10/7/25 - The Mo Egger Radio Show - Mo Egger

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Well, this week it will be a four quarter pad
founder when the Bengals try to slice through the bankers.
To be honest, I prefer my cheese shredd it, but
eating it does make me gussie. There will be no
love lost at Lembo Field, or will there. Sunday coverage
begins at twelve noon stream for free. Are the new

(00:23):
and improved iHeartRadio app or ESPN fifteen thirty the official
home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
We say all the sports all the time.

Speaker 4 (00:35):
At Oakley Greens, which is where we are today, it's
a it's a not so gorgeous Tuesday afternoon. I'm not
gonna lie to you.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
You know, for weeks we were here, it was hot out.

Speaker 4 (00:43):
We had summer weather in September, summer weather in October,
and those folks were like, you know, could really use
some fall weather. Hope you're enjoying today. We're at Oakley
Greens in Oakley, Oakley Station, right by the movie theater
and we're hanging out. You know, you could still post
off outside. We've got an indoor bar and outdoor bar.
You could still play miniature golf. You could watch the

(01:05):
Bengals on Sunday, the Joe Flacco era beginning against the
Green Bay Packers, your favorite college football team.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
This weekend.

Speaker 4 (01:12):
We've got Bengo on Mondays and Thursdays for NFL games
and so much more. A great staff, a great place,
Oakley Greens, and Paul Danner Junior's here to help us
make sense of There are very few things that when
I see them.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Like knock me back.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
Reading the tweet from Tom Pellisero that the Bengals have
traded for Joe Flacco is one of them.

Speaker 5 (01:36):
Definitely did the check on a darn schefter to make
sure it wasn't the wrong one. You know, I had,
you know, we had been I had a story of
this morning kind of detailing that the view from inside
the building was the answers not in the building, right,
And they had been working the phones for forty eight
hours parsing through what was available and an understanding. And

(01:58):
we had heard Zach Taylor t twice now in answering
questions saying, hey, that's the personnel people right like that,
like no, you know, not committing to Jake Brown. So
I think the writing was sort of on the wall
that this was the time the timing had arrived where
if you're gonna do that something, this was the time
you have to do it. For any number of reasons

(02:20):
that I'm sure we'll go through here over the next hour,
but that you you can't just flush the season and
what is happening with Jake Browning was unsustainable, could not
go on any longer.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
What are the other options?

Speaker 5 (02:36):
Because it's hard for it to look worse even if
you bring somebody in from the outside, which is a.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Challenging thing to do.

Speaker 5 (02:45):
Going for Joe Flacco, who Willie Anderson blocked for at
a point in time, ah, he was in the Ring
of Honor, it was drafted in nineteen ninety six, is
the Jo Flacco who was just benched in Cleveland for
a day. Three rookie named Dylan Gabriel is the answer.

(03:11):
So the question is, like, God, this seems so desperate. Yes, yes,
it's very desperate, incredibly desperate situation.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
This is a very bad situation.

Speaker 5 (03:24):
But this gives them some semblance of well maybe, and
that's yeah, they'll take well maybe, because I think you
know what the rest of it was gonna be.

Speaker 4 (03:36):
I would be remiss if I didn't mention because I
didn't at the top. Paul Danner Junior at the Athletic
dot Com instant analysis of the Joe Flacco trade which
the Bengals have just made official within the last minute.
Joe Flacco Brett Rippen has been cut loose, so Jake
Brown and goes back to being the backup quarterback. Bengals
with their first ever trade that actually got executed with
the Cleveland Browns. They have also acquired a twenty twenty

(03:58):
six sixth round trap and they have sent to Cleveland
a twenty twenty six fifth round draft choice that Duke
Tobin probably would have screwed up anyway. Paul with the
Growler podcast as well. So I think most of us
walked away from Sunday going, this isn't tenable, like this,
whatever you do next, whatever it is fine, because it

(04:20):
can't be this. And frankly I.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Felt that way. At halftime.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
My thinking is, all right, man, I'll give them the
first drive of the third quarter and then try the
other guy, and by the other guy, like anybody, literally anybody.
It could have picked anybody out of the stands. He
threw some garbage time touchdowns, made a really nice play
on the one where he throws in the back of
the end zone a Jamar chase, but it was abundantly
clear that this is not it.

Speaker 3 (04:45):
I guess let me start with this.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
In regards to other players that people have talked about,
it's been reported that the Bengals didn't reach out to
the Giants in regards to either Russell Wilson or Jameis
Wins correct, Why.

Speaker 5 (05:00):
Well, I don't think that they viewed Russ's I mean, again,
why not. It's probably like I think it's all kind
of the same. But I think that they didn't view
Russ's style as a fit. I don't think they viewed
him coming in and meshing in the building as a fit.

(05:21):
And I think then with Jamis, I just think the
wild interception heavy nature of what you're gonna get with
him is probably.

Speaker 3 (05:32):
But flack out those interceptions too.

Speaker 5 (05:34):
It goes back to the I mean, it's all bad
desperation stuff. I think you're you're picking through, You're you're
picking through.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
A you know, a bunch of awful options essentially.

Speaker 5 (05:45):
But I think they wanted somebody who could for sure
come in, they knew could quickly learn the system, they
knew could do one thing that that has stood out
to me through all of this.

Speaker 3 (05:56):
Can you put the ball where it's supposed to go?

Speaker 5 (06:00):
This was the interceptions and some of the stuff that
happened with Jake Browning was a part of the problem.

Speaker 3 (06:06):
The biggest problem.

Speaker 5 (06:08):
Was the ball was not going where it was supposed
to go, and they need somebody who they felt best
that could walk in the door and Sunday against Green Bay.
Put the ball where it's supposed to go, whether that's
in the first row, whether that's in Chase Brown's belly,
whether that is on a checkdown, whether that is the

(06:29):
deep shot to Jamar when it's time, Can you put
it where it's supposed to go, and the rest of
it they'll deal with. The problem they were having with
Jake was too often the plays that were there, which
as we know, were not enough of them. The ball
wasn't going to the spots where it needed to be,
and it appeared Jake was in his own head about

(06:50):
all of that. So Flacco, I think they look at
his profile. The number one thing you're probably getting from
him over all the other problematic options. He has the
best shot very quickly of putting the ball where it's
supposed to go. And that's why he's the guy over them,
you know, ending up in conversations with the Giants. I

(07:11):
also think that it's a minimal move in terms of
having to give up anything. It's probably similar in what
you would have had to have given up for russ.
But I just think they're not really into that whole
Russell Wilson thing that has obviously seen him gotten fired
from four places in five years, and not exactly.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
You know, been an easy mash anyway. I guess for
me the more, maybe not the more.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
But as surprising as the trade was was who it
was done with. Are you surprised that the Cleveland Browns
were complicit in helping the Bengals find at least a
temporary solution at quarterback.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (07:52):
A little, But I think Cleveland's pretty realistic. Sure, I
mean I think it puts for them. I think they
were looking to get something for Flacco the same way
they were looking to unload can He Pickett.

Speaker 3 (08:05):
Yeah, add some draft capital.

Speaker 5 (08:07):
They give one step closer to Shador, who's inevitably probably
gonna play this this season.

Speaker 3 (08:13):
The Bengals ask about him, I don't think so. I
don't think that was happening. But I think they're just
I think they're willing to say, look, this.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
Is the best opportunity for us to get the most
out of this thing that we're trying to do, which
is unload Joe Flacco. So I'm not totally surprised by that.
And the Bengals, again, it fits the desperate times theme here,
and they'll deal with anybody. At this point, the belief
is he'll play. He'll start Sunday against Green Bank. I

(08:45):
think that's the ideal scenario. I think you get him
in and you and you do as much as you can.
But I think, yeah, I think that's the thought right
now before again, the release just came out.

Speaker 3 (08:55):
Yeah, he's still got to.

Speaker 5 (08:56):
Drive down seventy one or whatever's happening there and get
into town and they got to get through a practice.
But I think, right now, that's the idea.

Speaker 4 (09:06):
So my very first thought, beyond just the shock about
it being Joe Flacco and then man they did a
deal with the Browns, was this is a guy who's
had to be a quick study before. And it's not
apples to apples, but he was signed to the Browns
practice squad two years ago November eighteenth or nineteenth and
was playing in the game I think on December third,
so it's not quite the same timeframe. But it's a

(09:28):
guy who's seen everything, done everything. He has done the
learned the offense quickly thing before. By the way, he's
done it without Jamar Chase and T Higgins to throw
to in the past. And so my first thing was,
all right, I want another guy. I'm not I cannot
watch Jake Browning play anymore. Give me the guy who
is most likely to be up to speed with what
they're doing with whatever this offense is as quickly as possible.

(09:50):
Joe Flacco is at the top of that list.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, he's also already played the Packers just two weeks ago.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
Yeah, and so he knows what's going He's going again
defensively in terms of talking about justice Sunday and not
about the bigger picture.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
So that's something too.

Speaker 5 (10:06):
And yeah, there's nothing he's gonna see on a football
field that he hasn't seen before that he doesn't know
how to deal with. This has kind of been his life, Yeah,
since he had that renaissance with the Browns, I mean,
going back and forth, picking up different systems, having to
just kind of be that lifeboat for people. It's kind

(10:27):
of his current state of things as he looks to,
you know, end his career in the best way possible.
And so and also I'll say this, he's got the
best surrounding supporting cast that he's had in any of
these stops that he's been at lately.

Speaker 3 (10:43):
And if the job is get the ball to those
guys when you're supposed.

Speaker 5 (10:47):
To get it to him, those are some guys that
can go make some plays for you.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
Many will said, well, wait a minute, you could not
have found a more immobile option, no doubt.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
And put him behind this offensive line. It's just not
going to work. Now. My response to that is, I
don't care.

Speaker 4 (11:07):
I don't give me somebody who, if the protection is
there and Jamar Chase is open, knows I should throw
it to him. Or give me somebody who can tell
you that's what the safety is doing on the other
or here's where the blitz is coming from, Like, give
me the cerebral intellectual part of it, some of which

(11:28):
is basic stuff. Again, Jamar Chase is open, probably should
look his way. Yeah, give me that first. Also, I
was told when Joe Burrow got hurt, you know, it's
hero ball. He's reckless. So the offense, now we're back
to the offensive line is no good?

Speaker 3 (11:43):
What is it? Well?

Speaker 5 (11:44):
No, I think the offensive line hasn't been good. Oh,
it's the general style of play, not just Joe Burrows.
The style of the offense was part of that too.
I think the offensive line has been a part of
the problem the whole time. Yeah, and I yeah, this

(12:05):
is the problem. I mean, this is the issue here
when you're laying out all of this stuff.

Speaker 3 (12:10):
Yeah, this is gonna be a problem.

Speaker 5 (12:12):
Like the fact that he won throws too many picks
and two, tends to do them when he's under pressure,
and then the guys that are currently in front of him.
That's the obvious problem with this plan. That's why it's
not a great plan. But it's the best available.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
Plan in the current moment.

Speaker 4 (12:30):
I go to work later then, you know, our office workers,
our sales folks, people in the building.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
You know, I get there late morning.

Speaker 4 (12:38):
Sometimes for the folks who are there at eight thirty
nine o'clock, there will be a big tray of donuts.
Right whenever I get there, there's like two and a
half donuts left.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
There's one with jelly.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Nobody really ever wants the jelly donut, then there's always
one with like it looks like caramel drips on it
and stuff. And then there's like a half eaten like
sugar donuts.

Speaker 5 (12:58):
One that somebody put the like they're put their their
hand into and they're trying to grab a different one
and tweed some custard out.

Speaker 4 (13:05):
And then sometimes they'll be like a like a quarter
of a Danish. But when I get there, I'm always
hungry and it's like, these aren't the best options, but
I'm gonna pick one. And I kind of feel like
the Joe Flacca was like the jelly donut of quarterbacks.
They could have gotten all right, let's see, you know
what jelly donuts. It'll fill me up, Like that's what

(13:27):
he is. The litter, not filled with great options.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
No you're not. You're you're not gonna go get a
great quarterback.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
I mean, the best option when they were going through
the list was Kirk Cousins for what they're looking for,
what they want for what you would have to have
given up, and how much it would have cost you,
which would have been whatever you negotiated with Atlanta plus
the pick plus ten million dollars on next year's gap.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
You are.

Speaker 5 (13:56):
Sacrificing a lot for or I don't know what level
of difference of play.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
Is it even enough?

Speaker 5 (14:04):
He's still a flawed player as well, he's thirty seven
versus this, and I you know, I don't is it
which that had been worth it? Could they have made room?

Speaker 3 (14:14):
Could they? Yes? But you're sacrificing.

Speaker 6 (14:17):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (14:17):
It's it's always this is a harder deal to do,
without question, and Atlanta is not super interested in budgeting
on it anyway because they're happy with him sitting where
he is. Once you got past that, in my mind,
I just think you ended up in this lamb. That's
all Joe Flaccosh, it's all Joe Flacco's so your favorite Flacco.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
It's kind of I think what this is pick your
favorite bad donut? Yeah, your favorite bad donut.

Speaker 5 (14:40):
And here you are here, you got the jelly, and
you're like and then you take the fight and you're like, oh.

Speaker 3 (14:45):
It's a little hard.

Speaker 5 (14:46):
It's a little hard. It's been here for a couple hours.
I wasn't anticipating in that part. Yes, but I should
have probably.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Have known that.

Speaker 5 (14:53):
And then you're like, well, but do I finish it?
That's a couple of weeks, big, do I finish the donut?

Speaker 3 (14:58):
Well?

Speaker 4 (14:58):
And there's always there's always like someone who's been there
for hours who sees me approaching the donut tray and
they're like, really, man, I am hungry, And they're kind
of looking at you like you should have been here
three and a half hours ago when we had the
full play the donuts, Like.

Speaker 3 (15:12):
You're really gonna eat one of those?

Speaker 4 (15:13):
Man I touched that one three hours ago, Like they're
kind of looking at you, and you're looking at them
like I got no choice, man. So that's he's there's
a He's Joe Jelly Donut Flacco.

Speaker 3 (15:26):
That's what he is.

Speaker 4 (15:27):
I hate jelly donuts, but I will. But if it's
one of the last ones there, go for.

Speaker 5 (15:30):
The last ones there. You're willing to eat it because
it's better than starving.

