like he's among the best players in
his position in the sport. Paul, in his piece about
the twenty twenty three draft class, made the comparison to
Sam Hubbard, sam Hubbard's beloved in this town.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
Now. Sam at the end wasn't all that productive.

Speaker 2 (40:59):
But Miles Murphy as two more years if you assume
they're gonna pick up a fifty year option. I don't
know that they have to do anything long term with him.
But as you talk about pieces for next year, even
if you hate the fact you took him too long,
he is one of those pieces for next year.

Speaker 4 (41:16):
Well, one because he's played really well and consisted down
the stretch. Two who else gonna be out there right right?
Like you got to make a decision, and I one
of the players that I think is is hurt by
the injury. I just needed more time with Osai. Yeah,
can you buy in? Like I saw some of the
contracts speculation or numbers, the numbers that are being thrown

(41:38):
out there for Osai. I can't justify the Bengals pain,
and then you have the whole Trey Hendrickson conversation again.
At some point, you got to have something that's stable there. Yeah,
Miles Murphy would be the most stable option at defensive
end if so, based on his play and the need there,
based on the roster.

Speaker 2 (41:54):
Yes, if Miles Murphy hit free agency at the end
of the season, he would have a lot of suit.

Speaker 3 (42:01):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
The Chase Brown thing. We love Chase. He is a
running back. We know what the conversation has been about
paying running backs long term. He's also not a running
back that they give it to thirty times game. Not
that anybody really gets it thirty times a game, but
his wear and tear as he ages in this offense
is going to be mitigated by the fact that they're
never going to be primarily a running football team. He

(42:23):
obviously has one more year left on his deal. They've
invested a lot of money in their offense. What do
you do with Chase Brown? That's the hard one.

Speaker 4 (42:31):
I just if you look at what Chase Brown has
done this year, with Jake browning, with Joe Flacco, with
Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase has missed the game. T Higgins's
miss games. They've focused a lot on the offensive line,
and it's taken some time. The consistent piece on offense
has been Chase Brown. You know, he's fifty three yards

(42:54):
away from one thousand, he's nearing fifteen hundred total yards.
He is a every down back. You know, he puts
the work in you and I watched him. That'd be
one of the first ones out of training camp every
single day catching passes. I just that's one of those
moves that I feel like the elite organizations highlight that guy.
Get the deal done earlier rather than later, and never

(43:15):
let it get to a point where there's a big biddingmore. Yeah, like, hey,
we value you, we want you to be a part
of the future here. We want to get this deal
done now. Understanding you're not a guy that's getting twenty
five to thirty cut touches a game, but you're a
big part of what we do. The elite organizations, the
teams that do it right, that Chase Brown deal is

(43:36):
something that they get done sooner rather than later, get
it in the books and move on from him.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
So to me, we talk about. You know, this is
something you and Austin have talked about a lot. How
do you change without making changes? How do you change
without firing people? This is one of those ways you
avoid the long drawn out contract soap opera which has
dominated the offseason free years. Jesse Bates, t Higgins, Joe

(44:03):
Jamar Chase, Joe Mixon, Trey Hendrickson. And the way you
do that is by getting out in front of things.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
Now.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Ultimately, at the end of the day, the player has
to agree to sign, but you get out in front
of him.

Speaker 4 (44:14):
But across the league, Yeah, how many signings are done
by players that are drafted by organizations.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
You're like, man, they got that done early.

Speaker 4 (44:21):
Yeah, because you identify it's a talent, right, and you
move on and you get it on the books, and
then you move to a different position, like, hey, we're
good with running back now for the next four or
five years. And if you've got to supplement that with
what you paid a guy like p Ryan this year
or Tos Brooks something like that, so be it. But
you have a guy you drafted, the guy, identify that
he's a talent and get it done.

Speaker 2 (44:43):
That to me is how they change and look, I
understand you're not going to sign everybody, and inevitably, if
you have a lot of good players, there's going to
be someone who's pissed about his contract and there's going
to be a hold in or a hold out, that
sort of thing.

Speaker 3 (44:54):
But by their.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Own admission, the offseason got thrown askew because of how
long they took to get the Chase thing done and
the Higgins thing done. They waited way too long. The
way that Trey Hendrickson thing just drew out needlessly. If
you've really changed, you avoid to the best you can.
You avoid situations that are similar. And to me, where

(45:17):
that would start would be with Chase Brown.

Speaker 4 (45:19):
And there's a like people would say, well, why wouldn't
Chase Brown just say kick rocks. Like as a player,
there's a level of comfort that comes with that. Sure,
you know where you're gonna be, you know the system,
you can settle in a little bit more than you
could under a rookie deal. And like I go back
to like Matt McClain last year, think he kicks himself

(45:40):
and turning the deal down not because but yeah, you
think if a running back there's a little bit more
risk of injury. If you're Chase Brown and here's a
nice offer on the table from the team that drafted
you the system. You know, maybe it's a little bit
less than what you'll get on the open market, but
are you risking running it back for a year? What
if you get injured? What if there's something you know

(46:01):
and then you're starting from scratch there. That's why that's
where teams can can win negotiations. Yeah, we drafted you,
we took a chance on you. Now we want to
resign you, and we want to do it now and
get this out of the way.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
Here's our offer, we'll pay you now. Correct, get out
in front of it.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
And yeah, maybe you're not going to hit the open
market and be able to subject yourself to a league
wide bidding war, but you do have a degree of
long term security. Obviously, how they would structure guarantees and
stuff like that would be interesting. But yeah, again, like
Duke Tobin's going to be in place this offseason, Zach
Taylor's going to be in placed this offseason. Al Golden's

(46:39):
going to be in placed this offseason. So okay, how
do you make changes without changing out the people? And
one of the ways you do it is by saying, Okay,
we're we're going to be more proactive than we have
been with some of these guys. Get deals done and
avoid contentious, long drawn out contracts, oap operas, and maybe
in some cases trade away a player that you really

(47:01):
don't that you're not that you don't have intentions of
signing long term, but you don't want to hang around
and provide a constraction.

Speaker 3 (47:09):
You mentioned long term. The goal now is how can
we win now? Yeah? Not can we hold onto this
guy for two or three years? Right?

Speaker 4 (47:16):
The goal is win now? What moves helped them win
in twenty twenty six? Chase Brown's a part of that.

Speaker 3 (47:21):
Yeah, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (47:22):
Eighteen after four o'clock Tony and Mo Football Show twin peaks.
By the way, the two pole questions, Yes, we'll get
to one here because we brought it up last hour.
If you could hire one of these men to coach
her football team next year, who would you choose?

Speaker 3 (47:35):
All four AFC.

Speaker 2 (47:36):
North coaches John Harbaugh, Kevin Stefanski, Zach Taylor or Mike Tomlin.
Forty three point one percent say Mike Tomlin. Okay, twenty
nine point nine percent say John Harbaugh fourteen point two
percent say Kevin Stefanski and twelve point seven percent say

(47:57):
Zach Taylor.

Speaker 4 (48:00):
It's interesting, that's the I think the local like I
would be interested to know, like on a national level,
how that would be perceived.

Speaker 2 (48:11):
I think the voting would look similar. Maybe Harball would
get more votes and Tomlin slightly lefts, but I think
that order. I think that order would basically be Tomlin's.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
The Fansky over.

Speaker 2 (48:24):
Zach's coach of the year, but the coach of the
year before.

Speaker 3 (48:28):
All right, Zach went to a Super Bowl.

Speaker 2 (48:31):
But I think the one thing is with Zach, it's
like he's solely tethered to Joe Burrow.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
Sure Stefancy's tethered to Deshaun Watson, unfortunately for him.

Speaker 3 (48:43):
Vote now at Muegger.

Speaker 2 (48:44):
We'll get to our second poll question when we come
back nineteen after four o'clock. We're also going to run
through all four college football playoff quarterfinal tilts, just those
four no Liberty Ball previews in the five o'clock out.
I made that a standalone segment.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
And it should be a standalone game. It really well.

Speaker 4 (49:02):
I don't think mustle and bustled New Year's even New
Year's Day Friday, four thirty, breathe in yeat, Okay, I'm
asleep in Friday, and then lock in four.

Speaker 2 (49:10):
Thirty on Friday, Liberty from Memphis. Cincinnati versus Navy, Man,
are you kidding?

