December 4, 2025 • 9 mins
Robert Weintraub writes a weekly Bengals column for Cincinnati Magazine. He joined us to talk about the team he writes about on ESPN1530.
Podcasts of The Mo Egger Radio Show are a service of Longnecks Sports Grill.
Listen to the show live weekday afternoons 3:00 - 6:00 on ESPN1530.
Listen Live: ESPN1530.com/listen
Get more: https://linktr.ee/MoEgger
Follow on X: @MoEgger
Instagram too: @MoEgger
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Modern office Methods on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengal.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Twenty three after four o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moeger.
We spend time every Thursday chatting with Robert windrab right say,
weekly Bengals column for Cincinnati Magazine. You could read it
right now while we're having this conversation at Cincinnati Magazine
dot com. Robert, how are we doing well?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I don't want people to have divided attention spans, So
let's wait until the commercial break. Then you can look
at my piece and read it at your leisure.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How about just wait until after the show so you
can completely engage and the message is provided by our
loyal advertisers.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Even better scenario, Thanks you for correct Thanks.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You know, all is right with the world. Joe Burrow
is back, and he reminded after he knocked off some
rusts early in that game, reminded the world that he's,
you know, pretty good.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah. It's just such a transformative figure. It really is amazing,
isn't it. I mean, Zach Taylor looks like a genius.
Sal Golden looks confident, even like Brown looks like he's,
you know, got some idea of what's going on as
long as Joe Burrow's out there and playing. And you know,
it might have been a little fluky, but yeah, the
Bengals have nine takeaways and ten quarters with Joe Burrow playing,
(01:22):
and that they gets six turnovers in the other thirty
eight quarters with the backups in there. I mean, you know,
maybe there's not a direct A to B line on
that and it's a little fluky, but I don't think so.
I don't think the Bengals players think so either. You
could see just the way they rally them and everybody
knows this. It's nothing new. You know, your franchise quarterback
obviously makes is the ultimate disinfected, right, and he makes everything.
(01:45):
When he's gone, the warts appear, and when he's out
there things are much more rosy. So we saw that
with Joe. I don't know if I was expecting to
be quite that obvious in his first game back, but
you know, the hard cleats or whatever it is he's
wearing is obviously has magical powers and it was great
for at least one weekend to you know, Thursday night, anyway,
(02:07):
to be reminded of what we've been missing over the
last whatever it's been two and a half months, I mean,
and what we've really been robbed over these first six
years of his career with twenty plus starts missed, you know.
I mean, it's you know, that's looking negativity on what
should be a bit of an optimistic week. But still
it made me a little wistful seeing the Bengals and
Burrow play so well and reminded me of what we've
(02:30):
been missing out on with him out. But at least
for now, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
How'd you feel at halftime when he had dropped back
thirty three times?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, I was a little surprised by that too. I
guess it was all that preseason action. Yeah, that was
for that, right, Yeah, it was a lot, no question
about it. And you know, but it's Joe Burrow. You
just see him telling Zach Taylor out of the game. Hey,
no restrictions, you know, no restrictor plate Let's go call
the game as we would. That's the matchup. They wanted
(02:59):
to take advance. They thought they, you know, could get
the ball moving better through the air, and that's usually
the case with Joe out there, even with see Higgins
out so a little surprising, and you know, you always
worry in the back of your mind when he drops
back a lot like that that maybe it's not the
best idea. But and he got through the game and
we know what he's capable of, and it was it
(03:20):
worked out. So as long as it keeps working out,
I'm fine with it. Let's let's hope they get a
more balance attack going forward down.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, yeah, no question. You you wrote about the Bengals
blitzing Lamar, blitz the Bejesus out of him. First time
I've used the word but Jesus on this show. So
I've wondered this, right, especially for a team that like
linebacker in particular, you got guys who aren't good at coverage,
So why don't you send him in the other direction
and just have them go after the quarterback? Should they
start just pretty much blitzing everybody?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, yeah, I think you see, and you and l
Golden are thinking alike in that scenario. Whether that's worth Yeah,
they've definitely up to their blitzing. Take and listen, I mean,
there are a lot of guys and a lot of
offenses you don't blitz. I mean, maybe it's counterintuitive, but
Aaron Rodgers is one of the least blitzed quarterbacks in
the league. So it is the attack of Baila and
(04:10):
why their whole offenses are geared toward getting the ball
out really fast and throwing the guys who the linebackers
and safeties, guys who normally blitz would ordinarily be covering.