Speaker 3 (15:34):
Can they win one of the next two games with him? Yes?

Speaker 4 (15:37):
So if they win one of the next two I
think it was in your piece prior to the trade,
you point out seven opponents that are combined eight and
twenty six. Yes, okay, so I look at this is
Can I somehow win one of these next two? Many
many by recalibrate, and then the schedule does soften up,
and can I with Joe Flacco in an AFC that
is wretched right now?

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Can I?

Speaker 4 (15:58):
Can I get this thing to mid to late November
and still have a shot and then start talking about
Joe coming to Joe Burrow a jelly donut coming back
in mid December?

Speaker 3 (16:08):
Uh?

Speaker 5 (16:08):
Once, once you get past Green Bay this week. Number
of opponents left on the Bengals schedule currently in the
top thirteen in DVOA one one Buffalo Bills.

Speaker 3 (16:19):
That's it, green Bay.

Speaker 4 (16:23):
They have two on the rest of their schedule. Play
Jake Browning against the Bills. This, ye, Captain.

Speaker 3 (16:29):
But the point being, it's like I think they.

Speaker 5 (16:33):
I can tell you a lot of the conversation around
the building looking at this is of course, this is
the year that everything open. It's never been more attainable.
They're looking around the AFC. You see, it's just it's
wide open. It is wide open right now. You are

(16:53):
looking around the AFC North. Nine wins might just be enough.
Eight wins might be enough. Like let's who's out here,
Like Pittsburgh's definitely gonna run away and hide with this.
No one feels that way. And then you talk about
their schedule being what it is. You have a bunch
of teams that they that even with struggling the way
that they are, they should be able to go out

(17:16):
there and play with and beat. They have two wins
in their pocket. Like, you can't just sit here and say, ah,
guess we'll ride it out with Jake, right, Guess we
won't take a chance. Guess we won't see if something worse.
It's too attainable. Not that you wouldn't try to do
it if it was like last year and and the
Ravens looked like one of the best teams in football,

(17:38):
and and and the AFC looks strong and whatever, But
it's even more in your face, and there's even more
impetus to make this move because.

Speaker 3 (17:50):
It's right there.

Speaker 5 (17:51):
And if you can just take advantage of that through
even a small month or two of Joe Flacco makes
an interesting and Joe can come back in January, you
can have a shot at it. Yeah, that is a
million ifs, and I don't even want to discuss those
until we get closer to it.

Speaker 3 (18:10):
But that's why you just have to. It's desperate.

Speaker 5 (18:14):
The chance of it happening is small, but you have
to try it because it is still right there, and
I think there's enough good things. You have, a healthy Jamar,
a healthy t Higgins, a defense that no one wants
to talk about it, but it's doing a few good things, which.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Is probably more than you could say. The last couple
of years. There are a lot of bad donuts on that.

Speaker 5 (18:33):
It's a lot of bad donuts that we haven't talked
about that donut trade, and I'm happy to do it.

Speaker 3 (18:37):
We'll do it. But the coconut donut in there, I
feel like you could.

Speaker 5 (18:41):
Maybe see some good things happening over on that side
if they've done enough where if you would have had
any offense, you'd have at least been in and maybe
won a couple of the last few games.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
Who knows.

Speaker 5 (18:50):
You have to and I think it feels like it's possible,
so give yourself a small chance to do it.

Speaker 3 (18:57):
It's like a blueberry donut in there.

Speaker 4 (18:58):
Yeah, Bear claus room is too filling.

Speaker 3 (19:01):
What's you're feeling on fritters. I'm pro fritt I'm pro frinter.
I'm pro fritter.

Speaker 5 (19:05):
It's actually really in recent years and I don't know
why it's really ascended up my list.

Speaker 3 (19:10):
I'll look a good five. Become an Apple fritter. God,
I'm an Apple fritter. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (19:13):
No Apple on that Palty, No Apple Fitters on the
Bengel defense except for number nine.

Speaker 3 (19:18):
Twenty three minutes after three o'clock.

Speaker 4 (19:19):
Paul Danner Junior, Theathletic dot Com, and The Growler Podcast
all over the news of the day in the NFL,
Joe Flacco Can you say it without laughing?

Speaker 3 (19:29):
Joe Flacco has been traded to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (19:32):
That's where we are. We're at Oakley Greens Uh. Paul's
here till four, We're here till six. This is ESPN
fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

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(20:06):
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Speaker 4 (20:28):
If it's Tuesday, it's Oakley Greens. We are here till
six o'clock. If if you're thinking, man, I want to
go to a place, have a couple of cold ones
after work. It's raining outside, don't want to be outside,
but I kind of want to be outside.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
Well, we're undercovered, we're out.

Speaker 4 (20:46):
We're technically outside right now, but we're bone dry because
the roof and on top of us. There's also an
indoor area, like a genuine indoor area, tons of TVs
and the beer selections unbelievable.

Speaker 3 (21:00):
By the way.

Speaker 4 (21:00):
You can also rent a cabana and uh do that
for a bachelor party, a work party. Heck, we watched
one two weeks ago as a kid's party. Here one
of those cabanas. You could do what I'm gonna do
later on. I might do it this weekend. Rent a
cabana and sit there by yourself. That sounds awesome.

Speaker 5 (21:18):
It's you know what I, as I've talked about many times.
I come up here with my my family all the time.
And why I like it is strictly because of days
like today where I don't know if it's gonna rain,
I don't know if they'll be able to go out
to the playground, but if they don't, I want to
have a place to go where there's space. There's so
much space that is both outside and undercover, like you

(21:38):
never have to worry about like the storm or the weather,
or the heat or a meltdown. I can like, I
can get them away so they're not bothering people when
they inevitable meltdown occurs or the injury, and I can
like just there's plenty of space where I can get
away and find a corner and not bother anybody. So
it's that I it's part of our uh our reasons

(21:59):
we love it up here.

Speaker 4 (22:00):
Dog friendly, kid friendly and sitting in a cabana by
yourself right now, I gotta be honest with you, sounds
sounds pretty amazing. We're at Oakley Greens twenty nine minutes
after three o'clock. Paul Danner Junior from The Athletic in
the Growlar podcast is here. More on Joe Flacco. The
Joe Flacco here is about to begin. At some point
I'll be able to say this without laughing.

Speaker 3 (22:19):
The Flacco season as it will be forever known. That's right.

Speaker 4 (22:23):
I've waited my entire life, Yeah, to watch the Bengals
with a Super Bowl winning quarterback behind some.

Speaker 5 (22:29):
Hey, who is better to sit here and talk about
Joe Flacco's arrival than a couple of forty year old
duces me and you?

Speaker 4 (22:38):
Sports headlines coming up as well on ESPN fifteen thirty
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 9 (22:43):
Hey, this is Austin Elmore since e three to sixty
comes to you live every weekday from twelve to three
right here on the home of the Bengals, Cincinnatis, ESPN
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Speaker 1 (22:55):
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (22:59):
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(23:20):
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Speaker 1 (23:31):
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Speaker 3 (23:33):
We have Joe.

Speaker 4 (23:34):
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Speaker 3 (23:49):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (23:49):
The Bengals have acquired Joe Flacco to be their quarterback.
I guess on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, they
execute a tray with the Cleveland Browns. The Bengal Sunday
fifth round pick next year to Cleveland round Sunday's sixth
round pick next year to Cincinnati. I can't believe I'm
saying this. Joe Flacco is gonna play quarterback for the
bank and it's an improvement.

Speaker 5 (24:09):
Yes, without question, you should and you should be willing
to take it on, you know, I am. I'm curious
to see how how much of the offense, Uh they
can put in his lap and uh, I feel like
here's one thing I'll say.

Speaker 3 (24:25):
No, I don't think we've seen the end of Jake
Browning this year.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
I'm getna guess he hasn't thrown his last interception for
the Bengals this season.

Speaker 5 (24:31):
I want so, just because it's the idea that this
is that he's gonna survive. I worry for Joe's physical
well being a little bit.

Speaker 4 (24:42):
He will throw his last NFL pass in a Bengals
uniform one way or the other.

Speaker 3 (24:47):
Yeah, right, I just I for his sake. You know
that there was Damn Pitcher.

Speaker 5 (24:52):
We were talking with him yesterday and he said, I
thought that some of the things the offensive line was
doing were good, and that they weren't you know, the
reason that things went so poorly on Sunday, which was
pointing out. I think maybe it's like there were a
bigger fish to fry in this conversation. Quarterback sunk. Yeah,

(25:12):
wash was part of it.

Speaker 3 (25:16):
But I think they feel like there's some good things
happening up there. Marius Mimms played, well.

Speaker 5 (25:22):
There's one I don't know what's happening with Orlando Brown
getting old.

Speaker 3 (25:28):
He looks old. That injury.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
You know, you have to start to ask questions about
what happened with that injury. I was back today looking
at because he changed his stance last year into this
like kind of tucked in thing, and and it really
he credited to helping him play really well. He's playing
an extremely high level before that that injury last year,
it was just significant injury. And it's it's even more

(25:53):
pronounced of way it's tucked in. I was doing the
side by side of it, he's like tucked even deeper
in the like the push out of that isn't quite
the same. And now that could be any number of things.
Strike technique could be a dink.

Speaker 3 (26:05):
Maybe it's the strike technique which is really.

Speaker 5 (26:08):
Going well and then uh and so maybe that's part.
But it looks it looks like it's more painful. He's
looking for something comfortable. It just it looks different enough.
I want to talk to Orlando more.

Speaker 3 (26:23):
About it, because that's that's clear. And you see you
see that in his play right now.

Speaker 5 (26:30):
And and I don't know if it's something that's new
or it's something residual from last year, or like you said,
maybe age or whatever, but he hasn't looked like the
same guy. And that's that's tough because that was one
of those where it's like the one thing you could
count on this year was your You felt great about
your tackles, you know, in a group that you already

(26:50):
you know, had concerns about.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
So that has uh, that certainly has not helped matters.

Speaker 4 (26:55):
Brett Rippon has been let go, Mike White has been
let go, Howard Cross has been signed to the practice squad.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
So those are your other Bengals items.

Speaker 4 (27:04):
A couple of other things really quick, the baseball playoffs,
American League Division Series, Tigers and Mariners that are having
rained in Detroit, so that game is not getting underway
on time, series tied at a game apiece, and the
Yankees trying to extend their season. Game three American League
Division Series eight o'clock tonight Toronto leads to Zip obviously
trying to close out the series Tonight. One programming note,

(27:26):
the Scott Saderfield Radio Show is at eight o'clock from
the original Montgomery in on seven hundred w WELWD. The
Bearcats looking for a win at home against UCF on Saturday.
The Jake Browning thing from twenty twenty three to twenty
twenty five. It's entirely different watching him like he played
at a competent level. What is the number one reason

(27:48):
why it didn't work this time?

Speaker 5 (27:51):
It's a great question, and I don't know that Jake
has that answer for you right now. You know, I
think he lost confidence and got in his own head
over the course of these games. I mean you could
hear him in his own head after these games. Okay,
this week, I'm really focused on on knowing when to

(28:12):
check it down and throw it away and not make
the dumb play down the field. And it felt like
he was so then he was hindering himself, and then
he realized he was doing that, and then he wanted
to give his guys a chance down the field, so
I gotta find my opportunity to do that.

Speaker 3 (28:26):
And then so he's thinking about that.

Speaker 5 (28:28):
It just felt like, rather than going out there and
playing football and playing free and being comfortable in who
he was and the confidence he had and what he
was seeing, he was doubting himself, doubting what he was seeing,
thinking too much about what he's supposed to be doing
rather than just doing it. And I think that's a
nature of the circumstance he.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
Was thrown into.

Speaker 5 (28:49):
Look, he didn't have time to think about anything against Jacksonville, right,
he had to go out there and be thrown into
the moment and go play football like you know how
to play football. And he played like twenty twenty three.
Jake Browning in your life.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
When he leads that drive at the end, You're like,
you know what I felt? Okay, you feel okay?

Speaker 5 (29:04):
Yeah, And then I think the whether it's him thinking
about ways he needs to play after that, or whatever
happened there, the entire debacle in Minnesota getting in his head,
whether it was too thinking about too much and what
was put into.

Speaker 3 (29:20):
His head, whatever happened there, it just killed his confidence
and his freedom, it felt like as a player.

Speaker 5 (29:28):
And he looked he looked like that. He looked like
he wasn't playing quarterback. He was thinking about playing quarterback.
They had a run game with him two years ago.

Speaker 3 (29:41):
Yeah, that didn't help.

Speaker 4 (29:43):
I mean, that's like when I think of two years ago,
I think of how often we talked about meshing the
way they're playing with Jake with what Joe does well.
And that started with their ability to run the ball
through screen passage.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
Yes, he mentioned it multiple times when we talk about
twenty twenty three.

Speaker 5 (30:00):
Yeah, you know it was great. I feel like I
could get in a rhythm. I got runs, I got
screens going. That was that whole thing.

Speaker 10 (30:06):
I just I get tired of hearing myself say I
don't understand the reluctance to go under center run play action,
throw screens.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
Do more of that stuff that we have seen literally.

Speaker 5 (30:21):
Every opponent they've played the last three weeks, do add nauseum,
to avoid true passets, to avoid being able to pinpoint
exactly what they're doing, to not just sit back there
and do more of what Jake this. You know, we
every time we've seen them actually do it, which has
been few and far between, guys are open. Jake's not

(30:41):
being harassed. He's trying to make throws naturally on the run,
and it's there's things there and it just never happens.
I I that is the one that the one piece.
There's a bunch of them, but the one at the
top of them. My, I just don't understand why that
was not a part of the last three weeks to
a much higher degree than it has been. Using hardly
at all and that maybe could have helped. That's probably

(31:04):
some of the stuff that Jake's referring to, but unfortunately
they move on.

Speaker 4 (31:09):
If I take the Bengals roster and I remove the
rookies and put them over here, Shamar Stewart, who may
play soon, I don't know, Demitrius Knight, Dylan Fairchild, Barrett Carter,
those guys TOAs Brooks.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
Jalen Rivers.

Speaker 4 (31:26):
If I put those guys over here and I look
at the rest of the roster, I can't find five
guys I'm excited about being on the team next year.