Speaker 4 (49:16):
With its twenty four hours for Cincinnati Bearcats. They get
to go beat Navy and then upset Houston on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
Can't wait, It's twenty after four twin peaks in Westchester.
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (49:28):
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Modern Office Methods on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Twenty five as or four o'clock. This is the Tonymo
Football Show on ESPN fifteen thirty. We are broadcasting from
in west Chester. Six o'clock, the contractually obligated airing of
Zach Taylor's Monday press conference. Coming up right around five
forty Bengals and Browns.

Speaker 3 (49:58):
One o'clock.

Speaker 2 (49:58):
Joe Burrow got his offensive lineman fossils.

Speaker 3 (50:02):
If you watch Quarterback on.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
Netflix, yeah, his affinity for fossils is well known.

Speaker 3 (50:07):
He had all the linemen come over.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
His house and gave them based on seniority and how
long they had been with the team. That sort of thing,
A pick of fossils from dinosaurs, bears and mammoths.

Speaker 3 (50:19):
Would you like a fossil? No? Now, I'll say this.
I looked it up.

Speaker 4 (50:24):
A thirty thousand year old wooly mammoth tusk goes for
about thirty grand.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Goes for about thirty grand? Where though, correct who you
reselling it to? Right? I thought the samurai swords were
enough last year. I thought that was cool. We're building
museums now in their houses, no problem with that, and
I decorated. Listen.

Speaker 4 (50:40):
I think if you get to a point now, listen,
if I was one of the linemen and it was
like wooly mammoth tusk, a bear head or a t
rex artifact, I want the t rex t rex that.
Maybe I'm having a different conversation, but I'll be honest.
If I'm a line, I want the like like give
me a Rolex. A lot of guys get side by,

(51:00):
like Aaron Rodgers gave his guys side by sides. Mahomes
always comes up with some pretty cool gifts. I get
that Burrow is unique and it's probably a story piece
for years to come that these guys could tell Hey,
Joe Burrow gave me that wooly mammoth tusk for me
though it's just just not my style. I just if
I brought home a wooly mammoth tusk, yeah, hanging over

(51:24):
the fireplace, and to my wife, Hey, clear some room
in the living room so we can hang this on
the wall, she'd go, none of my house or not?

Speaker 3 (51:31):
You mean you don't have any room? By the samurai.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Sword, she would think that was cool.

Speaker 4 (51:36):
The swords are like the swords, like we're used in
battle and they've got story. And I know that obviously
the fossils do as well. But like for me, I'm like,
I get that that's your thing really not my thing,
So get all the fossils you want. But I don't know,
like and I think the players are always gonna say
the right thing. Like Ted Carris was awesome, like, yeah,

(51:56):
what a gift? What a story?

Speaker 3 (51:58):
You think the us when they all left, they were
looking at each other like how do I do it?

Speaker 4 (52:02):
Because it's real, Like is there another gift that's coming
or are you training?

Speaker 2 (52:06):
I wonder if one of the other alignment was like, hey, Ted,
you really like those fossils huh.

Speaker 4 (52:10):
Well, Fairchild was the one that got the t rex thing.
So I'm like, hey, rook, right, yeah, that's my t
Rex tooth. You can have this tusk. But let's say
you're a Dalton Riser. Maybe Dalton's not into fossils. Do
you go to ten and go, hey, man, you like
those fossils?

Speaker 3 (52:22):
What do you got to watch it again?

Speaker 4 (52:25):
Like Rogers got like side by side vehicles for his guys,
or you know, Mahomes always takes care of his and
I know a lot of those guys that's partnerships are
already have in place and it's not them spent. So
it probably is Burrow spending more money on this stuff.
I just don't know if I'm buying into it.

Speaker 2 (52:41):
So Orlando Brown, obviously you wouldn't like a fossil because
I don't actually got you something for our eleventh year
that's gonna bring next week that.

Speaker 3 (52:52):
It's a fossil I found at the creek.

Speaker 2 (52:56):
I was gonna make a joke that I'm not because
it probably really get me a trouble at work. Orlando
Brown played for the Ravens with Joe Flacco, played for
the Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes and so he's gotten some
cool stuff. So he says, Joe Flacco got him a
slushy machine.

Speaker 3 (53:13):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (53:14):
He was also gifted a Rolex Watch by Patrick Mahomes
and re Ramoa luggage.

Speaker 3 (53:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
So a pold question is which is the best gift Fossils,
Ramoa luggage.

Speaker 3 (53:27):
I put Remova. Yeah, I'd remove that from the list.

Speaker 2 (53:31):
Rolex Watch or slushy machine? Forty seven and a half
percent say Rolex Watch, Yes, is that the one you
would go with?

Speaker 3 (53:37):
That's timeless? They tell time? Does it not timeless? Time full?

Speaker 4 (53:41):
Yeah, give me the Rolex. I know there's a resale
value on those babies too. I don't know if I
could walk in and be like, hey, I got this
wooly mammoth tusk willing to give me on it?

Speaker 7 (53:52):
All?

Speaker 2 (53:52):
Right? About the slushy machine? How many flavors?

Speaker 3 (53:55):
Sure? And like once I'm out of flavors, do I
not have to go with?

Speaker 7 (53:59):
Like?

Speaker 2 (53:59):
Is it like, hey, we'll stock in every six months?
Because if that's the case, Can I make bourbon slushes?

Speaker 3 (54:05):
Absolutely?

Speaker 2 (54:06):
Can I make adult slushies out of it? Like the
slushy machine? For me, I'm intrigued. I want to know
more about you probably get the most use out of
the slushy machine without question, but it face back. I
don't know what remove a luggage is. I don't really
care about luggage either. I would probably go Rolex watch,
then slushy machine, then the fossils, then the the luggage.

Speaker 3 (54:26):
I agree. I can't get you a Rolex, I think,
but I can find you a fillow like.

Speaker 2 (54:32):
I love the look of watches. I'm always terrified to
get a really nice one because I'll bang it.

Speaker 3 (54:36):
Yeah, you know that sort of things. Screw it up yep.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
Slushy machine, though, I think, does have the most practical usage.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (54:43):
I have to go back through the list of like,
what's been the best gifts we've ever heard or seen
before of quarterbacks that have gifted linemen When you were
in Carolina, nothing I did not well, I don't know
what Jimmy did or not. I was gonna a rookie
dinner and I was still I was shocked from that.
And by the time Christmas came around on the team,
I was on Jimmy.

Speaker 2 (55:00):
Gutt All, he didn't get all sixteen starts. Derek Anderson gout,
Matt Moore, Matt Moore, Matt Moore is the majority start,
So did he buy gifts?

Speaker 3 (55:07):
Don't?

Speaker 4 (55:07):
I don't remember. All I remember about that time of
the year was how many weeks are left? Because we're
getting the number one pick?

Speaker 2 (55:15):
Now that like college quarterbacks are getting paid. Honey, they're
getting Do they have to do this now? Well, I
mean Sowresby took all the lineman to Rubies every week.
I mean my college experience a little bit different than.

Speaker 4 (55:28):
I'm gonna tell you this. I had, I had, we
fed the lineman, but mom and dad were throwing stuff
on the grill, right.

Speaker 3 (55:34):
I wasn't.

Speaker 4 (55:35):
I wasn't going to Jeff Rubies. But we I mean
we had Lineman dinners.

Speaker 3 (55:40):
Was I remember?

Speaker 4 (55:40):
I brought like donuts and stuff for the guys. But
I gotta, I gotta take these guys to Jeff Rubies
every time we win a game.

Speaker 2 (55:47):
So Big Steam's over there grilling out steaks for.

Speaker 4 (55:48):
Long steaks, burgers, hot dogs. Big Steve was on the grill,
was he yeah?

Speaker 3 (55:54):
Like to be there for that? That was our That
was my nil experience.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
Take away.

Speaker 3 (55:59):
I can't take you guys the Jeff Rubies.

Speaker 4 (56:00):
But my mom and dad said they'd grill some stuff
for us if you want come on over.

Speaker 2 (56:06):
We are at Twin Peaks in Westchester, the Tony and
Moe Football Show. We'll look at all for college football
playoff quarterfinal tilts when we come back on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 6 (56:18):
You've been listening to Football in the Nattie on ESPN
fifteen thirty, The official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (56:30):
Tadlines our service at Kelsey Sheppard Leah, home of lifetime
powertrain protection and guaranteed credit approval from their family to
yours for life kelseyshev dot com.

Speaker 3 (56:39):
Do you say Jared Golf got his guys golf clubs.

Speaker 4 (56:41):
Golf carts, golf carts. I was looking at some of
these over the break. Jared Golf gifted his guys custom
golf carts. Aaron Rodgers went cam canam Maverick side by sides,
which are crazy cars, off road stuff. But Josh Allen
got his Lineman a Infrare grill, and then they got
him each a quarter cow. Oh Man, So that ain't

(57:05):
bet either too. Hey, we're gonna take care of your stakes. Yeah,
burgers and whatever else you want to do with this cow.
That's on our behalf.

Speaker 2 (57:13):
Joe Burrow is gonna play on Sunday, even though the
game doesn't matter. Bengals and Browns on ESPN fifteen thirty,
kickoff at one pm. UC has hired a new quarterbacks coach.
David Rowe comes to Cincinnati from Rutgers. Spent the last
two years as the quarterbacks coach for the Scarlet Knights.
You see basketball in action tonight against Lipskim at seven
on seven hundred WLWNKU is at Robert Morris tonight. That

(57:36):
game airs on the Project one hundred point seven to
one oh sixty three. Mark Pope Show tonight at six.
That's on Fox Sports thirteen sixty because Bengals line is
on six to nine on ESPN fifteen thirty. In hockey
this evening, the Blue Jackets skate at Ottawa Tony Peaks here.
College football playoff quarterfinals begin on New Year's Eve Wednesday

(57:57):
night the Cotton Bowl Ohio State on Miami. The Buckeys
are nine and a half point favorites. Who do you
like in that one?

Speaker 4 (58:05):
You know, I think kind of the theme last year
was all four teams that had buys lost. You know
what I look for in this weekend's games the teams
that were off. How do they navigate that? Because now
you've seen a year of it, You saw what happened
all the teams last year. What have you done in
the meantime to make sure you're ready to go? The

(58:26):
one thing I feel I don't think Miami can keep
up offensively. I don't think they can score ant against
also State. But Ohio State's weakness was against good fronts,
and Miami's front on both sides of the ball is good.
They got a really good defensive line. I think Ohio
State wins. I don't think they put up a ton
of points, but I think I think it's a game.

(58:48):
You're talking more about Matt Patricia's Ohio State defense and
them shutting down Miami than you are talking about the
explosiveness Ohio State, and I think the more of a
combination of how good Miami is upfront and the fits
that Indiana gave them upfront in that game they lost.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
Yeah, I think Ohio State to win the game. Yes,
I don't think they're going to cover the number nine.

Speaker 3 (59:11):
And a half. I think that's a lot.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
Texas Tech, the team that nobody is talking about two
and a half point dogs against Oregon and the Orange Bowl.
You get the best run defense in the country against
a great run game, and I think a fun quarterback
matchup between Dante Moore and Baron Morton.

Speaker 4 (59:28):
I am biased to Texas Tech because I think they're
slept on nationally. Say twelve two and zero Bowl games.
Take twelve's two and oh Bowl games. They're running through stuff.

Speaker 3 (59:36):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (59:37):
Look, Texas Tech is good. Their top ten offense in
the top ten defense. They are balanced, they can beat
in a couple different ways. I love Dan Landing at Oregon.
I don't think they're as dominant or as good as
they've been in the past. The only thing I can
think of here is what we talked about before. Oregon
has the the understanding. They went through this last where

(01:00:00):
they had to long layoff, they went through it this
year where they played the early game. How does Texas
Tech navigate in a new system for them of where
they're at getting ready. I think it's outlandish that they're
underdogs in this because I think Texas Tech might be
the second best team playing right now.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
I'm happy they are because I'll take the point, but
I will take the points with Texas Tech. Indiana is
a touchdown favored against Alabama.

Speaker 4 (01:00:22):
It's weird because everyone leaning in is saying that Alabama
is the team that shouldn't be in. And the more
people I've asked, if you pick one upset this weekend,
who is it? People say Alabama, And I don't know
if that's more because of Alabama or that's more because
of Indiana. I know they have a big they'd lost
a major contributor on the defensive line. It's time off.

(01:00:43):
It's a team that hasn't been around a lot. Alabama,
say what you want. They're battle tested. They've been in
a lot of big games, huge come from behind victory
against Oklahoma. I still think Indiana is a better team,
but this one wouldn't shock me if Alabama kept this close.

Speaker 3 (01:00:58):
I think they cover the number eight. It's Indiana.

Speaker 2 (01:01:00):
I think Indiana's gonna cover Ty Simpson's inconsistent, sure Mendoza's
the third down throw he made against Ohio State, the
play he makes against Penn State. Alabama's rush offense isn't
the most reliable. I think Indiana is gonna win that game,
and I think Indiana can cover seven points. Ole Miss

(01:01:21):
and Georgia Bulldogs six and a half point favorites.

Speaker 4 (01:01:25):
It feels to me like, for whatever reason, Georgia is
the most slept on team.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
Left for maining. Could not agree more.

Speaker 4 (01:01:30):
And they're playing it so well, right, I don't understand
the SEC champion, Yes, And people are just kind of
like and then there's old miss in Georgia right, like
everything people talk about Texas Tech, Oregon, Ohio State on
New Year's Eve, the number one seed Indiana, and it's
just like George is lost in all of this. I
still think there's great value for Georgia to win the
national title.

Speaker 3 (01:01:50):
So I wrote those down.

Speaker 2 (01:01:51):
Yeah, so Ohio State's a prohibitive favorite plus one ninety,
Indiana plus three ten, Georgia's plus five hundred.

Speaker 3 (01:01:58):
The SEC title, Yes, SEC champion.

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
That is insane value for an SEC championship, for an
SEC champion that's playing in this round a team they'd beaten.

Speaker 3 (01:02:07):
And a team that doesn't have their head coach.

Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
Right, Like, I think of all the draws, I think
Georgia has to like theirs the most, Yes, because.

Speaker 3 (01:02:16):
I think they can win that, and I think they can.
I think they can go on and win after that.

Speaker 4 (01:02:21):
I think they are a legitimate threat.

Speaker 2 (01:02:26):
Yeah, I like Georgia. I like the value there. They
ran for two twenty six in the first game against
Old Miss. There is the sentimental part of me that
wants the Rebels to advance playing without their head Coavin
Lane Kiffen wearing that cool looking leather jacket he had
on TV for LSU's bowl game against Houston. But I
was doing this this morning and I knew Ohio State

(01:02:48):
was the odds on favorite. I had not made a
college football playoff futures bet. That changed about ten seconds
after I saw plus five hundred next to Georgia.

Speaker 3 (01:02:56):
Incredible value. I'm taking the Bulldogs. It's not a bowl question.

Speaker 4 (01:03:01):
But since the last time we talked, Kyle Whittingham became
the coach at Michigan, Well, were your thoughts on that higher?
Because the names that were being thrown out there, I'm like, man,
they're gonna get desperate, and then it's Whittingham, and I'm
like cool.

Speaker 2 (01:03:12):
So I think if you're looking for adult in the room,
and sure is somebody who's just going to put an
end to all the bs.

Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
Up there, that's the guy. Sure.

Speaker 2 (01:03:23):
Well what I would wonder is, you know, and maybe
Michigan's resources are such that it doesn't matter where the
coach is coming from. But that guy has spent his
entire life in Utahah, and so is he going to
be able to get dudes in this part of the
country doesn't matter. Can you get guys from the western
part of the United States that maybe Sharon Moore or
Jim Harbaugh. I think it's interesting that he's an urban
Meyer guy.

Speaker 3 (01:03:45):
You know, when he was.

Speaker 4 (01:03:45):
Asked about Ohio State in his press conference, like do
you dislike Ohio State, He's like, well, I guess I
do now, just very Yeah. So he's done good things
for Utah.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
He's done won sixty six percent of his game.

Speaker 4 (01:04:00):
We watched that Utah team man handle the bar t yeah,
and like it felt like they had men ushered you.

Speaker 2 (01:04:06):
I mean they were a G five school, right ushered
them into the Pac twelve and then the Big twelve.

Speaker 3 (01:04:11):
He is.