Speaker 3 (31:34):
Is that unfair? No, it's not unfair.

Speaker 5 (31:41):
I don't think that you haven't seen You hope with
so many of these guys, you hope that you see
the immediate leap like you just it.

Speaker 3 (31:52):
Look, you had a.

Speaker 5 (31:53):
Whole off season to be told you're a part of
the plan, needs you to grow, need you to evolve.
We're getting after it in camp in preseason, and and
so you're.

Speaker 3 (32:02):
Ready to go.

Speaker 5 (32:02):
We want to we want to see that step taken,
and it has There has been very little of that.
You know what I mean, And and you know that
you could name them on one hand, right Dax Hill
or is probably one. Mims maybe, but that's been up
and down. Yeah, the guys that are already signed, I

(32:24):
assume you're talking about the younger guys, non rookie.

Speaker 4 (32:27):
Like Burrow, Chase Sickonds cool. Yeah, beyond that, yeah, O,
Marius Mims. I still believe Dax Hill.

Speaker 3 (32:38):
Okay, I don't know.

Speaker 5 (32:40):
I'm trying to get there. So like, well, yes, brown maybe,
but again that has been bad. It hasn't gone well.

Speaker 4 (32:46):
So Okay, Sunday, everybody weals away at Jake Browning. It
is they just replaced him with Joe Flacco. But I
guess what's happened over the last couple of weeks for
a lot of his as it's been exposed how shaky
the roster is. It was a shaky roster last year.

(33:08):
They had a quarterback who was unbelievable. They won nine games.
So you take away the foundational piece, everything collapses, and
when it collapses, I sort through the roster and I
just it's not a good roster.

Speaker 3 (33:22):
It just so.

Speaker 4 (33:24):
Okay, quarterback play is a problem, but quarterback play wasn't
a problem last year, and your team couldn't get to
the postseason. Why with the minimal amount of work they
did the roster this past offseason. Why should I feel
surprised that remove the quarterbacks from the equation. Even if
Jake was slightly better. This team's just all over the place,
not good enough.

Speaker 5 (33:44):
You shouldn't be surprised. This was the bet that they made.
They made the bet because most of this is about defense.
Yeah right, I mean, we know.

Speaker 3 (33:53):
What bet they made. They they scapegoated.

Speaker 5 (33:57):
Lou and Narumo and said a new voice will make
these young players better.

Speaker 4 (34:01):
And even like the scenario on Sunday, which we outlined
before the season started, Okay, all you got to be
is league average. Cool, ten minutes to go down by eleven.
You've played yourself kind of back into it. Can you
get your offense the ball and instead eight plays without
a third down right down the field?

Speaker 3 (34:21):
Yeah, the moment that they needed, the.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
Moment where you're like, all right, al with last year's guys,
can you do it? Last year's team couldn't and get
a fourth quarter stop and at least give the ball
back to Jake Brown and.

Speaker 3 (34:34):
Give your team a shot. I understand that. I will
say they have made more stops.

Speaker 5 (34:40):
I mean, I feel like the fact that they were
able to keep some of these games close that the
offense was patting them behind the eight ball over and
over again in some of these, in some of these
first hats, Yeah you go. Fourteen to three was a
minor miracle, sure on Sunday, And a lot of that
was because, Hey, the defense was stiffening up there, getting
some stops against Detroit after that first drive, and and

(35:00):
seem to make a few plays. Again, We're not the
bar is so low that I'm we're not talking about
looking great and making plays and going and winning you
a game.

Speaker 3 (35:09):
But they were doing enough.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
That if the offense had some level of competency that
should have been they should have been right there, neck
and neck to the end.

Speaker 4 (35:17):
So the roster's not good. When the roster's not good,
you need a rebuild. How long's a rebuild take? And
is Joe Burrow gonna be excited about being there for
a rebuild when you can't rebuild it the way you
did in twenty twenty by just throwing a whole bunch
of money at a bunch of guys in free agency.

Speaker 3 (35:35):
I'm sure he's not. I'm sure he's not, but I mean,
you know, to tell my outlook isn't overly optimistic at
this point. I don't disagree with you.

Speaker 5 (35:43):
I mean, we just spent the whole beginning part talking
about how it's so desperate that you're just reaching for
the Joe Flaccos Jelly donuts. So I mean, I'm saying
I understand that that's the case. No one would be
excited about that, But it's it's the NFL, like it's
at a certain point, you're always figuring it's just a

(36:04):
matter of how much of it's gonna change year to year.
If that's part of it, that's they have to that's
a whole other offseason of questions mm hmm that they're
gonna have to figure out. And who's leading set the
said rebuild is probably you know, the first one that
they'll have to come to terms with once they get
through whatever this season looks like, which it feels like

(36:25):
it's kind of hitting a small reset button right now.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
Sure, I guess, and a good reset button. Yeah, like
what they've done today, let's go, let's see if it
can work. But boy, that again like the roster. For me,
what's what's so frustrating is many of us spent all
offseason going are we sure, like we're really doing this.
We're really doing this with the Joe we did that segment.
We're really doing this, really doing this on the offensive line,

(36:51):
really doing this with the defense, really doing this, and
they are and and and again, like maybe league average
quarterback play has them in a better place than they
have been, but it just feels like what they didn't
do to the team this offseason has has badly exposed
what the front office.

Speaker 5 (37:07):
Didn't drafting, signing, everything that we talked about with these
young players, like this was gonna define the Borough era,
right this, this portion of it, this prime the Burrow
Chase Higgins portion. You just have They have to draft well,

(37:27):
they had to hit on draft picks. They bet on
those draft picks at every single turn. When those draft
picks fail you, it is a deep it is a steep,
steep climb out. And that's why it was such a
big bet and that's why it was the biggest part
coming into this season that we kept talking about. It's

(37:48):
like this is gonna this is it. We can talk
about all the little the addition here and the big
money spent and Trey Hendrickson's fight. These young players are
gonna to define what happens next and how realistic it
is that this team in this current way can win anything,
and thus far they haven't been good enough. And maybe

(38:12):
that's maybe it's okay. A full season with Al Golden
to work through it and you start seeing less of
the problems and more and more leaning into the better
parts and getting more of people is where they're at
in the conversation right now, and hope that they're seeing
some signs of it. But yeah, it hasn't been where
it needs to be to this point.

Speaker 4 (38:31):
I am a loyal reader of The Athletic. Thank you
read your work, see Trent what you guys do Locally.
I also enjoyed the work of Mike Jones, who today
has written about what is my current favorite topic, which
is a brief recent history of players including Jordan Battle,
who have decided to let the ball go before they
cross the ball line.

Speaker 3 (38:51):
Yeah, and I am of.

Speaker 4 (38:53):
The belief that there should be an added punishment if
you do this, beyond lose possession touchback for the other team.

Speaker 3 (38:59):
Are you with me on this? Yeah?

Speaker 5 (39:00):
The other team gets seven points if they get the touch.

Speaker 4 (39:05):
If you are deemed to have intentionally dropped the ball
before you cross the goal line. The other team should
get fourteen points, not.

Speaker 5 (39:12):
Even automatic out, just game ends right there.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
I mean you lose your team, Your team loses. Yeah,
how do you feel about this? Maybe a little strong? No,
maybe maybe a little strong.

Speaker 5 (39:30):
How about if that ever happens Jonathan Gannon gets flown
to your house and gets to verbally assault you the way.

Speaker 4 (39:37):
To apologize yesterday, And I'm like, buddy, you have no
reason to apologize.

Speaker 3 (39:43):
Really, you're come on. He did. He didn't make contact
with him.

Speaker 5 (39:47):
He did, and it was like, I mean the contact
was I mean, I look, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (39:53):
That's not my He shouldn't make contact with him.

Speaker 5 (39:57):
The dude was literally getting there getting conc like. It
was the way he was being consoled.

Speaker 3 (40:02):
And I know it's professional, Yeah, okay, tough.

Speaker 5 (40:04):
Enough, but they like it was like a running attack
in his face with a push and scright in his face.

Speaker 4 (40:10):
John guy was in tears. Jonathan Gannon was every Cardinals fan. Yeah,
I get it, Okay, so okay, so he shouldn't yell
at his player. I believe that there should be something
that happens to your team and you if you do that,
game check gets taken away fourteen points on the scoreboard,
forced to book his own travel if they're on the road,

(40:30):
like whatever it is, Yeah, you.

Speaker 3 (40:32):
Fly commercial the next week. Yes, I like that.

Speaker 4 (40:34):
I read that today over lunch and I'm like, there
means to be with the next competition meetings, the committee,
the owners, however that works, get together and go here's
how we're gonna nip this in the bud. Harsh penalties
if you decide on purpose to drop the ball before
you cross the goal line.

Speaker 3 (40:50):
Okay, that's fair.

Speaker 5 (40:51):
I like, I like either maybe actually have to drive
to wherever the next game is.

Speaker 3 (40:56):
That'd be tough. Yeah, just you have to drive yourself
alone and think about what you've done. That's that's that's
what you need.

Speaker 5 (41:03):
Did you know that we have a caravan going to
uh Green Bay because the flights are just like.

Speaker 3 (41:07):
It's it's a little hard to get there.

Speaker 5 (41:09):
It's hard to get there, there's no directs, it's expensive,
and so we've all we've got a crew of us.
Really skinny, wow, James, Jay, we've got a crew of us.
What kind of car you guys got A got a
three row guy? Okay, three row s u V all right,
we're driving it. We're doing the full round, but.

Speaker 4 (41:28):
Eight hours to green Back seven and a half, seven
and a half, and then Jay will be driving, so
we'll probably get it on of six. That sounds That
sounds like, will you guys have microphones, cameras, bring the
podcast equipment.

Speaker 3 (41:41):
We were talking.

Speaker 5 (41:42):
About how long we should go live, not if we
should go live on on the way there and back.
I think back will be a little bit. I don't
I don't care about the way back. The way there
will be okay. Well, the way back, we're stopping in Milwaukee.
We're stopping. We're staying in Milwaukee, so it's not that
bad on the way up, on the way up.

Speaker 3 (41:59):
It'd be good. Yeah, Yeah, it's gonna be great. Milwaukee's
a good town. Milwaukee's a great town. Thank you for
you want to go with us. Kind of good. We
have space. What's on you guys?

Speaker 5 (42:08):
Leaving Saturday morning, bright and early. Let's go Bearcats play
at noon. So I probably should go to that. Okay,
but uh, you know, maybe I'll fly up and ride
back with you.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yes, let's do it. Come on down.

Speaker 4 (42:22):
Paul Danner Jr. And the Caravan, Theathletic dot Com The
Growler Podcast.

Speaker 5 (42:28):
Thank you as always read all your Joe Flacko coverage.
Lots of it, lots of it in two cities. That's
what's great about it.

Speaker 3 (42:35):
Zach Jackson and I about to do a pod here
in about fifteen minutes. Very good.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
It's six away from four o'clock. We're at Oakley Greens.
Follow Paul on Twitter. By the way, Paul Danner Junior.
This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 1 (42:47):

Speaker 7 (42:51):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Mamma Graham Save Lives.
Call five one three five eighty four, pink to schedule
your annual Mamma Graham with UC Helps Expert team. That's
five one three five eighty four pink. Northbound seventy one
seventy five. It is an accident near Mountain Zion Road.
All lanes are blocked off and traffic is being diverted

(43:12):
using the exit and entrance ramps. Heavy delays right now
from the Walton Split. Another accident on Harrison Avenue. This
is near Old Ribolt Road. I'm at Ezelic with traffic
this thirteen thirty.

Speaker 1 (43:24):
It's four oh four.

Speaker 3 (43:25):
This is ESPN fifteen thirty. I'm a Leger. Thank you
so much for joining us. Hopefully you're having a great Tuesday.

Speaker 4 (43:32):
Rainy Tuesday, gnarly looking Tuesday, but a great Tuesday for
us because we are at Oakley Greens, Oakley Station, very
close to IS seventy one and an awesome place to
hang out, a great place for happy hour after work,
great place for Bengals Packers. On Sunday, the beginning we
believe of the Joe Flacco ear. If you don't know,

(43:54):
I'm guessing there's not a soul in my audience right
now who is unaware of the fact that the Bengals
have traded for Joe Flacca. But if you're thinking, you
know what, that's gonna be something I want to watch
with my buddies. Joe flackho against the Packers. Come to
Oakley Greens, rent a cabana and you'll have a blast.
Obviously loaded college football slate on Saturday, the baseball playoffs

(44:16):
if you're still into it, which, by the way, the
tarp remains on the field in Detroit. They're getting set
for Game three of that series between Seattle and the
Tigers whatever it is. Bengo on Monday and Thursday nights
for Monday Night and Thursday night football.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
You name it, you can do it here.

Speaker 4 (44:32):
Kid friendly, dog friendly, although kids after nine o'clock on
Friday and Saturday have to go home. So you come
here without your kids. There you go, Oakley Greens. All
the sports, all the time, all at Oakley Greens. We'll
play some Scott Sanderfield audio for you a little bit
later on. Plus, our guys Sean Sayat is going to
join us the Stats and Scheme podcast. Sumer Sports, by

(44:54):
the way, has something awesome that we're going to talk
about coming up at five twenty and see if Sean
things the Bengals.

Speaker 3 (44:59):
Can thrive with Joe Flacco.

Speaker 4 (45:01):
I am less interested in what Joe Flacco can't do
than I am what he can do. Look, he's old,
he's not mobile. The Bengals have a bad offensive line.
The Bengals offensive line is a liability no matter who's
back there. It could be Lamar Jackson and you would say, well,
he's gonna have to run more than you want him to.

(45:23):
Like it's unfortunately a way of life with this franchise.
The offensive line is never good. Like that sounds harsh,
it's never good.

Speaker 3 (45:33):
So all right.

Speaker 4 (45:34):
On one level, it's not a great marriage a quarterback
who can't move behind an offensive line. That's not great
a pass protection, I get it. I'm less interested in that.
I'm less interested in what Joe Flacco can or can't
do with his legs, and I'm more interested in what's
between his ears. Can he pick up an offense quickly?
Can he throw the ball to the right guy? Can

(45:55):
he do the cerebral stuff at a higher level than
Jake Browning? Look, man, it's piling on at this point.
Jake Browning on Sunday just frankly was not playing at
even a remotely remedial NFL level.