Speaker 2 (01:04:12):
I would imagine one of the I don't know five
or six most highly respected people in his profession was.

Speaker 3 (01:04:17):
A Michigan fan.

Speaker 4 (01:04:18):
And I was seeing the names being thrown out there,
I'm like, my Dyllian m right there yet, and then
all of a sudden it's like, okay, yeah, get behind
this and you know, it's not gonna be a dude
that's there for ten twelve years who cares four or
five years and then you can, you know, establish yourselves
back to where you are. Yeah, you can get the name.
I thought it was a home run based on where
they were in the process.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
I just if you were looking like it's a big name,
but it doesn't feel like it, right. I mean, that
is a big name in college football circles. Maybe not
a big name because he's been only at Utah as
a head coach, But like the biggest name isn't always
the best higher And I think, like you know, there

(01:04:58):
were folks dreaming about what you could pull Lane Kiffin
away from LSU before he even coaches a game. I
don't know. You just went from a circus to the
traveling circus that is Lane Kiffin, which I think is fun.

Speaker 3 (01:05:08):
I think Brian Kelly was ever tossed around. Do you
think Brian Kelly will ever coach again?

Speaker 2 (01:05:13):
Somebody in the Michigan circle had brought out somebody had
to have said what about Brian Kelly? And then maybe
they got shot down. But do you think I do
you think I'll coach again?

Speaker 3 (01:05:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (01:05:23):
I don't think he'd being a rough because I think
he'll be Think what you want about him. He'll be
great in a studio role.

Speaker 3 (01:05:28):
I think be awesome. It'll be awesome on a on
a TV or studio role.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
He did NFL Network NFL Draft for two years because
he did it the year the Bengals took Tyler Eifert
and he was awesome. Like in that setting, he was awesome.
I want him to coach, Yeah, because I don't. You
should have different feelings than I do. I root for
Brian Kelly because he was awesome coaching the program that

(01:05:53):
I care about.

Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
You think you'd want to come back here? You know,
just cast that checked that. LSU's right.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
No, I don't think he would want to do that
A year off.

Speaker 3 (01:06:02):
I don't think he would want to do that.

Speaker 2 (01:06:04):
But I I hated what he got he deserved. I mean,
I fully believe that. But he's not a Hall of
Fame coaching career. Yeah, I guess the all time winning
his coach at Notre Dame. He had them in the
National Championship conversation, in the BCS and in the playoff
that they weren't with all the coaches they had before him.

(01:06:24):
I think for his career to end the way it
ended at LSU would be would be sad. So I'm
hoping he gets a chance to author a better final
chapter where that would be sure. I have no idea,
And again I'm not making excuses for the guy. He
got what he deserved. But but I I he says handled,
he's had a good He's had a very good career
that I think it would be cool if he got

(01:06:44):
a chance to author one more good chapter.

Speaker 4 (01:06:46):
Multiple times he has handled moving on from a school poorly,
very If he's handled it the right way or better,
he would be viewed completely different as one of the
best offensive geniuses in football. Yeah, that's it, agree, Because
where he's went he's won, uh huh. But it's been
how he's left that has left people the wrong way.

Speaker 2 (01:07:05):
This this cycle very very strange. I'm you know, you
look at Luke Fickle in Wisconsin. Yeah, Scott Sadderfield at
the University of Cincinnati. A lot of coaches moving into
spots next year where it feels like, okay, they maybe
have gotten one more year than people would like, you know,
probably with ignoring some names.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
Well, with the Baylor big Man getting eligibility I'd at
least do my due diligence. Yeah, you know, I think
I was hampered because I played that one game.

Speaker 3 (01:07:34):
That's right.

Speaker 4 (01:07:35):
If I hadn't got in that game, I think I
have a case that I could have been the quarterback
later in the week in Memphis, and what fun that
would have been.

Speaker 3 (01:07:43):
For you or for me both.

Speaker 4 (01:07:45):
I would have asked for a little bit of one
of those nil checks and a chance to run the
Scott's sadderfield system as opposed to the BK system.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
BK system worked out pretty well for it. It is
ten away from five o'clock Tony and Mo Football Show.
We'll have the Liberty Ball preview. We want to talk
about a lot of other stuff going around the NFL,
including something that should happen almost instantly. Plus what a
difference to two weeks makes because the Bengals got destroyed
against the Ravens fifteen days ago. Fifteen days later, they're fixed.

Speaker 3 (01:08:17):
Yep, everything's right.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
We'll get to that coming up at five oh five
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (01:08:23):
SMO Football Show Live from Twin Peaks, brought to you
in part five Encore Technologies. Visit OnCore dot Tech Penn Station,
East Coast Subs Penn Station. It's all in good taste.
Honda East and Honda East Power Equipment Dealer, First State Bank.
Built on belief. R and L Carriers. Visit RLC dot

(01:08:45):
com and make R and L Carriers your global transportation
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Chevrolet Together. Let's drive on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official
home of the Cimincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:09:06):
The Tony and Mo Football Show, The Power Hour, The
bud Light five o'clock Happy Hour on ESPN fifteen thirty.
We are broadcasting today from Twin Peaks in west Chester,
our last Westchester Twin Peaks show of the season. We're
back in Florence next week for the season finale, the
day after the Bengals take on the Cleveland Browns. Let's
talk about west Chester. First of all, very easy to

(01:09:28):
get to I seventy five Union Center Boulevard Exit. You'll
be here in seconds. Great menu, tons of TVs, awesome staff,
great beer selection.

Speaker 3 (01:09:37):
We love Twin Peaks here.

Speaker 2 (01:09:39):
In Westchester and thank the staff here for having us.
Ran fireplaces Roran. We need to tell the folks in
Florence get that fireplace going. Next week, Yeah, no question
about it. The Liberty Bowl preview is coming up in
just about thirty minutes.

Speaker 3 (01:09:54):
Tune in.

Speaker 2 (01:09:55):
Tony's excited for that. We'll also talk about NFL Yes
said as they make their travel plans to go to Memphis.

Speaker 4 (01:10:04):
We met someone today at our show we did that
is going to the Liberty Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:10:12):
I was good to know.

Speaker 2 (01:10:13):
We didn't ask him if he was like bringing people.

Speaker 3 (01:10:15):
Now traveling with it. He is running from something.

Speaker 2 (01:10:18):
That is the first person I've met who has said
they're going to yep, Memphis.

Speaker 3 (01:10:22):
I want to hear from more.

Speaker 4 (01:10:25):
Well, you know, with our Liberty Bowl preview.

Speaker 3 (01:10:28):
Maybe on the airplane on Tuesday, find more, a whole
lot more, meet more.

Speaker 2 (01:10:35):
We'll get to the Liberty BWL here in a bit.
We'll also talk about an NFL playoff change that I
think is overdue, and talk about San Francisco and Chicago,
which was awesome on Sunday Night football last night, Bengals
were maybe not awesome, but dominant. They win handily beat
the Arizona Cardinals thirty seven to fourteen. Cincinnati is now
six and ten after winning what will forever be known

(01:10:57):
for my money as the Cody Ford game.

Speaker 4 (01:11:00):
As Dan Horde described him, Rumbland stumbling twenty one yards
on the catch. You gotta like that with yards after
the yards after catch if you're the quarterback. And you
really wonder mo with what we've seen Pittsburgh use Darnell
Washington with against the Bengals this year, I don't think
there's a much discrepancy in weight between Darnell Washington Cody Ford.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
I don't think Cody Ford is a good offensive lineman.

Speaker 3 (01:11:22):
A good receiver, maybe receiver number three.

Speaker 4 (01:11:24):
That's the role that he's It was fun, though, and
you know the team enjoyed it. That's one of the
the fruits of having a dominant lead. And and you
know you're playing against a team. Call it what it is,
Arizona's completely checked out. Yes, you're talking about a team
that's checked out and not Competitive's Arizona Cardinals.

Speaker 3 (01:11:40):
And I think they're going through injuries.

Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
I don't think Klas Campbell was no, and I don't
think Trey McBride was.

Speaker 4 (01:11:45):
I think mc bride was getting that he was gonna
get that record regardless. But there were points in the
first half where I'm thinking, like, why is to Kobe?
Were sett not just throwing to Trey McBride Moore, Like
I fully thought it was gonna be like the Jamar Chase.

Speaker 3 (01:11:58):
Here he comes.

Speaker 4 (01:11:59):
Targeted to three, But yeah, it's quiet. There were times
like why is he not getting targeted? Yeah, and outside
of a few different mishaps, pretty solid on defense. Four
different Bengals registered to sack offense, Joe Burrow found ten
different receivers. I would have liked to see him up
right a little bit more. Yeah, you know, not only
three sacks, but two where he got up winsing a
little bit and you're like, all right, I'm good seeing enough. Yes,

(01:12:22):
get him the hat, get him the clip board. Yep,
move on to next season. That's really you kind of
look forward to the last matchup against Cleveland. That's what
you kind of circle making sure I don't you're gonna
play him great? Can we max protect more? Can we
do more?

Speaker 2 (01:12:39):
Two main routes they had a lot of and Zach
talked about it, you'll hear it in the press conference
later on, but they they had a lot of formations
with six offensive linemen. Yeah, I would play the entire
game that way, I would do.

Speaker 3 (01:12:49):
A lot more of that. I would do a lot
more of that, but.

Speaker 2 (01:12:51):
I would I would just tell Joe take the rest
of the season off.

Speaker 3 (01:12:54):
Correct but fun.

Speaker 4 (01:12:56):
Nonetheless, Jamar becomes he writes his name in NFL record
books from thousand yard receiving years with touchdowns in each
of his first five years. He's been awesome. Chase Brown
is closing in on an awesome season. He's closing in
on a thousand yards on the ground in fifteen hundred total.
And the defense, albeit against if you're a competition, has

(01:13:19):
been better.

Speaker 2 (01:13:20):
It has been You have to consider who they've played,
but yes, they have played the way they're supposed to
against not great offenses. You know, it's the question that
we started the show by addressing. It's the question that
we addressed yesterday, and it.

Speaker 3 (01:13:36):
Really right now.

Speaker 2 (01:13:36):
I think if you assume they're going to beat the Browns,
which maybe we shouldn't, but but if they do, and
they end this season with three consecutive wins, there is
a very legitimate fear. And it may prove to be
a fear that we laugh at in six months.

Speaker 3 (01:13:50):
I hope so.

Speaker 2 (01:13:51):
But there's a very legitimate fear that the success they're
having at the end of the season is going to
impair their decision making. And I I just I go
back to us doing the last show of the season
a year ago, when put a bow on it, they
win five straight, don't make the postseason. We talked with
certainty about how they were going to almost overhaul the defense,

(01:14:17):
and they and we did that because it was so
painfully obvious that they had to do a lot to
fix the defense. Well, what was obvious to you and
I was apparently not obvious to do, Tobin.

Speaker 4 (01:14:29):
So it's a fear for so many not because people
wonder if it can happen, because people have seen.

Speaker 3 (01:14:34):
It happen, It did happen, happened a year ago.

Speaker 4 (01:14:36):
That's the problem, you know, Ken Bruce said yesterday he's
seen this far too many times. First lifetime, you run
out the string, you play better against some bad competition,
and next thing you know, you're talking yourself into not
being that far off. The difference to me is, and
I know you've talked about it. The psychoanalysis of Joe
Burrow the last couple of weeks and the message that

(01:14:57):
I believe was sent by Joe Burrow. Not that I'm
going to retire, not that I'm to request the trade,
but winning matters to me, and we don't have time
to mess around anymore with this offense. We don't have
time for the rebuild. It's about winning now and that
should lead to significant change this offseason. And if it doesn't,
then it's a harder conversation to have at the start

(01:15:19):
of the year. But that is the reason why so
many are worried with how the stretch is playing out.
I'm not saying it takes away from it, but there
are people that watch the game and like, oh, that's cool,
but I hope it doesn't mean this right. It takes
away from fully locking into the last couple of weeks
because in the back of your mind, like, I hope
this doesn't happen again, right, Not, I hope it doesn't

(01:15:39):
happen for the first time.

Speaker 3 (01:15:40):
Yeah, I hope it doesn't happen again. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:15:42):
And that's exactly I process the success the last two weeks.
Two ways. One is just how you outlined it. I'm
not gonna root against him if they lose, Okay, if
they win, fine, it's fun to watch and win. But man,
I do wonder if winning is gonna negatively impact how
they go about fixing this team. I also look at

(01:16:03):
it this way, like they have shown you the last
couple of weeks, not that they're not that far away,
but that there is something to build around. There is something,
there's something to there's a foundation. The foundation is the offense.
Like it's not even one player, one position group. The
foundation is the offense. And so Duke Tobin has earned

(01:16:23):
a lot of distrust. I don't trust him. That said,
he's got a pretty enviable job. Hey, you've got to
fix a team that has Joe Burrow, all the weaponry,
decent offensive line, all the pieces in place. You've got
a lot of money to spend on defense, and even
a handful of pieces on defense that have emerged as

(01:16:44):
guys that you are at least happy being on the
team now. Doing what he's been tesked with doing is
not easy. But there's a lot of people in his
role around the league that if you said you got
a busy offseason in front of you, would love to
be able to say, well, I've only got to fix
this part of the team, because over here I may
be league best.

Speaker 4 (01:17:03):
Yeah, I just you hope that there's no one in
those meetings that's just standing up and saying, hey, guys,
you know it took a new decordinator some time to
get his feel.

Speaker 3 (01:17:11):
Of the team.

Speaker 4 (01:17:13):
And you know, after he had that bye week and
you did some self scout, defense has played better. Like
there shouldn't be anyone that ever listens to that in
that building anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:17:22):
Yeah, it is.

Speaker 4 (01:17:23):
Hey, I know he didn't he didn't threaten it, but
we need to make sure that that the struggles Joe
was going through never come back, and that means winning. Now,
it doesn't mean anymore. You know what, Let's see what
Demitrius Knight and Barrett Carter can do after the whole offseason. No,
it is no making moves to win now that Joe

(01:17:45):
Burrow is gonna be thirty next year, He's gone through
a ton of injuries.

Speaker 3 (01:17:48):
Call it what it is. I know.

Speaker 4 (01:17:50):
I know that everyone hopes he's got ten more years
to play, and I do too, But the reality is
he's gonna be thirty. The window is closing. It's time
to do it now. You've got no more equity build up,
You've got no more of this. Well, we'll draft and develop.
Got they've got to win.

Speaker 2 (01:18:05):
Now we are closer to the end of his current
contract than we are the year he took the Bengals
to the Super Bowl. Right, four seasons have taken place
since he has four seasons left on his deal.

Speaker 3 (01:18:20):
So yeah, man, like do the math, and.

Speaker 2 (01:18:26):
I promise you sooner rather than later, they will come
to him and want to re up long term. So
to me, that's what this is about as much as anything.
It's not him bailing, it's him going. You know, I
think I'm good.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
And if you think his mentality is bad right now,
be four.

Speaker 4 (01:18:41):
And ten next year exactly ten faith being this point
next year, yep. And you and I talk about this
with Cincinnati Sports all the time. How nice it would be,
whether it's coming down the stretch and baseball, or this
time of the year in football or March in basketball,
and not saying is the team that I care for deeply?

(01:19:02):
Are they on the outside looking in? Are they on
the bubble or are they playing for seeding?

Speaker 2 (01:19:06):
Yeah, I said to my wife last night watching that
San Francisco the Chicago game that we're going to talk
about in a few minutes, I'm dying to see the
Bengals play in a game like this. Remember like what
was so fun the demor Hamley game going into it
was huge game, lots of stakes, but it doesn't end
your season.

Speaker 3 (01:19:24):
Correct.

Speaker 2 (01:19:24):
I want to play in games like that where lots
riding on it and.

Speaker 3 (01:19:28):
There's a huge reward.

Speaker 2 (01:19:29):
Maybe it's a division, maybe it's the one seed, but
if you lose, okay, we're still going to be a
playoff team. Those are the sort of games I am
dying for the Bengals to play in. Not these, Well,
if you win this one, they're odds of making the postseason.
The postseason go up and they'll be six percent yep.
And if they can get this team to finish one

(01:19:49):
in four and and this team to have a bunch
of guys quit, then they're a playoff team.

Speaker 4 (01:19:56):
If they went out, It's just it's every season of
sports in Cincinnati right now. You know placement can JJ
bledabro oh oh we could barely park yesterday at the
Banks to get to our show on.