Speaker 3 (46:11):
He just was not. That is.

Speaker 4 (46:14):
Those are three of the most poorly played games by
a quarterback that I've ever watched, and they got progressively worse.
Like even after the Minnesota game, a lot of us
were pinning their struggles on all the turnovers, the fumbles,
things that didn't have that much to do with Jake Browning.
But it's also a game where he threw a pick
six and he kind of thought, all right, well, it's

(46:34):
his first start of the season, and as we go,
he'll get more comfortable and he'll get better, and it
just it never happened. It was getting worse, and it
wasn't so much raw physical mistakes as much as it
was the mechanics are playing quarterback between the years. So

(46:55):
I am looking for somebody who could just make better
decisions with the ball. I am looking for somebody who
could pick up the offense quickly. And look, Joe Flacco
throws picks. There's no getting around it. I'm not sure
the interceptions are as egregiously bad for Joe Flacco as
they've been for Jake Browning. And so I'm curious as

(47:16):
to why they didn't call the Giants. I'm curious as
to why maybe Russell Wilson wasn't somebody they'd be interested in.
Curious as to maybe why Jameis Winston is somebody they
just said thanks, but no thanks to. Although I don't
know that it's that tough to figure out, because nobody
around the league wanted to give Jameis Winson a chance
to be a number two, which is why he's.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
In number three with the New York Giants.

Speaker 4 (47:38):
I don't know how much this raises the Bengals ceiling,
but it's something different, and it's something that there's a
track record of Look my very first thought, because my
first thought was holy craft. The Bengals and Browns did
a trade with each other. That's something that literally has
never happened. They obviously tried to make one with AJ
mccheron a number of years ago. Number two, okay, quick study.

(48:01):
Joe Flacco in twenty twenty three, signed to the Browns
practice squad on November the nineteenth. He was playing in
a game on December third. By the end of the month,
he had taken the Browns to the postseason, and the
defense had a lot to do with that as well,
which is probably really not going to be the case here.

(48:21):
But he was the comeback player of the year. He
was the comeback player of the year in a year
where we all thought tomorrow Hamlin was gonna get it.
Just because he played, it was alive. And that's how
good Joe Flacco was. I don't know if he is
capable of a repeat performance with this team, though, I
do think there are better players to throw to. But
at the very least, he picked up what they needed

(48:42):
him to pick up in a very short amount of time,
and the offense was functional. The offense functioned well enough
for them to make the postseason. So with a shorter
time window here, if he is indeed going to start
against the Packers on Sunday, you have a guy who's
been a quick study before. You have a guy who
has picked up offenses quickly before. You have a guy

(49:02):
who has been forced to make some adjustments very.

Speaker 3 (49:06):
Much on the fly.

Speaker 4 (49:07):
You have a guy who I think can throw the
ball to an open Jamar Chase, throw the ball to
an open Mike Kasiki, throw the ball to an open
t Higgins, although to be fair, I don't think Tea
has been opened all that often and at least know
the offense. What I watched from Jake Browning on Sunday
and also against Denver was a quarterback who looked like
he had no concept of what the offense was.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
And you add that to.

Speaker 4 (49:30):
The fact like Jake Browning was undrafted because there are
physical limitations to what he can do. Wasn't a guy
that any other NFL team said we want to use
a pick on, And wasn't a guy that when he
had success two years ago, any other NFL team said,
you know what, we want that guy to be our
starting quarterback.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
So I'm not here to tell you that this is great.

Speaker 4 (49:55):
Whenever you're looking for a quarterback on Tuesday to to
start a game on Sunday, it ain't ideal. There's only
one ideal scenario as it relates to the starting quarterback
of the Cincinnati Bengals, and that's.

Speaker 3 (50:10):
Joe Burrow playing like. There's only one thing this.

Speaker 4 (50:13):
Week that could have unfolded that would have been ideal,
and that's somehow magically Joe Burrow grows a new toe
and turf toe goes away and he could play right.

Speaker 3 (50:24):
That's it.

Speaker 4 (50:26):
Any other option would have been I used the analogy
before the doughnuts that are on the tray when you
get to work three and a half hours after the meeting.
They're not great. They're not good options. They're stale that
the bad flavors they've been touched. They've been sitting there
all day, like none of the other options are available,
and how many options there truly were, I'm not sure

(50:47):
any of us know.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
What I do know is this, like.

Speaker 4 (50:52):
I have not at all talked about the Bengals and
championship terms, and that goes back to before getting hurt.
Certainly haven't talked about him a championship terms in the
aftermath of his injury, like you can't do it. I
haven't talked about the playoff race, haven't cared that much
about where they are in relation to the seventh seed,

(51:14):
and it's too early to do that anyway. What I
have been hoping for is there to be something interesting.
And I say this all the time, and I say
it as a talk show host, but I say it
as a fan as well. Be good or be interesting
ideally or both can't be neither. The Bengals with Jake

(51:35):
Browning playing quarterback were non competitive and not interesting. The
Bengals with Joe Flacco at this stage of his career,
with what he has accomplished in this league, the Bengals
with Joe Flacco playing quarterback are interesting. I don't know
how good they're gonna be. My guess is that Paul
said this last hour, and I agree with it. Jake

(51:57):
Browning has probably not thrown his last pass for the
Bengals this year because the odds of Joe Flacco getting
through the next you know whatever it is, eight nine,
ten weeks without getting hit and having to come off
the field not very high, but it is something. It's
it's it's something that to a degree has happened before.

(52:19):
I am not exactly doing cartwheels, but desperate times call
for desperate measures. Among the more desperate things you could do,
if it's acquiring Joe Flacco.

Speaker 3 (52:30):
Then I'm I'm good.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
I think I think this is a net positive for
the organization, and I certainly believe gives them a better
chance to win on Sunday. Look, man, this to me
is about Sunday, and I don't know. I don't know
how many of those other guys the Bengals could have
traded for. First of all, we don't know how many
were really available. We don't know what the asking price
would have been for some of those other players. Like

(52:54):
the Bengals are desperate. So if you're the Atlanta Falcons,
or you're running the New York Giants, or you've got
a QB, the Bengals call you about, you want to
take advantage of the desperate team and inflate the asking price.
Joe Flacco cost a pick, swap a five for a six.
So cost and the reliability involved here where you can

(53:16):
ask him to come and learn your offense and be
ready to go on Sunday and feel better about him
knowing what to do and what plays to run and
who to throw the ball to, which shouldn't require that
much deep thought. I I ain't Joe Flacco is a
better option than most and again, like he's not mobile.
But you put anybody behind this offensive line and they're

(53:37):
going to be compromised, whether it's having time to throw,
getting hit a lot, being on the run too much.
That is not a consideration for me. Give me somebody
who can learn the offense. Give me somebody who knows
when Jamar Chase is open, I gotta throw the ball
to him.

Speaker 3 (53:51):
And if in the.

Speaker 4 (53:51):
Course of doing that there's a pick or two, Eh,
it's a backup quarterback at the end of the day,
it's with Joe. Joe Flacco became a backup quarterback in Cleveland.
He was as a placeholder for whoever they were going
to turn to next, Dylan Gabriel or Shad or Sanders.
Obviously it's Dylan Gabriel, should or Sanders I'm guessing wasn't available.
So he's a backup quarterback. He's a placeholder. They weren't
trading for Baker Mayfield, who I think should be the

(54:13):
MVP through four weeks. They weren't trading for Josh Allen
or a healthy Lamar Jackson. They were going to trade
for a dude whose game isn't what it should be,
who is either past his prime, doesn't have enough experienced,
physically limited, has thrown away opportunities. Whatever it is was
going to be compromised physically or otherwise. Give me the

(54:33):
guy who was less likely to be physically compromised upstairs,
learning the offense, making decisions.

Speaker 3 (54:41):
I think they've done that.

Speaker 4 (54:42):
Your calls are welcome at five one three, seven four nine,
fifteen thirty. We are guest free for about an hour
eight six six seven oh two three seven seven six
at Moegger on Twitter thanks to Delta Dental. Delta Dental
is building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all good at
Delta dentalage dot Com again five one th seven, nine
fifteen thirty and eight six six seven oh two three

(55:04):
seven seven six. The conversation about quarterbacks has deflected our
attention away from what I think the bigger issue is.
We'll spend some time on Matt. We'll hear Scott Saderfield,
spend a few minutes on what Nick Kral had to
say yesterday.

Speaker 3 (55:19):
Lots to get to between now and five o'clock.

Speaker 4 (55:21):
We're at Oakley Greens on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 11 (55:24):
Station, Cincinnati.

Speaker 8 (55:26):
Make us the number one pre sent on your car
radio and on the free new and improved iHeartRadio app
Free never sounded so good. ESPN fifteen thirty really clean.

Speaker 11 (55:37):
This is football in the NATI, brought to you by
Modern office methods on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
Home of Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (55:47):
One hour from right now, our guy Sean Sayatt, super
sports dot Com, Statson scheme newsletters. See if he thinks
Joe flacka will bring any hope to the Bengals. Uh
phone calls in just a second. Scott Saderfield as well.
You'll hear what he had to say earlier today is
the Bearcats get set to play another noon game against.

Speaker 3 (56:05):
UCF at home.

Speaker 4 (56:06):
The Bearcats just on the outside looking in of both
major top twenty five poles. Spend a few minutes on
the Reds next hour as well. Right now, you're a
turn for one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty gauge.
You're on ESPN fifteen thirty I Gauge.

Speaker 3 (56:23):
How's it going maw wonderful yourself?

Speaker 12 (56:27):
Doing well here at Oakley Greens?

Speaker 3 (56:30):
Are you at Oakley Greens?

Speaker 12 (56:33):
Yes, sir?

Speaker 4 (56:34):
Oh, why don't you just walk up and say hi?

Speaker 6 (56:38):
Well, I was sitting next to you, but then it
was Zach Whens.

Speaker 12 (56:40):
I thought I'd pop inside, all right.

Speaker 4 (56:44):
I mean, you could just walk to the table and
we could put a headset on you.

Speaker 3 (56:46):
But go ahead. Yeah.

Speaker 6 (56:49):
No, I'm just wondering when it's time to pull the
ripcord on Zach Taylor and Duke Covin, Like, how long
are we gonna waste of Joe Burrow's crime before we
get a real GM and coaching here?

Speaker 4 (56:59):
You know, I think there's what you and I want,
and there's what the the Bengals are likely to do.
I think the question that I would have would be
number one, how much slack are they gonna cut Zach
Taylor because he doesn't have Joe Burrow?

Speaker 3 (57:11):
Right because everybody.

Speaker 4 (57:12):
Before the season said, now you know he's probably on
the hot seat. Do the Bengals cool that off just
because he doesn't have Joe? I, however, I put Duke
Tobin into the microscope. I look at the inactivity this
offseason with a roster that Joe Burrow was awesome last year, awesome,
like played at an MVP caliber level.

Speaker 3 (57:32):
They couldn't get to the postseason. What did they do
with last year's team? Not that much.

Speaker 4 (57:37):
They drafted guys because you have to. They signed TJ. Slayton,
He's made almost no impact. They had nobody to the secondary.
They didn't work hard enough on the offensive line. They
were still looking for and signing offensive linemen in August.
So it just it felt like they were way too
satisfied with a roster that last year wasn't good enough.

Speaker 3 (57:57):
I hold Duke Tobin accountable for that.

Speaker 4 (58:00):
I also think it's fair to look at his track
record with offensive lines, which they have to fix, and
feel like I should have no faith in him doing that.
We talked about the Bengals needing a rebuild, like you are.
You are in the prime of Joe Burrow, but the
clock is ticking because you have him in a contract
for four years. If you decide to hit the reset
button number one, do you trust Duke Tobin to build

(58:22):
a roster around Joe Burrow between the next year or two.
That's gonna put them in a chance to put him
in a position to win. And number two, if you
do do a rebuild, how long is it gonna take? Like,
I'm I completely understand any frustration with Zach Taylor. I
have no issue at all with the idea that they
should go hire a new coach. But I think Duke

(58:45):
Tobin would be the one hiring that coach. And to me,
he's in the cross here is because of the inability
to build a roster, the inability to take advantage. They
threw a lot of money at the defense in twenty twenty,
twenty twenty one. They can't do that now. So you
can't go overpay Dj Reader, and you can't go overpay
maybe Chadobi a woozy, and you can't go throw a

(59:07):
whole bunch of money at a guy like Trey Hendrickson.

Speaker 3 (59:09):
You have to.

Speaker 4 (59:10):
Draft in this team's draft record, and Duke Tobin's in
charge of that is so shody, so poor. I have
no faith in him being able to use the draft
to build the roster to a point that by next
season and the year after that for competing with championships
with Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (59:30):
To leave agreed, great mind, you got to get Joe Brady.

Speaker 4 (59:41):
Joe Brady would be fascinating. Are you inside at the bar?

Speaker 12 (59:45):
Yes, sir, all right?

Speaker 4 (59:47):
Are you bringing drinks out for everybody else?

Speaker 3 (59:50):
Yeah?

Speaker 12 (59:51):
He sends you life.

Speaker 3 (59:53):
I'll drink whatever you bring. Oh, it doesn't matter to
me anything else. Now that's all right, gags.

Speaker 4 (01:00:01):
Thanks, thanks for the for the phone call. I don't
think that's ever happened. You're very welcome. I don't think
it's ever happened. Got called from inside the bar. Good
brought this up yesterday on the Tony and Mo Football Show. Uh,
the foundation of the Cincinnati Bengals is this. Joe Burrow

(01:00:23):
is gonna elevate everybody. This is I'm not the first
person to say this, not exactly unearthing new ground right
like the the the entire premise of this organization is
we've got a dude at quarterback, and so the rest
of it just has to be all right. How many
times did you hear this offseason? Look, they just have

(01:00:45):
to have a league average defense or you know, it
might be the best offensive line that Joe has played behind,
but it's it's still not a great offensive line. And
that's gonna be okay because you got number nine.

Speaker 3 (01:00:59):
It was a shake key.

Speaker 4 (01:01:00):
Premise to begin with, and last year proved that like
last year, for my money, is the most disappointing season
in the history of the franchise. They've had other years
where maybe they didn't live up to expectation. They've had
other years where they got to the postseason and had
a heartbreaking loss. Like we all know that Joe Burrow

(01:01:23):
last season at the most important position in all of sports.