Speaker 2 (01:20:10):
I cannot tell you. I should have taken a picture
of that line outside of the Reds ticket office for
JJ Blade.

Speaker 3 (01:20:17):
But it has like how many years is it? Well?

Speaker 4 (01:20:18):
If the redsk if they sweep this weekend series, then're
only two backs of the wild card. If the Bengals
can win their last four and these other teams like,
then there's a path or well, you know, if if
they could do this in the Big twelve and the
Bearcats like so done with just what has to happen
in order to maybe have a chance to make postseason.

Speaker 3 (01:20:39):
Just want to have fun, JJ Blade.

Speaker 2 (01:20:40):
Oh you're gonna have fun this year watching him.

Speaker 3 (01:20:43):
You're right, JJ, down your line.

Speaker 2 (01:20:45):
I don't know if you saw I put this on Twitter.
I just I was sitting in the parking lot at Cole's.

Speaker 3 (01:20:50):
Oh you saw him? No? Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:20:53):
And I had to go return something because they do
the like you can drop off the Amazon's returns, and
I this was Saturday, and I'm like, I'm gonna go
in there and there's gonna be eighty five people in line,
which there were. So I'm sitting in my car and
I look in there. I saw the JJ Bleday news.
I heard it on this seven hundred WLW news. I'm like,
all right, watched him play, and I just typed in Google. Yeah,

(01:21:16):
similar players to JJ Bleday and the three names that
came up were Jake Frayley, yep, Will Benson and Austin Hayes.

Speaker 3 (01:21:23):
There we go replace it with the replacement.

Speaker 4 (01:21:28):
I can't believe they dumped that on a busy weekend,
on a holiday weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:21:32):
I thought that would be like, I hold that to
the new year.

Speaker 2 (01:21:35):
I don't have you need depth pieces. There are twenty
six guys on the roster. You need better options on
the back end. I understand that, but there has been
such an over reliance on dudes like that.

Speaker 3 (01:21:47):
But holidays people are usually little tight on money. They've
spent a lot.

Speaker 4 (01:21:51):
Why would you announce that over the holidays? And then
you know, way not wait to the new year. People
get a little bit more money in the pocket now
they want to go re up the season tickets JJ boda.

Speaker 2 (01:22:00):
You saw the line yesterday. They call people in on
a Sunday. They told us to get down there earlier
for our show. Yeah, like they they called people in
to work the ticket office and on a Sunday like
and I respect those folks for coming in relatively short
and good thing it was good weather, wasn't that cold?
I mean the line was like wrapped around the team stores. Incredible, yeah, incredible,

(01:22:22):
And you know some of the business owners at the
banks were bringing.

Speaker 3 (01:22:25):
Out like drinks out for people.

Speaker 4 (01:22:26):
JJ grew up in Marrimant. No, that that's the remarkable thing,
not even from here. Yeah, it's incredible.

Speaker 2 (01:22:34):
Let's talk about a playoff change that's overdue in the
Chicago San Francisco game, which was just offensive, so much
fun to watch. Porn That is next on ESPN fifteen
thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 6 (01:22:46):
Stations is Football in the NATI, brought to you in
part by Postman Law and Vice Skyline Chile on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (01:22:58):
Tony and Football Show.

Speaker 2 (01:22:59):
It peaks in Westchester on esp AT fifteen thirty. We've
talked a lot about the Bengals, and we've talked a
lot about the AFC North can I I imagine this
argument is gonna pick up steam this week because you're
gonna have.

Speaker 3 (01:23:15):
Two four seeds in the NFC, the NFC.

Speaker 2 (01:23:18):
South winner and in the AFC, the AFC North winner
that have dramatically worse records than the team they will
be hosting in Round one, yet they'll be hosting games
as division winners.

Speaker 4 (01:23:30):
That should change, Yeah, I think so, let's be Honest,
if you're in the NFC right now, how covet it
is the five seed? You go to Carolina, but right now,
right Tampa. For whatever reason, I keep waiting for them
to figure it out because I think I thought, well,
they'll get healthy and they'll get they've just they've gone
the complete opposite direction. But yeah, you're right, it's It's

(01:23:53):
one of the few.

Speaker 3 (01:23:55):
Things that the NFL needs to fix.

Speaker 4 (01:23:56):
A lot of what the NFL product is is fantastic, horrific,
what their offseason is, the postseason, everything. They have such
a good grasp on things. That's one of the things
that you feel like needs to get addressed.

Speaker 2 (01:24:07):
If you're a nine win team, you should not be
hosting an eleven or twelve win team.

Speaker 3 (01:24:11):
Correct in the postseason.

Speaker 2 (01:24:12):
Correct you make the playoffs as division winners, be the
four seed. Yep, you should not be hosting a team
that won more games than you. I have one wish
in the postseason, and it's to see San Francisco and
Chicago play again.

Speaker 4 (01:24:24):
One of the funnest games, if not the best game
of the year.

Speaker 3 (01:24:26):
And you know what.

Speaker 2 (01:24:27):
We were on the are yesterday with Ken Brew and
we talked about it. Right like, this is gonna be
offensive porn with these two play callers. Caleb Williams is
winning me over. I love what Kyle Shanahan, how they
run their offense. That was I know Chicago's defense is
very shaky, and yeah, forty nine ers are without guys
like Fred Warner, but that was great offensive football.

Speaker 4 (01:24:47):
It it makes you appreciate the offensive game so much
more because you know, a lot of times here in
Cincinnati we're just treated with the greatness of Joe Burrow
and Jamar Chase. Those teams, they were offensive greatness. They
have good players, but it's all scheme related to it's formations,
it's plays, it's designed, it's the creativity that you're just like,

(01:25:10):
I can't believe what I'm watching.

Speaker 3 (01:25:11):
Yeah, like it is. It's incredible.

Speaker 4 (01:25:14):
Like Christen McCaffrey should be getting more love nationally for
what he's doing, no question, brock Party, you can see
in every game he plays is getting more confident. They
did it last night without George Kittle. I was watching
that game last night thinking to myself, like one of
these guys has to be coach of the Year, and
then you start thinking like, well, maybe it's Mike McDonald,
William Cohen, maybe it's Liam Cohen, and then I'm like, wait,

(01:25:37):
Mike Vrabel, John Payton, and then I'm like, Sean Payton's
the number one seed in the AFC. Like there is
Dimika Ryan, including the two we watched last night, there's
six or seven coaches that can make legitimate cases to
be the Coach of the Year.

Speaker 2 (01:25:51):
Can you imagine your team has won eight in a
row and nine out of ten and they can't catch
the team in front of him.

Speaker 4 (01:25:59):
Incredible, because that's the Texans. Incredible and that's a credit
to what Jacksonville has done. Hu and Liam Cohen. You
want to talk about getting the most out of a
guy like Trevor Lawrence, but they did it this weekend.
It wasn't the prettiest, but it was like one of
those workmen like wins. Yeah, go to Indiana. Yeah, they're
scratching and clawing C. J. Stroud through two picks. Wasn't great,

(01:26:21):
but they found a way to win. If you're the
Jacksonville Jaguars and you're just thinking like and and on
the opposite side, Houston's style of play throws you into
such a loop that, like the game I watched with them.
I thought more. I was like, well I think less
of the Chargers. Yes, but it's because of how Houston plays. Yeah,
they do that to opposing offenses like those are two

(01:26:43):
teams man, especially Houston.

Speaker 3 (01:26:46):
You're one of those those top teams.

Speaker 4 (01:26:47):
You got your seeding, You're playing out this week of
scenarios that can happen. That's a team you're trying to avoid.

Speaker 2 (01:26:53):
Buffalo loses at home to Phillies. Some viewed that as
a possible Super Bowl preview. I hope not, because the
goals offense was future in the second half, didn't complete
a pass. They pull within one the Bills due they
miss a pat earlier in the game. They pull within one,
they go for two in the closing seconds, Josh Allen
misses a wide open target, very easy throw for most quarterbacks.

(01:27:15):
Did you agree with the decision Sean McDermott made to
go for two.

Speaker 3 (01:27:18):
I have no problem with that.

Speaker 4 (01:27:19):
Go win the game with your MVP won an MVP quarterback,
the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (01:27:24):
Won the ball to James Cook there instead.

Speaker 4 (01:27:26):
No, I'd still put in Allen's hands just because that game,
Philly's front dominated, James Cook barely got anything going. I
look at a game like that, and one I'm impressed
with Philly defensively. I have no idea what's going on
with Philly offensively. That's not just a one game sample size.
The weather was awful. I think there's some legitimate questions

(01:27:48):
with Buffalo. Yes, if you can stop the run and
force them to throw, they just don't have the weapons
that other teams do, and I wonder how much Josh
Allen can overcome. I still think Josh Allen was clearly
limited with the foot and what he was able to do.
But I saw it earlier, like if Josh Allen last
night inexplicable fumble, missed a wide open receiver on a

(01:28:09):
two point conversion, took a couple of bad sacks. There's
a lot of quarterbacks in the league, including the one
he played against last night, and Jalen Hurts that would
be getting.

Speaker 3 (01:28:17):
Crucified today for that.

Speaker 4 (01:28:18):
No question, You've really heard no pushback on Josh Allen
at all. Bad weather, it happens, It's weird, but Josh
Allen's got to pick up his play as well, and
I think he's a guy in or a ton of pressure.
No ma Homes, no Burrow, possibly no Lamar, it's your time,
big guy.

Speaker 3 (01:28:35):
Yeah, go do it. And if not, that pressure mounts
even more for Josh Allen.

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
All Right, the highlight of the show. I know you've
been looking forward to this all day long. The Liberty
Bowls segment is next to Antonia Football Show where its
Twin Peaks in Westchester on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Stage.

Speaker 6 (01:28:53):
You've been listening to football in the NATI brought to
you by Cincinnati Tax Resolution by Tefe Sheldon on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 2 (01:29:06):
The Twin Peaks in Westchester, ESPN fifteen thirty to five light,
five o'clock Happy Hour. We are here till six. Don't forget.
Bengals Line takes over as soon as we're done at
six o'clock with Lance McAllister and Dave Lapham. On Thursday,
you and I are flying to Memphis with a nice
tidy two hour layover in Chicago, walking in Memphis airport,
Beers Memphis, Beers.

Speaker 3 (01:29:28):
Graceland, and a quick turnaround.

Speaker 2 (01:29:31):
I'm not gonna go to Graceland, but I've been before.

Speaker 3 (01:29:33):
Yeah, so that's all you. I just know it's there.

Speaker 2 (01:29:35):
But We will be at the Liberty Bowl on Friday
to watch the Bearcats as touchdown underdogs try to pull
off the upset against a two lost Navy team.

Speaker 3 (01:29:44):
No Brendan soaresby, No Brendan Soarsby.

Speaker 2 (01:29:47):
But if you look at the unofficial depth chart, pretty
much all their offensive guys are practicing.

Speaker 4 (01:29:52):
And what's more important, up front, all their linemen are
and I feel like they're trying to as a unit
out on top of that old line. Yeah, especially around
Gavin Gerhart. I would if I'm the Bearcats and I
have two quarterbacks I don't know much with. Obviously, you
want to try to establish the run. Scott Sudderfield has
done that successfully, So get the running game going. My

(01:30:16):
concern with Friday, and I think it's everyone's concern. You
got the nation's leading rushing attack going against the team
in Cincinnati that struggled to stop the run for much
of the year. And oh, by the way, Dante Corleone
won't be in this one.

Speaker 2 (01:30:28):
And also this Navy team, Blake Corrivath runs it a lot,
ran it thirty one times against Army, but he'll throw
it about twelve times per game.

Speaker 3 (01:30:35):
And when they do it's usually successful. They're nine point.

Speaker 2 (01:30:38):
Five yards per tempt, which I think is second best
in in FBS college football. For what it's worth, u
se releads this depth chart. I think it was the
day before Christmas, maybe the day before Christmas Eve. And
the two things I noticed were number one, most of
the offensive guys are available. Obviously no Brendan Sorosby, but
the way they listed their defense didn't have them as much.

Speaker 3 (01:30:59):
In a three to three.

Speaker 4 (01:30:59):
Five Okay, a personnel would probably dictate that a lot.
You go into a game knowing you're not gonna have
Dante Corleone, You've got more time to prepare, which means
more time to maybe change it.

Speaker 3 (01:31:09):
Up a little more of it. I guess it would
be a three to four.

Speaker 4 (01:31:11):
Be honest, there's no way that you can watch Navy's
offense on tape, watch the bearcatch, struggle to stop the run,
subtract Dante Corleone from the mix, and think you can
go into a game and slow.

Speaker 3 (01:31:22):
Down an offense like that. You have to try something different.

Speaker 2 (01:31:25):
I guess what I wonder is you play Navy, They're
gonna run it, They're gonna shorten the game.

Speaker 3 (01:31:30):
You only get so many possessions.

Speaker 2 (01:31:31):
You and I have talked about this as it relates
to you see playing other teams. It's one thing if
you have Brendan Soresby an experienced quarterback, it's either gonna
be well, Brady Lichtenberg is gonna start, Samaje Jones will play,
and I think he's gonna play early. But you're asking
those guys already with limited reps and already with limited
opportunity because they know both are gonna play in a

(01:31:52):
game where there's only gonna be so many possessions.

Speaker 3 (01:31:54):
It's hard. Seems like it's hard.

Speaker 4 (01:31:56):
It's ask and again in a system where you're going
into a game knowing that you're going to be rotating
all of a sudden, what do you want to do
with your opportunities? You want to make more out of them,
So maybe you're more inclined to try to fit the
ball in creates a turnover and negative play something like
that as opposed to and we talked about it with
Miles Murphy and JOSEPHO. Say, when Hendrickson went out, you

(01:32:17):
kind of knew you had opportunity and you could settle
in do that when you're going to be rotating.

Speaker 3 (01:32:22):
I think it's one of the harder things to do.

Speaker 4 (01:32:25):
You know, one of the things we didn't talk about
much MO because we've spent a lot of time on
UC basketball and how their struggles early on the year.
You know, it's kind of taken away the end of
the year for UC football. It has Scott Soderfield with
a loss on Friday, ends the year with five straight losses.

Speaker 2 (01:32:41):
I think this is a no win game for him
because if they win, yeah, no one's going to care Yep.
If they lose, he's going to be crushed.

Speaker 4 (01:32:49):
But has been on West Miller and here you are
needing to win to avoid a five game losing skid,
to stop a season in which you started with where
you had seven straight wins.

Speaker 3 (01:32:58):
Yes, it's hard. It's a tall order against Ay Again, the.

Speaker 2 (01:33:04):
Worst possible type of matchup.

Speaker 4 (01:33:05):
Ball games come out and you hear people in the
industry say, you don't want to play against Service Academy.
Uh huh, Army dog walk to Yukon. Yes, and you
kind of had nine wins this year. Yeah, that's a
tough ask.

Speaker 2 (01:33:16):
No opt outs, no options, experience quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:33:19):
They're going there on a business trip to play the.

Speaker 2 (01:33:20):
Game whole bunch of dudes averaging more than five yards
a pop on the ground.

Speaker 4 (01:33:24):
Yep, it's it's a bad matchup. I but if they
a chance to get some momentum, if they go.

Speaker 2 (01:33:31):
Into this bowl game and they haven't lost four street
and they lose, I think everybody shrugs their shoulder. You
go into a bowl game four consecutive losses, regardless of
who you don't have, it's it's five straight to end
the season. But don't have the soft landing of UC
upsetting Houston on Saturday in basketball to kind of make
everybody feel like, all right, that that Navy game will

(01:33:53):
shove that aside, because now here the Bearcats off to
a one to zero started big.

Speaker 4 (01:33:57):
So this to me is what it's all about. A
non conference can out of hand. And then you brought
Gisel James back, and it's hard over the course of
practices to really get a lot out of bringing a
new guy into the fold. So I think against Lipscomb tonight,
workman like, don't.

Speaker 3 (01:34:12):
Show too much, keep it close, Vanilla, keep it close.

Speaker 4 (01:34:15):
And then Saturday, I think you see what we're gonna
call circles being run around.

Speaker 3 (01:34:21):
Kelvin Samson, I think it's gonna be a rope of dope.

Speaker 4 (01:34:24):
It's at least what I hope Kelvin Samson brings Houston
in all of a sudden, you see looks like a
different team.

Speaker 3 (01:34:34):
Which game were they more likely to win? Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:34:36):
My gosh, Friday or Saturday? There are seven point dogs.