Speaker 3 (01:01:28):
Could not have been any better.

Speaker 4 (01:01:30):
Like legitimately hold his numbers up against Ken Anderson nineteen
eighty one, MVP year, boomeris Ie in nineteen eighty eight,
MVP year, Carson Palmer two thousand and five, third in
the MVP voting, even Joe's twenty twenty one in twenty
twenty four or twenty twenty two, like great year.

Speaker 3 (01:01:50):
They went nine and eight. None of that is Joe
Burrow's fault.

Speaker 4 (01:01:54):
And they went nine to eight, and they took advantage
of bad quarterbacks and bad teams, teams trending in the
wrong direction, and.

Speaker 3 (01:02:00):
At the end of the season they're four and eight.

Speaker 4 (01:02:03):
At one point, it is unbelievable to me that they
had a QB play every game and get MVP votes,
get MVP consideration, and they still missed the postseason, and
frankly didn't come that close.

Speaker 3 (01:02:19):
So what did that?

Speaker 4 (01:02:20):
It told you last year that the roster wasn't good
enough offensive line, defense, entire roster. It told you that
the basic premise of the organization is shaky. Hey, Joe's
gonna be great. We're gonna be good. Joe was great
last year. They weren't good.

Speaker 3 (01:02:39):
Shaky to begin with.

Speaker 4 (01:02:41):
Take away Joe Burrow, and it collapses. And when when
something collapses, you sift through the rubble or the broken pieces.
And when you do that with this team, do you
see many pieces you really want to move forward with.
I put this on social media the other day, and
maybe it's a sly overreaction. I don't know that there's

(01:03:03):
five players that are really worth moving forward with. I
know they're not gonna swap out forty eight players, but
I cannot imagine that any one of us look at
this roster and think that there's you know, more than
a handful of guys. And look, Joe is one of them,
Jamar is one of them, and t I think is
one of them.

Speaker 3 (01:03:22):
Who else?

Speaker 4 (01:03:25):
Trey Hendrickson has played really well this year, but on
the other side of thirty will be a year older
next season. DA's hill this year has been okay, Marius Mims,
I think might be alright. I remove the rookies from
the conversation because their rookies. So then all right, what's next?
It's a rebuild? Right Like if your rosters thinks you're
gonna rebuild, you get it. So now you're gonna tell

(01:03:48):
Joe Burrow we're gonna start from scratch, now you can.
We saw it here Bengals went from two to fourteen
in twenty nineteen to a super Bowl in twenty twenty
one in large part A they drafted Joe Burrow number two.
They just threw money at the defense. They nailed it
in free agency, right. Plus they still had Jesse Bates,

(01:04:08):
but they add Von Bell, they ad shouldo Obe Woozier,
they had Trey Hendrickson, they add DJ Reader. Paid a
lot of money to these guys, Mike Hilton, Von Bell,
like you, you can't throw money at the problem now
because of the money you're paying Joe and Jamarranty.

Speaker 3 (01:04:26):
So how are you gonna do a rebuild? How many
said Joe.

Speaker 4 (01:04:29):
Burrow down and go you know at this position where
you're judged almost solely by how much do you win?
Number one, we have been incapable of protecting you.

Speaker 3 (01:04:37):
Number two.

Speaker 4 (01:04:38):
We need you to work with us while we rebuild
the roster and deal with all these short term growing
pains involved with that. I don't know, man, And so
I point the finger at Duke Tobin and the people
that looked at last year's team and thought, we don't
have to do that much work to it. And I
look at the front office and all the draft choice

(01:05:00):
is like, it is a damning indictment that you have
a third round pick who's not even active for games
from last year Jermaine Burton, and a fourth round pick
from last year McKinley Jackson. It's not even active for games.

Speaker 3 (01:05:13):
What does that say?

Speaker 4 (01:05:14):
A but the selection of those players? Wit did the
exercise yesterday where if you look at all the draft
classes the Bengals have had twenty one, twenty two, twenty
three and twenty four, how many foundational pieces are there?

Speaker 6 (01:05:26):
Like?

Speaker 4 (01:05:26):
You can barely find useful pieces, much less foundational ones.
And so, okay, cool, hit the reset button. Number one
when you start your rebuild. Duke Tobin the guy you
want leading it. Number two, I think Joe Burrow is
excited about being a quarterback for a rebuilding process that's
not guaranteed to work, and at best.

Speaker 3 (01:05:48):
Will probably take some time to work.

Speaker 4 (01:05:51):
Sports headlines are next, and you'll hear from Scott Saderfield
five one three, seven four nine fifteen thirty eight six
six seven oh two three seven seven six were at
Oakley Greens, which is in Oakland. On ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 11 (01:06:06):
You've been listening to Football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 1 (01:06:19):

Speaker 7 (01:06:22):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center Mammograms Save Lives.
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(01:06:45):
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This report is sponsored by Prime Big Deal days Hey,
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Speaker 3 (01:07:18):
It's been a busy day. Joe Flacco is a Cincinnati Bengal.

Speaker 4 (01:07:22):
The Bengals trading for the former Browns starting quarterback, a
news that was reported earlier this afternoon. It was made
official by the Bengals shortly after three o'clock. The idea,
according to most who cover the team, is that he
will start on Sunday, when the Bengals played the Packers.
He started most recently for the Browns against Green Bay.

(01:07:42):
He is an eighteenth year NFL player Super Bowl MVP
for the Ravens. After the twenty twelve season, Cincinnati sends
to Cleveland a twenty twenty six fifth round draft choice
they get from the Browns a twenty twenty six sixth
round draft choice. Brett Rippon has also been released. Mike
White has been cut from the practice squad. Howard Cross,

(01:08:03):
defensive tackle re signed to the practice squad Bengals and
Packers Sunday at four to twenty five live on ESPN
fifteen thirty. Meanwhile, tonight it's the Scott Saderfield Radio Show
at eight pm on seven hundred wl W. You'll hear
from the UC head coach in just a few minutes. Meanwhile,
the postseason continues in baseball with a pair of American

(01:08:27):
League Division Series games, Game three in Detroit.

Speaker 3 (01:08:29):
It's still raining up there.

Speaker 4 (01:08:30):
Mariners and Tigers set to play Game three when they
take the tarp off the field. That series tied at
one game apiece. Toronto's at New York Yankees, trying to
avoid elimination. Game three in the Bronx tonight at eighth eight.
Toronto up two games to none. Last night, the Philadelphia
Phillies decided to bunt. The Philadelphia Phillies lost, not a coincidence.
They're down two oh to the Dodgers and the Brewers

(01:08:52):
now up two to zero on the Chicago Cubs in
the National League. We'll play the Scott Sanderfield Audio coming
up in about ten minutes. First, I don't want to
make people wait. Unlike the Bengals and Reds, I don't
believe in making people wait. So Crystal, I'm tearing. I'm sorry,
Crystal gone, Crystal's here? Is Crystal also calling from the bar?

Speaker 13 (01:09:14):
No, no, I'm poor Hilly. Crystal just got off works.
He's not at the bar.

Speaker 3 (01:09:18):
That's all right, Hi, Crystal, how are you hey?

Speaker 13 (01:09:21):
I'm good.

Speaker 4 (01:09:22):
Hey.

Speaker 13 (01:09:23):
I was just kind of referring back to some things
I listened to yesterday. I listened to you guys while
I'm working at work from home, and so it gives me,
you know, a great thing to listen to sports. You know,
somebody was commenting about how the Bengals should donate unused
season tickets. Let me tell you something. I'm a season
ticket holder and for the last four years, see and

(01:09:43):
my family have decided to split them and we start
paying for those tickets in November. So this November, just
next month, we'll have to make the first installment on
those season tickets for twenty twenty six. So people were
complaining about having too many blue jerseys in the at
the Lions game. It's because season ticket holders were just

(01:10:03):
trying to recoup some of the money we pay. I'm
in the lower levels and yes, there is a waiting list,
and we pay thousands of dollars for that and the
parking past every year, so there is no unused season tickets. Okay,
to donate them. The Bengals can't just donate them because
we've already purchased them.

Speaker 4 (01:10:23):
So I have I have heard the criticism of fans
who have sold their tickets to Lions fans. And have
you ever sold tickets like on stub hub or sea geek.

Speaker 3 (01:10:34):
Or something like that.

Speaker 12 (01:10:35):
No, we do not do that.

Speaker 13 (01:10:37):
We we keep them within the family and friends for
the price that we pay, and we sure we've never
sold them to opposing team fans.

Speaker 3 (01:10:48):
All right, So but but here's the thing.

Speaker 4 (01:10:50):
Like I've listed tickets before on stub hub and sea geek,
it doesn't say that the sale can only go to
a fan of of the home team.

Speaker 3 (01:10:59):
You don't get that option.

Speaker 4 (01:11:00):
So my guess is most people, most Bengals fans, if
they decided to not go to the game because either
they didn't want to go, or something came up, or
they don't think they're gonna whatever it is, and they
put them on the secondary market, they don't get the
option that if a Lions fan wants to buy them,
the seats don't get sold and So I.

Speaker 3 (01:11:21):
Mean, number one, you bought the tickets. You own the tickets.

Speaker 4 (01:11:23):
You get to do whatever you want with And that's
the cool thing about ownership, right when you own something,
you get to do whatever you want.

Speaker 3 (01:11:29):
I have seen this credit.

Speaker 4 (01:11:31):
I haven't heard anybody say that the Bengals should donate
the tickets. The season is sold out, so what are
they gonna donate. But if you're a fan and you
decide you don't want to go, number one, far be
it from me or anybody else to say that you
shouldn't get top dollar for those tickets. But if you
put them online, anybody could buy them. There's no filter
that says, well, if you're a Lions fan, you can't

(01:11:52):
buy the tickets. And so I think such criticism Crystal
is very very misguided, exactly.

Speaker 13 (01:11:58):
And the thing is mess fans. I'm you know, if
you depending on how long you've been a season ticket holder,
you're you're not paying what Ticketmaster prices anyway. So they
were just trying trying to recruit some of their money,
you know. And now that we have Joe Flacco, and
we have Joe with the two, so maybe just maybe

(01:12:20):
we'll have some more orange and black in the sands.
I hope, I hope, and you have Smiley concerned about
having Joe Flackenbear's. Are is our coaching staff equipped to
coach someone like him?

Speaker 3 (01:12:32):
Great question?

Speaker 7 (01:12:33):
Is like that?

Speaker 6 (01:12:37):
You know?

Speaker 4 (01:12:38):
To me, the red flag about this season went up
the first game of the year, when Joe Burrow is
still healthy and the coaches went along with the game
plan that basically said to the Cleveland Browns it's okay
if you take away our top two wide receivers. I
think it is completely reasonable to have doubts about the
Bengals coaching the Bengals coaching staff coaching up any QB,
whether it's a guy who has a lot of experience

(01:13:00):
like Joe Flacco or anybody else.

Speaker 13 (01:13:03):
Correct, correct, But it's like, you know, we have some
hope and maybe maybe with his veteran status, I mean,
I'm sure we'll bring respect to the coaching room and
to the locker room. I think the guys will respect him.
I think maybe some structure in some hard conversations.

Speaker 4 (01:13:19):
Might be had.

Speaker 13 (01:13:20):
I think right now we're just we're just got a
bunchet kids doing whatever they want. Like I don't, I
just don't feel like when you look at the field
and the play. We don't have any structure. There's nothing.
There's nobody getting yelled at in the locker room. Nobody's
saying what are you doing? We pay you to do this.

Speaker 3 (01:13:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:13:38):
No, it feels like Crystal, I can't thank you enough
for the phone call. It feels like lack of structure,
It feels like like lack of leadership. It it feels
like a very poorly coached team and a poorly put
together roster. I don't know that Joe Flacco can fix
most of those things, but I do think you can
upgrade the quarterback play on the composition of the crowd

(01:13:59):
on side day.

Speaker 3 (01:14:02):
You may disagree. I think the.

Speaker 4 (01:14:04):
Bengals could have been four and oh with Joe Burrow healthy,
and there would have been a ton of Lions fans there.
Maybe not quite as many, but I'm willing to bet
pretty damn close. Look, the Lions are good, really good.
Their fans are feeling it. When your team is good,
you want to go watch it at any chance you get. Plus,

(01:14:24):
the harder it is to get tickets at home, so
the more likely you are to go on the road,
especially if you live pretty.

Speaker 3 (01:14:32):
Close to the city. They're traveling too.

Speaker 4 (01:14:33):
I think you had a few things early in the season,
so you know the you know the game's going to
be played in pretty good weather. It's not going to
be frigid. It's a city the Lions visit every eight years.
Like I like to go to road games, I go
see the Bengals play once a year on the road.
I love going to the NFC cities because I'm only

(01:14:55):
going to get that opportunity for the most part, every
eight years. You have a good team, a fan base
that's feeling it. Four hour drive from Detroit, obviously other
parts of Michigan a little bit further. Like, I think
that game that was the most expensive regular season ticket
the Bengals have ever sold. It was an in demand

(01:15:15):
ticket because of the two teams involved, because of the
proximity of Detroit to Cincinnati. So I don't think the
number of Lions fans is solely attributed to the Bengals
falling on hard times and fans giving up. I think
those Detroit fans were coming no matter what. We were
down there on Sunday doing the pregame show, and I

(01:15:38):
walked up and down Freedomway for a while before we
went into the place we do the pregame show from
being responsible here. And I talked to Detroit fans and
what I was curious is like, where'd you watch the
Tigers the night before? Or would you watch Michigan or
Michigan State whoever? And every fan that I talked to
they had been planning this trip for months, like as
soon as the schedule came out, all right, in early

(01:16:00):
October Cincinnati Burrow Golf, great game, I'm going I don't
think most of those people made the last minute decision
to come to Cincinnati. And so if the big takeaway
was Bengals fans bolted and sold their tickets to Lions
fans because they're bad fans. Three things about that. One,
those Lions fans were coming no matter what. Two, stop

(01:16:21):
worrying about what other people do with their money. Number Three,
most probably sold them online. And if you've ever bought
tickets on stub hub er sikiek, it doesn't say are
you a Bengals fan?

Speaker 3 (01:16:32):
Doesn't do that.