Speaker 3 (01:34:41):
I mean, what are they gonna be? Saturday? Breaking me
more at seven points? Right?

Speaker 4 (01:34:46):
I don't see how I don't see and as you see, fans,
and you and I know this more than anyone. There
will be a time Thursday night, you and I have
talked ourselves into the Liberty Bowl title. There will be
a time, probably Friday night, on the flight home, where
we talk ourselves into going want to know in the
Big twelve and how if you do that you can
eliminate such a bad non conference slate and really start

(01:35:07):
to think about how things move forward as appoth of
which one is. I don't know, Mike, I don't feel
great about either of it.

Speaker 2 (01:35:12):
I'll give you the timeline, okay, because we have a
layover in Chicago. In Chicago, I'll talk myself into the
Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Thursday.

Speaker 3 (01:35:20):
I will have talked myself into your head of schedule,
beating Houston your head of schedule? Allay right?

Speaker 2 (01:35:25):
Zach Taylor's weekly press conference is next. It's the Tony
and Mo Football Show on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station,
Tony and Mo Football Show.

Speaker 3 (01:35:33):
On ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (01:35:35):
We are coming down the home stretch here at Twin
Peaks at Westchester. A reminder, we are in Florence next
week at Twin Peaks for the final show of the
twenty twenty five season. It is time for the highlight
of this show, which is the contractually obligated airing of
Zach Taylor's Monday press conference. Here is the Bengals head
coach at the podium with the assembled professional football media

(01:35:56):
on ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 8 (01:36:00):
He can and see where he ends up.

Speaker 2 (01:36:04):
Has Chase Brown developed into a lack of a better term,
a complete running back.

Speaker 8 (01:36:09):
I have complete trust in him in all three phases
of plainting running back first and second on runner coming
out of the backfield, being an empty protection. I think
he's had some great clips protection this year as well.
So you know, it's a loose term complete back, but
in terms of being able to be really effective in
all three phases, we absolutely trust him to do that.

Speaker 7 (01:36:34):
Joe Go's perfect when he was not pressured yesterday nineteen
for nineteen. Just looking back on the tape, I mean,
what do you see from him and just I mean
contings to show how great he is?

Speaker 8 (01:36:46):
Yeah, I mean nothing surprises me with how he did it.
I think the part of the game that he won't
get enough credit for is as their pressure package and
their fronts and different personnel groupings and different alignments and
how they attack your protect actions on second down and
third down. This week was probably as difficult as as

(01:37:07):
any week we have in terms of identifying that they'd
really hit home against a lot of teams. And so
I just think his his command isn't something that people
in the stands going to notice. They're going to see
a completion for a good play, They're not going to
see all the nuance that went into the communication and
the awareness and looking at how where guy's foot is
and was handed. I mean, all the things that he

(01:37:29):
factored into it to make sure that we were we
were on point. I think that's that's an underrated part
of it. And I thought our guys did a great
job with the actual picking it up. You know, understanding
what we're trying to do and doing a great job
with the protection aspect of.

Speaker 9 (01:37:41):
It, throwing the the Cody play out of it. You
were in six offensive linemen a little bit more yesterday.
Was there something about that that was that game plan
or that something new?

Speaker 8 (01:37:52):
No, that was again that's the it's their personnel packages.
You weren't going to see a lot of eleven on
tape against them, just the way that they you know,
essentially give you a base fronts for the most part
against that. And so you've got to be in twelve
and with Noah being limited, not knowing throughout the week
until the end that Noah was gonna be up you

(01:38:12):
rep you know, your second tight end that they're gonna
they're gonna call a tight end out there blocking. So
that was that was part of it. And then just okay,
well let's do something fun to energize the end of practice,
and we did it and then it just you know,
kind of snowballed from there to where he was out there.

Speaker 9 (01:38:28):
Oh Marius, I mean, it seems like he's had a
really good season. You know, you don't talk about him,
and that's what shows that it's.

Speaker 3 (01:38:34):
A good season. I guess what have you seen from him?

Speaker 9 (01:38:36):
Maybe that people might not notice that's been a growth.

Speaker 8 (01:38:38):
From him an issue, Well, I just think not to
dismiss his football, I que going into this season, but
I think that's really grown what to anticipate, moves from
from players, how to come off from the run game.
I just think he's really starting to take that next
step of being able to anticipate before it actually happens.
And again, I'm not trying to discount what he was
last year in college, but I just experience it's just

(01:39:00):
really starting to pick up now where he knows what's
coming at him and can be one step ahead of
all that. So not only using his massive frame and
all the great traits that he has, now you get
the mental edge on people because you know what they're
going to do before they do. It is a huge,
huge step for him.

Speaker 10 (01:39:16):
I know that you'd rather some of these questions answer
after than the upcoming games because they're more offseason type questions,
But is it at least gratifying for you too. I've
seen the way that DJ and Dax have grown into
their spots and that you can go into the off
season knowing like you have your foundation at outside corner,
and then specifically with Dax, he's said safety and Nicole,

(01:39:38):
I would assume that's really hard to be able to
master the outside corner the way he has. So can
you just talk a little bit about how they've grown
into their positions and the players and how you guys
can build around them.

Speaker 8 (01:39:49):
Yeah, we have a lot of confidence about those guys.
Like you said, Dax has done a lot for us
over his four years here, and I think his best
position is outside of corner, and he's done an excellent
job of that. He's got tremendous length and physicality and speed,
and again, similar to what we're talking about with other

(01:40:10):
players who are going through their second, third, fourth year now,
the experience is really showing up on how to anticipate
and so I just I think he's really grown in
the right direction there and and somebody we can certainly
count on. And I've mentioned all that about DJ several
times over the course of the season. That hasn't changed
for me at all. I thought yesterday he was outstanding
with his energy and his leadership and his on ball

(01:40:31):
defending skills. And I thought both guys did a great
job yesterday.

Speaker 11 (01:40:35):
So much focus on the players, and rightfully so, But
how has al Golden developed this year? And how has
the way he manipulates like yesterday, you know, holding treat
with pride and check for three plus quarters. How has
his schemes grown? How have they grown and developed?

Speaker 7 (01:40:54):
It?

Speaker 8 (01:40:54):
Well, that's why he's here, you know, And I just
think I've got such a high opinion of him, and
he's the proof is in the pudding with how he's coached.
When he was here, the development he had a the
eynebacker position, the effect he had you know, on our
Super Bowl team, and then going to an Notre Dame
and having the success that he had played for national
championship and developed a ton of players.

Speaker 3 (01:41:13):
Along the way.

Speaker 8 (01:41:14):
And now he's here and early in the season, you know,
we're playing a lot of guys that are new to it,
and they're all developing at the same time. And so
now that he's been able to these guys really understandable,
we're rasking of them. Coaching staff by the way, that's
never coached together before, you know, none of those guys.
And with now and so now for everybody to get
into groove, and now you get to expand what we're

(01:41:35):
asking these guys to do and really attack teams. You're
really seeing what we're capable of, and that's exciting. So
I've seen that all along. I've known where this thing
was headed. I've known where this thing is going to
end up. And we're going to continue to prove in
the offseason as well. But I think he's done a
really good job, you know, particularly since the buy. I
mean since the bye week. You know, we gave up

(01:41:55):
thirty one to however many to Buffalo outside the pick six,
a team has scored more than nineteen against our defense.
You know, they've done a great job creating turnovers, limiting
drives and giving us a great chance to win.

Speaker 2 (01:42:08):
All Right, there you go, Zach Taylor's weekly press conference
chock full of fun and information as the Bengals get
set to host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Don't forget,
Bengals Line is on as soon as we're done here,
which we pretty much are right now.

Speaker 3 (01:42:25):
We're done. One more show to go to.

Speaker 4 (01:42:26):
One more back in Florence next week, Florence, y'all see
you then.

Speaker 2 (01:42:31):
Thanks to Mike Mills for producing on site, Drew wester
Heidi for producing back in Kenwood. Tony is back for
Tony Pike since e three sixty tomorrow at noon, and
I am back at a different establishment tomorrow at three
h five. Have an awesome night thanks to the staff
here at Twin Peaks, and we'll talk to you tomorrow.
This has been the Tony and Moll Football Show on

(01:42:52):
ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station Sparly Think Thing,

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