Speaker 4 (01:16:33):
So I was more concerned with how the team played
than I was who was in the stands. And the
team's play does not get excused by who was in
the stands. You'll hear Scott Saderfield next. We're at Oakley
Greens on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:16:46):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (01:16:51):
Traffic from the UC Health Traffic Center. Mamma Graham saved Lives.
your annual mammogram with uc he helps Expert team. That's
five one three five eighty four pink. On southbound seventy
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(01:17:12):
On southbound seventy five. It's another accident, this one on
the off ramp to seventy four. An eastbound State Route
one thirty one accident before wolf pun Pleasant Hill Road.
I'm at Ezelk with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:17:23):
This report is sponsored by eBay.

Speaker 4 (01:17:27):
It is six away from five CESPN fifteen thirty. We're
broadcasting from Oakley Greens today. All the sports, all the time,
all in Oakley Greens. If you're just getting off work,
you can celebrate happy hour or in some cases, unhappy
hour at Oakley Green. Scott Sadderfield not unhappy right now.
His team has won four straight games, getting set to

(01:17:47):
host UCF.

Speaker 3 (01:17:48):
On Saturday at noon.

Speaker 4 (01:17:51):
He talked earlier today with the assembled local college football
media and discussed keeping his team focus after back to
back big, emotional, close victories.

Speaker 14 (01:18:03):
When you start a season, obviously the first two three weeks,
you're you're excited. Everybody's gonna play hard, You're gonna be focused,
you know. I think once you get into about the
middle of the season, about the meat of the season.
You know, ever, how you're playing, you feel like, oh man,
you just showing back up. You're showing back up. It's
human nature. But when you get to this point, it's
the teams that can show up each and every week,

(01:18:26):
because if you don't show up in this league, you're
gonna get beat. We've seen that. And and but it's
showing up on a on a Tuesday, you know, like today,
and for practice and making this our very best practice
we can possibly make. You have to have that mindset
each and every day.

Speaker 3 (01:18:39):
To bring it. You can't relax.

Speaker 14 (01:18:41):
As soon as you relax, somebody's getting better than you.
Somebody's gonna beat you. And so you got to continue
to train with the chip on your shoulder that you
have something to prove, and that's the challenge. I mean,
that is the challenge, you know, I think, But you know,
I also think you go back and play here or
play there. We're sitting here at oh and two in
the league, and then and how you're gonna come and up,
you know, I think I just think about that. I mean,

(01:19:02):
we've been the last couple of years, we've been on
the other side of that, and so for us to
be here at this point, man, we got to show
up and it's the day and he's a very, very
best practice that we've had.

Speaker 3 (01:19:15):
There.

Speaker 4 (01:19:15):
You go Scott Sadenfield earlier today. Look, they played really well,
really well. I think they played better on Saturday against
Iowa State than the final margin of victory would indicate.
I thought the officiating I put on social media during
that game. I've been on that app for sixteen years,
which I'm not sure how proud I am in that.
I think I've maybe sent twenty tweets in that entire
time of that officiating umpiring Dude on Saturday. It was dreadful,

(01:19:37):
but this team was five and two through seven games
last year and it kind of felt like things had
turned and then things totally fell apart lost their last
five games. I do think this team is better this season,
but I could certainly understand any apprehension based on how
last year went after we thought they had kind of
arrived through those first seven games. One of the reasons

(01:19:59):
why I think I think this team's got a shot
to still have a very good year after the four
and one start is the offensive line. Here's Scott Sadafield
talking about O line coach Nick Cardwell and his guys.

Speaker 14 (01:20:11):
Coach car Well's very passionate coach. He he doesn't do
anything halfway. I mean, he's he's one hundred miles an
hour all the time. You know, He's a guy you
have to say woe instead of go, which I love,
you know. And I think Gavin is maybe the best
leader I've ever been around. Three time captain, been here,
you know, six years. He committed out of high school

(01:20:33):
his sophomore year. So he loves this place. And anytime
you have your guy that loves the place that much
and is also one of your best players, who is
one of your the best leader, that's what you want.
That's the recipe for success. And so not only is
Gavin the best leader on our team, but obviously with
that offensive line, he makes them all do right. You know,
we brought into a couple of transfers and they slid

(01:20:53):
right in and then Gavin what we got to do now,
you know, And it's like every day it's that way.
And he's just led that group as the highest possible
way to lead and and I think coach Carwell has
been locking step with him as well in the same way.
They take a lot of pride in everything that they do.
And we all know offensive linemen they don't really get
to touch the ball, they don't score touchdowns, they don't

(01:21:15):
get the big time accolades. But if the offenses having success,
then they get to have reaped some of those. And
that's what's happening. Our offense has been.

Speaker 3 (01:21:23):
Really doing well.

Speaker 14 (01:21:24):
You know, we're running the football, we're throwing it, we're
scoring points. And I'm glad to see that our offensive
line is getting a recognition that they've gotten because I
do think they've been playing really well. They're playing physical.
They take pride in not giving up any kind of
you know, pressures or tackles for loss. That's what they're
hanging their hat on. And that's really great to see.

Speaker 4 (01:21:43):
Scott's had Afield earlier today talking about his offensive line
and his team, which is it feels like the program
is turning the corner.

Speaker 3 (01:21:52):
They're not there yet.

Speaker 4 (01:21:53):
They could take care of business against UCF, get the
five wins, and then I think we start to talk
about the Big twelve race. We will see more tonight.
Scott Satdafields radio show is at eight o'clock on seven
hundred w WELWD.

Speaker 3 (01:22:06):
Bengals have a new quarterback. We'll talk about him.

Speaker 4 (01:22:08):
Plus take your phone calls and Sean sayet Statson's Scheme podcast.
We're at Oakley Greens, coming up on five o'clock on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 3 (01:22:18):
Hear that that's Mike.

Speaker 1 (01:22:21):
You found Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:22:25):
That's his, that's us, that's his. How us off to
a good start?

Speaker 6 (01:22:30):
Now?

Speaker 3 (01:22:30):
Infit? What's up? That's us?

Speaker 4 (01:22:32):
It's five minutes after five o'clock ESPN fifteen thirty on
boweg Or. We are broadcasting from Oakley Greens where it
is the bud Light five o'clock Happy Hour. Thanks to
our friends at bud Light, Easy to drink, easy to enjoy,
they got bud Light here. I might drink it all
like today, but by six o'clock, I don't know. We're

(01:22:54):
at Oakley Greens. All the sports, all the time, all
at Oakley Greens. We're undercover.

Speaker 6 (01:22:59):
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:23:00):
It's like one of those days where it's kind of
cloudy out but it's not cold. But you don't want
to be like out. You don't want to get rained on,
but you want to be outside. So we're undercover. We
got a indoor bar. We got some folks enjoined like
it looks like they're gathered for the last supper at
that table, having a happy hour of sorts and maybe
they're getting Maybe they're here to watch the baseball playoffs.

(01:23:20):
The tarp has been on the field in Detroit all afternoon.
May play game three tonight, Tigers and Mariners. That's been
a good series, two good games, tied at a game apiece.
They're gonna play in New York tonight as well. Yankees
and Blue Jay's. I don't know if it's raining there.
Yankees trying to avoid elimination. You can watch those games.
You got all the college football games coming up this weekend,

(01:23:40):
Bengals and Packers. You can rent a cabana with your friends,
you could bring your kids. You can play cornhole, you
could play mini golf. Bengo coming up on Thursday, right,
you can't beat that family feud style trivia tomorrow at
seven o'clock. Any day of the week, they got something
cool happening here at Oakley Greens. We thank them hosting
us each and every Tuesday. I'll start the hour by

(01:24:06):
stating the obvious Joe Flacco has been acquired by the Bengals,
the well trapped, we go, well traveled, well traveled by
now Joe Flacco super Bowl MVP. Uh, but here's a
piece of trivia for you. Second Super Bowl MVP the
Bengals have ever acquired. Does Drew wester Heide, my producer
on site, know who the other one is?

Speaker 3 (01:24:27):
Absolutely Dexter Jackson, who.

Speaker 4 (01:24:29):
Played three years for the Bengals and wasn't very good. This,
I think is the first time in the history of
the NFL where the two most recent comeback players of
the year are employed by the same team. Joe Burrow
won it last year, Joe Flacco won it two years ago.
So you have that, you can you can impressure your
friends with that. The next time you come to Oakley
Greens more than anything surprising Bengals and Browns make a

(01:24:52):
trade of all the different trade possibilities that have been discussed,
or quarterback possibilities that have been discussed, I would be
honest with you, I can't recall anybody suggesting the Bengals
trade for Joe Flacco.

Speaker 3 (01:25:04):
They have.

Speaker 4 (01:25:06):
And so the idea, I guess, is for him to
play on Sunday against the Packers, who he just played
against a few weeks ago. By the way, the Browns
won that game. I'm sure Joe Flacco was very good
in it, but they won that game, and so it's
it's interesting. You know, we've said on this show since
we started it eighteen years ago, be good or be interesting,
ideally be both. You gotta be one. I don't know

(01:25:29):
how good this is gonna be, but I do think
it's interesting. And danger was here in the first hour
of the show. Bengals are desperate. Like the meal ticket
got hurt, We're still at best two and a half
months away from him coming back. The guy who replaced
him was totally ineffective. Inept is what I would use,
and so they're desperate. I equated it to sometimes our

(01:25:53):
sales staff will have meetings on Monday mornings and they
will have pastries donuts.

Speaker 3 (01:26:00):
Get there early in the morning, but I'll get there
late morning, and.

Speaker 4 (01:26:02):
Sometimes there are leftover donuts. They're never the good ones.
They're they're always like there's always a jelly donut there,
because who likes jelly donuts? Where there's like a coconut
blaze thing, which is weird, like the donut Like I
don't like those fancy donut places where they go create anyway,
Here's a donut with like twelve different flavors. Here's a
butter pecan, chocolate, peanut, buttered shit with raspberry, Like, just

(01:26:25):
give me a glazed donut.

Speaker 3 (01:26:26):
I show up.

Speaker 4 (01:26:27):
It's like coconut. Then there's like a half eaten donut.
And then there's someone that you could tell like maybe
someone took a bite of and you're just like, well,
I'm really hungry. See you take a bad donut. That's
what looking for a quarterback, a starting quarterback week five
is like, it's sifting through a bunch of bad options.
I'm not here to tell you Joe Flacco is the

(01:26:47):
best option. I am here to tell you a number one.
He's a better option than Jake Browning pretty much any leave,
any living breathing human is and number two I think
he brings attributes. The first one is quick study. In fact,
it might be the only positive attribute. But quick study
can pick up this offense, which, let's be honest, doesn't
look like it's that complex, can pick it up pretty quickly.

Speaker 3 (01:27:10):
He's done this before.

Speaker 4 (01:27:11):
It's not an apples to apples comparison, but picked up
that Brown's offense within like two weeks two years ago
and played at a pretty decent level. So I'm looking
for somebody who could be a quick study. I'm looking
for somebody who can do the obvious. If Jamar Chase
is open, at least choose to throw him the ball.
It might not get there, it might get picked off.

(01:27:33):
But if there's been to me at least one constant
over these three games that Jake Browning has started in
two of which I've been to in person, it's seeing
Jamar Chase and others. But Jamar Chase be open and
Jake not even try to throw him the ball, I
would like to think that at the very least Joe

(01:27:54):
Flacco can learn the offense quickly, and if he sees
an open Jamar Chase, he'll choose to throw him the ball.

Speaker 3 (01:28:01):
Start there.

Speaker 5 (01:28:03):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (01:28:04):
I would like to think I've watched Jake Browning in
these last three weeks, and he looks like somebody who
while he might know the offense, it looks like he
has no idea what opposing defenses are doing. He doesn't
know how to read a safety or a Mike linebacker,
doesn't know how to read a blitz, doesn't know how
to diagnose stuff. Part of that just might be raw inexperience.
Part of that might be awful coaching and preparation. Maybe

(01:28:26):
the light bulb is never going to come on for
Jake Browning. With Joe Flacco, there is nothing after eighteen seasons.
I guess this is year eighteen. There is nothing after
seventeen plus seasons that the Green Bay Packers of the
Pittsburgh Steelers or anybody else will do that he hasn't seen,
So I view it from that perspective. It's not ideal.

(01:28:48):
They're sifting through the bad donuts. This is one of
the better ones. There are some attributes. Now. The marriage
of bad offensive line and totally immobile quarterback means it's
a pretty damn good chance this isn't gonna work. I'm
the first to admit that, but all right, the Bengals
have a bad offensive line that's gonna be a liability

(01:29:11):
no matter who the QB is. I will take the
experience and the quick study and the smarts and hope
that we can figure out a way to live with
the subpar offensive line play meshing with his lack of mobility.

Speaker 3 (01:29:29):
We will.

Speaker 4 (01:29:30):
I'm trying to get this thing to mid December. I'm
trying to win one of the next two games and
then have the schedule ease up a little bit. I
admit to you, this sounds like a dicey proposition. I
think you're out of your mind if you're betting on
the Bengals winning the division with Joe Flack, who is QB.
I do not think this team can get to the

(01:29:51):
postseason because I don't think the roster is good enough.
But I don't think the Bengals front office can view
it that way. I think you've got to try something,
And if you're gonna try something, try experience, try intelligence,
try quick study, Try somebody who could use everything that

(01:30:12):
he has learned and experienced throughout a nearly two decade
NFL career and see if he can apply it to
this offense and at least keep them afloat for a while.
I will be totally unsurprised if this blows up. I
would be totally unsurprised if it blew up and didn't
work with any number of backup quarterbacks. Joe Flacco wasn't

(01:30:33):
starting for a lot of reasons. Joe Flacco was available
for a lot of reasons. Anybody you would have acquired,
you could talk about why it's not gonna work with
Joe Flacco. I can see how it might not necessarily
sure that it will, but I can see how it
might thirteen minutes after five o'clock and so you know

(01:30:54):
where they go from here there. I focus on the roster,
I think more than some do. The team as a
whole is going to have to play at a level
that it hasn't yet. They have fallen behind forty eight three,
twenty eight three, and twenty eight three in large part
because of bad quarterback play.

Speaker 3 (01:31:12):
That's not the only reason the coaching has been atrocious.

Speaker 4 (01:31:15):
The inability to get anything out of the running game
is an organizational mess. The defense isn't good when it
needs to be. It maybe hasn't been as atrocious as
it was last year, hasn't exactly been great.

Speaker 3 (01:31:27):
You're rooting for a lot of things.

Speaker 4 (01:31:29):
To happen very very quickly, but at least you are
starting fresh at the game's most important position, because there
was no way in hell that you could have tried
to maintain any credibility and not do something at QB
fourteen minutes after five o'clock. We have Ron, we have Mike,
we have room for you at five point three, seven,
four nine, fifteen thirty. We'll get to as many as
we can between now and block. It is Tuesday, which

(01:31:52):
means not only are we at Oakley Greens, but we
also spend time chatting with our guy, Sean Sayed from
sumer sports dot Com and the stats since Scheme newsletter.
Will get his thoughts on Joe Flaco the Bengals, which
I still can't believe is happening.

Speaker 3 (01:32:06):
Maybe we'll ask him what his favorite donut is. I
have no idea.

Speaker 4 (01:32:09):
A lot to get to between now and six here
at Oakley Greens on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:32:13):
Station Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (01:32:18):
your annual mammogram with UC helps Expert team. That's five
one three five eight four pink. On eastbound two seventy five,
it's an accident on the combshail Bridge blocking off the
left lane within that construction zone. Southbound seventy five. Accident

(01:32:40):
on the off ramp to seventy four, traffic squeezing by
on the right side of that ramp. And Westwood Northern Boulevard.
Accident at Beekman on that ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 1 (01:32:50):
This report is funks.

Speaker 11 (01:32:53):
This is football, Liam Minati brought to you in part
by Postman Law and Vice Skyline Shilling on ESPN fifteen thirty,
the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Speaker 4 (01:33:05):
You know our guy, Sean sayat the Statson's Kenes Newsletters
been on our show every Tuesday since the beginning of
last year. Suomer sports dot com. We love suomer Sports,
love Shawn's work. He's been kind of at to join
us to entertain my dumb questions every week. Also, suomer
Sports has made my life a lot easier because they

(01:33:26):
are introduced Suomer Brain which is like, if you want
to know something about the Bengals, something that you know,
you don't want to have to do a deep dive
on the internet. Suomer Brain at suomer sports dot com
is going to help you out. We're gonna ask Sean
about that and he'll make it make more sense than
I just did. But can you believe that you and
I are going to have a conversation about Joe Flacco

(01:33:46):
playing quarterback for the Bengals on Sunday?

Speaker 6 (01:33:49):
So you think you're gonna play Sunday?

Speaker 3 (01:33:52):
I do? Yeah, I do.

Speaker 6 (01:33:54):
I mean he better started learning stuff real, real quick.
And there's not really a whole lot of time, and
it feels like, I mean, you have to make some
sort of move, right, we'll talk about home, see what's
going on, or in that Bengals game against the Lions,
just some of those kind of toss ups in the air,
unfortunately for Jake Browning. And it's tough because Jake Browning
was came into the season, has like a pretty good

(01:34:14):
backup quarterback.

Speaker 12 (01:34:15):
So it goes to show you what it looks like
when you really lose your starter.

Speaker 6 (01:34:19):
And Mo, I'm thinking about the Bengals calling up these
teams and being like, oh, can you like, what do
you want for James Winston or what do you want
for Karen McKee And then just being like, GI, give
us the first round pick. And it's like, all right, well,
the Bengals aren't going to be able to do that.

Speaker 12 (01:34:34):
So when I look at some of the data, when I.

Speaker 6 (01:34:36):
Watched some of the films, is Joe Flacco some massive
improvement over Jake Browning? I'm not exactly sure if I'm
excited to say that, but hey, catch the ball, throw
for let's get Jason Higgens running under them.

Speaker 4 (01:34:48):
So when you watched and we you know, we saw
Joe Flacco play against the Bengals week one. When you
when you watched him in Cleveland, it's well established what
he is. He's a guy who throw a pick. He's
a guy who's been around forever. He's a guy who
cannot move. What else beyond the obvious did you see
when you watched him in Cleveland?

Speaker 12 (01:35:06):
And you can definitely pressure him and call and cause
some issues. I think that is a big thing.

Speaker 6 (01:35:11):
Obviously he's not the most mobile quarterback in the world,
so I think you can, you know, create just some
issues kind of on the edges, you can get that
pocket push inside. I mean, he still throws a decent ball,
like I don't want to take that away from him.
So again, I feel like the ceiling probably isn't like
crazy high. I think you're just betting that you're getting

(01:35:31):
like a certain floor where you're able to get in
and out of a game without Jamar Chase having to
have three tackles on interceptions.

Speaker 4 (01:35:41):
When you watch Jake Browning, was it simply a matter
of inept quarterback play or did the coaches simply not
do him any favors.

Speaker 12 (01:35:51):
No, it's I think it's a combination of things.

Speaker 6 (01:35:53):
I don't want to pin this specific one as like, oh,
the coaches could have done like these three hundred different
things really really improve things for the offense. At some level,
it's going to be decision making. At another level, it's
going to be like literally, when you make a throw,
where did the ball end up and if like on
a vertical route to the outside, and maybe it could
be a miscommunication between the receiver and the quarterback. I

(01:36:14):
don't ever want to remove that from possibility. But when
that throw now is forcing the receiver to drift in
and you have two Lions that are able to kind
of just fair catch that, and really those guys are
at a point where they're fighting over the interception because
it's going to so clearly end up in Lions hands.
You know, those situations I think get a little bit tough.
At the same time, you know, with the Bengals, right,
you know, he's gonna wan want to run Jamar Chase

(01:36:37):
on those underneath kind of crossing type of routes, so
defenses can kind of sit on those, and I think,
you know, when you have Burrow in there, he's able
to sort of get through everything move on to the
next step. But I think when you have your backup
in there, sometimes it's a little bit more of like, Okay,
well this is the initial design of the play we
have to be able to get to that. So I'm
not that the coaching staff should ever be free of

(01:36:57):
blame by any means, but I think when you look
at it, when you look at the Bengals really kind
of made a pretty quick decision I think after this
game to potentially move on from Browning again. I mean,
I have the joke and learn the whole entire playbook
as quick as he's able to get to Cincinnati.

Speaker 12 (01:37:13):
I know it's not going to be too long of
a flight for him or drive perhaps instead.

Speaker 6 (01:37:17):
So yeah, this one it did feel like, all right, well,
we're now at the point where I mean, we can't
field like a competent offense the way that we're still going.

Speaker 4 (01:37:27):
If I gave you your pick of all the quarterback possibilities,
right backups, street free agents, dudes that they would have
been able to acquire to replace Jake Browning, who would
have been your first choice.

Speaker 6 (01:37:42):
He canna ra keep from the Eagle, So I do
think that would have been like an extensive price. I
think he might have some injury issues as well, but
he's been I think a competent backup. I think can
be a quarterback that could absolutely start for a team
in this league. Jamas Winston was like the one in
my head where it's like, all right, this guy is
going to throw the ball deep down the field, like
you don't have to fight with me on that. He's
gonna do that.

Speaker 12 (01:38:02):
He's gonna have ups, he's gonna have downs. That was
another one.

Speaker 6 (01:38:05):
Now, look what I love giving us a bunch of
draft capital for Russell Wilson. No, I wouldn't like that's
not going to make me feel like, hey, this team
is going to be a super Bowl contender. But I
mean between those three options, it's ok. R Well, I
want to know what maybe what the prices work for
those players, because again, you know, when you're you're making
this move for Joe Flacow, I don't want it to
see him like what I mean the capitol that you

(01:38:25):
have to give up is is it's not nothing like
obviously it is like a later pick slop. You're still
giving up value there and then to think what you
get from him. Look, no one wants this to be
a good move more than me because I love talking
to you. It would be so much more fun if
we could come in next the day and be like, look, everyone,
Joe flackout proves everyone wrong, Like, don't listen to his

(01:38:47):
day if he doesn't know what he's saying, because it
would be a lot better Joe Flacko succeeding in Cincinnati.

Speaker 4 (01:38:52):
Sean Saide is with this sumer sports dot Com and
what are the authors of these stats and schemes newsletter
the Green Bay Pass. Two weeks ago, it felt like
we were putting him in the Super Bowl. Since then,
they've lost to Joe Flacco and the Browns and let
the Cowboys hang forty on him in a tie. How
much more difficult will they make an already difficult task

(01:39:13):
for the Bengals on Sunday?

Speaker 6 (01:39:16):
Look in Green Bay, like you mentioned, lost to the Browns.
Maybe Joe Flatfo's got that matgic that's what he's ringing
over there. I think when when I look at the Packers,
who look I have said some irresponsible things about how
I think, how good I think the Packers are. And
as you mentioned that that game against the Cowboys, their
secondary struggled with punt So that I think is an
issue where you're hoping that you can get creative down

(01:39:37):
the field attacking in the past game. Do you think
that's the way you can beat these Packers when their
pass rutch isn't able to get after you. So that's
gonna be a big one.

Speaker 3 (01:39:45):
I think.

Speaker 6 (01:39:45):
On the offensive end, I actually think, I mean, we
still see I'm glad we still see Trey Henderson making
so many plays like he's not quitting, right, he's not stopping,
not playing this game as absolutely as hard as he can.
Pack's offensive, why, I think has some holes in it
where you can attack them a little bit. Their offensive
structure overall, it's a little volatile in that. I mean
sometimes they're getting on like fifty yards their new yard. Say,

(01:40:06):
there is that kind of explosive streak to them that
can run colds a little bit. So I feel a
little bit better about this matchup, I think then a
few weeks ago, I don't think that, you know, the
Bengals defense is necessarily going to be able to do
the same things as the Brown defense. But from Tran
Anderson should be able to get pressure on the offensive end,
you should be able to beat their corners.

Speaker 12 (01:40:26):
On the outside.

Speaker 6 (01:40:27):
I think it might just feel a little concerning if
the Packers are really able to kind of create pressure
up the middle in that, you know, when you get
into those kind of third and past type situations.

Speaker 4 (01:40:37):
All right, sumer Brain from sumer sports, you know what
a huge fan of yours I am. You know what
a huge fan of suomer sports dot com I am.
Tell my audience what sumer brain is.

Speaker 12 (01:40:48):
Oh, I appreciate it.

Speaker 6 (01:40:49):
So look, I have to subscribe to like seven different
services to get these stats.

Speaker 12 (01:40:52):
Right, actually, like look it up. I have to go here,
I have to go there.

Speaker 6 (01:40:55):
I don't have to pay all this money, and so
suomer sports dot com slash swimmer Brain literally just type
in your question. You can say how is Joe Burrow
against man coverage? You can say how is Jamar Chase
on third downs in the fourth quarter against zone coverage?
Like you just type it out and that Like, I've
done a lot of work in terms of testing it,
trying to break it. We're in our beta period, so yeah,
there's going to be some issues that pop up. But

(01:41:16):
if you want to answer a question that you know
comes up during the game and you're saying, all right, well,
how has this player done so far this season? If
you want to look at Joe Blacko's numbers against pressure,
I do not recommend.

Speaker 12 (01:41:25):
You look at those, but you actually can do that.

Speaker 6 (01:41:28):
It's really every single data point that you can think of,
you know, advanced charting and type data that we're putting
out for free right now during our beta period. Just
as fast as you can type it in. You don't
have to click through and filter through eight different things.
Thing a fun question, try and break it. We've had
some fun with people asking some really hard questions. It's
going to continue to improve it. I think it's going
to save people time. That's the only reason why I
feel like I'm uncomfortable kind of talking about it. It's

(01:41:50):
been fun to work on.

Speaker 12 (01:41:51):
I think it's going to be fun going forward.

Speaker 4 (01:41:53):
My time is valuable, so anything that saves me time
being depressed about the Bengals, I am much appreciative of.

Speaker 6 (01:42:01):
I look, I think it's gonna be a good thing
for Exafter that, right, you can now look at whether
it's some player that find your fantasy football team that
you want to see their yards per outrun against the
certainty you absolutely are gonna.

Speaker 14 (01:42:11):
Be able to look that up.

Speaker 4 (01:42:12):
Awesome stuff as always, man, Thank you very much, Thanks
so much trying to talk to fan. Subscribe to his
newsletters sumersports dot com and play around with Sumer brains
sumer sports dot com, s U M E R Sports
dot com.

Speaker 3 (01:42:26):
Twenty eight away from six o'clock, We're at Oakley Greens.
We are here till six.

Speaker 4 (01:42:29):
All the sports, all the time, all at Oakley Green.
Sports headlines and your phone calls coming up on ESPN
fifteen thirty.

Speaker 11 (01:42:39):
You've been listening to football in the NATI Brought to
you by Cincinnati Tax Resolution powered by Tofe Sheldons on
ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty traffic.

Speaker 7 (01:42:57):
From the UC Health Traffic Center, Mam mc ram saved Lives.
your annual mammogram with UC Help's experteam. That's five to one,
three five eighty four pink. On eastbound two seventy five
the left lane blocked off from an accident on the
Combs Hail Bridge that within the construction zone on that bridge,

(01:43:18):
southbound seventy five being left lane blocked off from an
accident between Mitchell and seventy four. In southbound seventy five
accident on the off ramp two seventy four on that
ezelic wid traffic.

Speaker 4 (01:43:28):
Of Kelsey Chevron Lay home of lifetime powertrain protection and
guarantee credit approval from their family to Yours for Life
Kelsey chev dot com. U Joe Flacco is the Bengals
quarterback will be on Sunday. Different reports have suggested the
Bengals plan on him being the QB. The Bengals haven't
made that announcement, but they have made an official they

(01:43:50):
have acquired Joe Flacco from the Browns along with a
six round draft choice next year, in exchange for a
twenty twenty six fifth round draft choice. Flacco is in
his eighteen season, played against the Bengals Week one when
Cincinnati beat the Browns. Brett Ribbon has been released, Mike
White has been released. Howard Cross resigned to the practice squad.

(01:44:11):
Four twenty five Sunday, Bengals and Packers at lambeau Field.
The game is live on ESPN fifteen thirty. Meanwhile, tonight,
Scott Sanderfield's radio show is at eight o'clock. You'll hear
that on seven hundred w wel W Day are underway
in Detroit and the game three of the American League
Division Series. Mariners and Tigers tied at a game apiece.

(01:44:33):
This game started two and a half hours late Top
one in Detroit.

Speaker 3 (01:44:39):
That game is scoreless.

Speaker 4 (01:44:40):
Tonight in the Bronx, it's Game three between the Yankees
and Blue Jays Toronto, with a two nothing series lead
in that one, pretty much all I got for sports headlines.
Let's see here, Ron and Milford. You're on ESPN fifteen thirty. Ron,
good afternoon, how are you I am.

Speaker 15 (01:44:57):
Okay, though I wanted to talk about the Flacco, but
I had a quick thing because you brought it up
that I'm sure you were at the Bearcats game on Saturday.
I was watching from home, and the announcers thought, and
I thought as well, that the rest wanted but obviously
wanted to be part of the show.

Speaker 12 (01:45:16):
Since every call was a penalty.

Speaker 3 (01:45:19):
I thought, I thought two of the calls were egregiously bad.

Speaker 4 (01:45:24):
The other ones fine their penalties they should be flagged,
no issue. But I thought the the pass interference call
at the end of the first half, which gave I
was stayed in on timedown.

Speaker 3 (01:45:35):
Was a terrible call.

Speaker 9 (01:45:37):
The wide receiver was.

Speaker 4 (01:45:39):
The wide receiver was running down the field grabbing Matthew
mcdoom's face mask. How that turns into pass interference against
the defending player, I have no idea. And there was
an unnecessary roughness flag on Logan Wilson where he's trying
to tackle a receiver and he brings them to the ground,

(01:46:00):
and they said it was, you know, basically excessive because
he threw him to the ground. Number one, you know
you play through the whistle. Number two, the wide receiver
hadn't given himself up. He's still fighting for yardage. So yeah,
there were a lot of flags. You know, if they
are legitimate calls, fine throw it. In a lot of
times I thought those calls were legit. In those two instances,
that flag at the end of the first half at

(01:46:22):
least temporarily changed the complexion of that game.

Speaker 3 (01:46:25):
Those two, to me were egregious.

Speaker 12 (01:46:28):
Yeah, that was definitely not past interference.

Speaker 6 (01:46:30):
Mo.

Speaker 12 (01:46:30):
You're right, Mo Flacco. I mean, come on now, I mean,
I think the only guy that can be younger is
you and me.

Speaker 3 (01:46:40):
I'm not younger than Joe Flacco.

Speaker 4 (01:46:42):
Unfortunately, you know, you can make an argument against whoever
they would have brought in right, Like, for about five minutes,
the flavor of the week was Russell Wilson. Well, he's
been bench by three teams in two years. Like with
that really been that? I mean, I don't know, give
me a guy who can learn the offense and if
Jamar Chase is open, decide to throw them the ball

(01:47:03):
and that the Unfortunately, the ceiling for any of these
guys is very, very low, and any team would be
in the same set of circumstances. You thought you had
a backup quarterback who was reliable. He turned out to
be not. And so you're desperate. When you're desperate, you'll
take almost anybody. And that's kind of what the Bengals
are doing.

Speaker 13 (01:47:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 15 (01:47:23):
No, I mean I almost and my friends are are
in the same page. I know you're the optimist, though
you probably wouldn't go this route, but we were in
full tank mode. We wanted to tank and get a
top five draft pick so we could get either a
stud offensive lineman or a stud tap defensive tackle. Although
with Duke Tobin drafting, we know how that would work.

(01:47:46):
Unless it's obvious, like Joe Bow and Jamar Chase, Duke
Tobin would utterly screw it up.

Speaker 3 (01:47:53):
I get it.

Speaker 4 (01:47:56):
I think I think tanking sounds great on a Tuesday afternoon.
I don't think tanking works on Sunday. Players care too much,
coaches care too much. And I don't think you could
tell Zach Taylor you know you're on the hot seat,
but we're gonna tank. Like you know, years and years
and years ago, Archarll Hawkins.

Speaker 3 (01:48:15):
Said this to me.

Speaker 4 (01:48:17):
The tanking is easy Monday through Saturday. Tanking isn't easy
on Monday. And so I think when you have twelve
games to go. I think you're gonna have a hard.

Speaker 3 (01:48:28):
Time doing that.

Speaker 4 (01:48:29):
I cannot blame them at all for trying to find
a quarterback who is better and making an attempt to
keep this thing afloat for a while. And then you
see what the AFC looks like. The Baltimore Ravens aren't
very good. The Chiefs just lost their third game last night.
And again, I'm not here to tell you Bengals are
going to make the postseason, but it's hard to find

(01:48:49):
seven teams that you feel like will still operating under
the belief, maybe not the assumption, but the belief that
Burrow can come back at some point this season. I
can't blame him at all for trying. I frankly think
it would have been they would have taken more abuse
than they've already gotten had they decided, you know, internally,
we're gonna tank, and so what we're gonna do is
keep running Jake Browning out there.

Speaker 12 (01:49:11):
Well, yeah, I guess so. But next year we'll get
Taylor two point two or Taylor two point three, where
Callahan's back is due to offensive coordinator which he won't
be calling plays again either, but he'll be here again
because you know he's gonna get I mean, I feel like,
no matter even if the rookie quarterback with the Titans,

(01:49:32):
Titans aren't their ownership's not taking this. They got a
lucky win this past weekend.

Speaker 15 (01:49:38):
Callahan ended up.

Speaker 12 (01:49:39):
Three and fourteen, and he'll be back here where you
can do whatever.

Speaker 3 (01:49:44):
That doesn't bother me.

Speaker 4 (01:49:46):
I'm uninterested in who the assistants are. I'm more interested
in who's picking the players, and then you know then
who the head coaches. And you know, Brian Callahan was
a net positive here, so him coming back doesn't bother
But I would rather talk about whether or not he'll
be he would be even given a chance because of

(01:50:06):
the person he'd be working for, and if that makes sense,
Like I think everybody's up for examination, I think Duke
Tobin should be more than anybody else because I just
don't think this roster is good enough.

Speaker 3 (01:50:18):
And Zach Taylor not being able.

Speaker 4 (01:50:21):
To figure out how to piece together enough of a
game plan to make the offense work puts him in
the crosshairs as well. And again I don't know that
Joe Flacco gives him a better chance. I don't think
Joe Flacco makes some x minent. Nobody would be surprised
if Joe Flacco's terrible. Nobody would be surprised if he

(01:50:42):
gets injured because he's hit so much. But you had
to try something.

Speaker 3 (01:50:46):
You could not.

Speaker 4 (01:50:47):
Claim that you're trying to win and give Jake Browning
another opportunity. He hasn't earned it. He's not good enough,
he's played poorly. You had to try something. Whoever, and
whatever something was going to be was gonna be less
than ideal. They pinned Joe Flacco from a very I'm
not even sure large, but from a pile of less

(01:51:09):
than ideal candidates.

Speaker 12 (01:51:12):
Well, take it easy.

Speaker 15 (01:51:13):
I would have gone tank mode, like I said, to
get Burrow on track for next year. Give them better players,
because there's only six starters left from the Super Bowl.
So that just says enough about like you said about
Duke Tobin and his bad player development and player personnel
decision six out of twenty two mouth.

Speaker 4 (01:51:31):
Yeah, no, it's they've turned the roster over extraordinarily poorly.

Speaker 3 (01:51:36):
They haven't replaced so many.

Speaker 4 (01:51:37):
Chouldobi a Wose was a number one corner, Jesse Bates
was the best safety in football.

Speaker 3 (01:51:43):
Von Bell was very good.

Speaker 4 (01:51:45):
They haven't replaced those players Chouldobia Woozy DJ Reader obviously,
like there's been a whole series of guys and the
offensive line for the Super Bowl team was awful, and
frankly it hasn't been that much better. Ron, Thanks as always.
I had sixteen away from six o'clock. Five point three,
seven four nine fifteen thirty is our phone number. The

(01:52:07):
like the tank thing, like it sounds great, here's my thing.
It's one thing if you're tanking for an obvious like
when the Bengals played the Dolphins December twenty second, I
believe twenty nineteen and lost that game where they were
down whatever it was twenty two I think, and nearly
came back. And one that is the first time and

(01:52:27):
only time in my life that I have actively rooted
for the Bengals to lose a football game because the
prize for losing was obvious. It was Joe Burrow, Like,
we all watched that game and thought it's best for
this organization to lose this game so they could grab
that obvious prize. And sure you might have thought at
the time, take to a tanka Ailoa, dude, they were

(01:52:50):
taking Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert, dude, they were taking
Joe Burrow or Chase Young Dude, they were taking Joe Burrow.

Speaker 3 (01:52:57):
Beyond that, like tank, I think if you have to tank,
if you have to tank.

Speaker 4 (01:53:05):
To improve from what they've been to what they need
to be, and you have your quarterback, then you don't
have your personnel. Guy like if if if the only
way that Duke Tobin can fix this is to essentially
essentially intentionally lose.

Speaker 3 (01:53:20):
You got the wrong guy.

Speaker 4 (01:53:21):
I mean I it would would I would tell Duke
Tobin that, and I would I would tell the Bengals
front office. And again, I I think tanking sounds great
as a strategy. Uh, the players care too much, the
coaches player care too much. The schedule is crappy enough.
Like it sounds awesome, right, it's we watched it when
they played the Dolphins that day.

Speaker 3 (01:53:42):
We watched it.

Speaker 4 (01:53:43):
We all wanted them to lose. The players themselves did it.
Tanking sounds amazing. You can't tell players to tank, especially
a bunch of players who are gonna be, you know,
playing for their lives.

Speaker 3 (01:53:54):
So if.

Speaker 4 (01:53:56):
Knowing Duke Tobin, I'm sure knows right now, he's got
a lot of work to do this offseason.

Speaker 3 (01:54:01):
Assuming he's the guy.

Speaker 4 (01:54:02):
If he can't do it without his team essentially throwing
away the season, then they have the wrong guy.

Speaker 3 (01:54:09):
Now you may look at the body of.

Speaker 4 (01:54:11):
Work over the last two years by Duke Tobin and
think they have the wrong guy anyway, But I just
I don't know how organizationally you could say we're two
and three and look, man, my guess is this team
finishes with like six or seven wins. The schedule does
ease up a little bit after that Pittsburgh game. This
division's not great right now. I think it would have

(01:54:36):
been really, really hard to go. You know what, we're
gonna put Jake Browning out there because we don't want
to win, or we're gonna replace Jake Browning with somebody
who's worse than any of these other dudes they could
have got. Like I just, I think that sounds great
in in in theory, in practice. I they're bad enough

(01:55:00):
to still lose this game on some I mean, they're
fourteen and a half point dogs. Joe Flacko ain't gonna
move the line all that much. They're gonna be home
dogs against Pittsburgh, probably slight home favorites against the Jets,
home dogs, perhaps against Chicago and then we'll go from there.

Speaker 3 (01:55:16):
The schedule does ease up a little bit.

Speaker 4 (01:55:18):
I think Baltimore those two games are gonna be more
difficult right now than their current record would indicate. You know,
I still believe there's something to try to salvage this season.
And when you're on your third quarterback, third starting quarterback
in six weeks, chances of you salvaging and are not good.

Speaker 3 (01:55:39):
But I think you have to try. They tried.

Speaker 4 (01:55:42):
I don't know how much credit you should get for trying. Frankly,
Duke Tobin spent most of this offseason, for my money,
not trying.

Speaker 3 (01:55:48):
But I think.

Speaker 4 (01:55:51):
You had to try something. I've used the analogy all afternoon.
It's picking from a play to leftover donuts. They picked
a Jelly Dona twelve away from US six where at
Oakley Greens. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports.

Speaker 1 (01:56:05):
Station, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty.

Speaker 7 (01:56:10):
one three, five eight four pink on southbound seventy five,
the left lane blocked off from an accident between Mitchell
and seventy four, a ten minute delay to get through

(01:56:30):
their police on scene, as well, northbound seventy one seventy
five approaching Fifth the two center lanes blocked off from
a disabled vehicle heavy duty record.

Speaker 3 (01:56:39):
They're on scene.

Speaker 7 (01:56:40):
I'm at ezelic with traffic.

Speaker 14 (01:56:42):
This reporting sponsored bos not something I would have.

Speaker 3 (01:56:44):
Imagined i'd be saying when I woke up this morning.

Speaker 4 (01:56:47):
By the way, I made a big mistake before, And
unlike others in this business when I when I make
a commit a full pod willing to admit it. I
said before they were going to they were playing baseball
in Detroit.

Speaker 3 (01:56:58):
They're not.

Speaker 4 (01:56:59):
Game three is not aner FS one is re airing
Game two. So Game three in Detroit is still being delayed.
It was supposed to start a little bit after three o'clock,
by the way here that the sun peaked out momentarily,
it has stopped raining in Oakley, so it could be
a nice night out here at Oakley Greens. And if
they ever start the baseball game in Detroit, you could

(01:57:19):
watch that, perhaps simultaneously as the other game. The Yankees
and the Toronto Blue Jay. So my mistake, I'm sorry
if I misled you. It was not intentional. Anything you
might have missed on this radio station, you.

Speaker 3 (01:57:32):
Know what you can go do. You can go find
it on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 4 (01:57:36):
You can also go to the podcast page at the
ESPN fifteen thirty dot com. And if you miss anything
on this show, all you gotta do is just go
to my page at ESPN fifteen thirty dot com as well.

Speaker 3 (01:57:49):
There you are good stuff.

Speaker 4 (01:57:50):
Paul Danner Jr's already podcast Aaron is getting ahead of
the game, so check that out. iHeartRadio app is we
reacted to the Joe Flacco news and so much more.

Speaker 3 (01:58:01):
We're back in studio tomorrow at three oh five.

Speaker 4 (01:58:03):
I guess Joe Flacco press conference quarterback usually talks on Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (01:58:08):
Is Joe going to be on time? See, we're done.

Speaker 4 (01:58:13):
Thanks to the staff here at Oakley Greens, Thanks to
those of you who came on out stare to me.
Thanks to the guy who called in from the bar.
Thanks to Drew wester Heidi for producing on site. Thanks
to our guy Taran for producing back and Ken would
have an unbelievable night and We'll talk to you tomorrow
on ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.

Speaker 1 (01:58:38):
The Pumpkin Spice Latte

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