So you know, you think in that scenario you don't
want to do it quite so much. But your point
is valid in that the Bengals have to get some
pressure from anywhere. They've been dying for it all year.
(04:30):
They're still playing without Trey Hendrickson and Shabbar Stewart, and
it's just, you know, you're at the point now where
you've got to find that pressure from anywhere. And you
saw on Thursday what that meant to a team when
they can actually get heat on the opposed quarterback. They
might not get five turnovers every game by doing it,
but I don't think there's any question they'll be blissing
a lot Josh Allen and everyone else they play on
(04:50):
down the line. They get Lamar again, he's the most
blitzed quarterback in the league, and when he's not one
hundred percent, you know, the Bengals have done it before.
They've gone after a hymn rumentlessly. And I think you'll
he'll definitely see a blitz heavy package for the for
the last few games of the season, no question about it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Robert win trub is with excuse me, Robert wind Trump
is with a Cincinnati magazine dot com. He also contributes
to a website FTN Fantasy And this time of year,
a lot of folks love to hit refresh on their
DVOA odds. Right, So the Bengals right now six point
six percent, which is basically loaded up on the AFC
North six point five percent. How are DVOA odds calculated?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Well, you start with the overall efficiency of the team,
which is DVOA. Bengals pretty low in that category still
despite the win on Thursday and many we play out
the season twenty for the remainder of the season in
its entirety, twenty five thousand times with the supercomputer in
the back room, I think his name is Gene, and uh,
(05:49):
you know, you take we take recent events into account,
kind of waited a little bit, so the most recent
games and you know, things like Joe Joe Burrow coming
back are taken into account, and many take those twenty
five thousand scenarios and you get the average wins and
losses from it, put into a spreadsheet and see what
happens overall in that scenario as it pertains to the Bengals,
(06:09):
as you say, only six percent of the time, six
point six percent of the time. Today, you know match
basically to win out and steal the AFC North. And
you know that's not that surprising, right, I mean, it's
hard for any NFL team in any scenario to win
five or six straight games. I mean that's not asked.
That asking a lot for any team. But this proof
(06:30):
of concept, you know we did last year, seldom make
the rundown the stretch, win five straight and if not
for the Chiefs turtling, do exactly what they are trying
to do this year, which is, you know, turn a
depressing three months into an amazing last month and and
come from way back in the pack and do it.
So you know, the playoff odds would definitely go up
(06:52):
if they beat Buffalo. And you have to remember to
Raid and the Steelers play each other, and one of
their odds are going to go down and it's gonna
you know, as long as they keep winning, those ads
will go up and up. That's all we can really
hope for this time of year.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I would describe right now a Raven Steelers game as
a pillow fight. And I don't know that at any
point I ever envisioned myself saying that about those two
teams playing against each other.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Yeah, it's kind of hard to believe. Right there's two
rock ribbed franchises right now just don't have much booms
behind anything they're doing. And you know, again, especially in
Baltimore's case, a lot of that is tied to the
health of the quarterback. Just like we were talking about
with the Bengals, Lamar Jackson not himself, and they're a
very mortal team, and all the things that you think
about as being strengths are not really the case. And
(07:38):
it all ties back into the fact that their quarterback
is injured. And with Pittsburgh, you know, I think to
coin a phrase or was it Dennis Green who said
they are who we thought they were? You know, a
team coming down the stretch with an ancient quarterback, not
much of an offensive plan. You know, guy spending a
lot of money on the defense that really isn't that capable.
And you know they're a team that when you have fire,
(08:01):
your coach chance. I mean, as much as everybody complains
about Zach Taylor, I don't recall any fire Zach Taylor
chance at the Course Stadium recently. So that's going on
in Pittsburgh. So you can tell right now they're in
the toilet. But you know they play each other. As
I mentioned on Sunday, one of those fan bases are
going to feel a lot better about themselves come Monday morning.
And you know it's the NFL. Things turn on a dime.
(08:24):
So I wouldn't discount either one of those teams at
the moment. But it's ironic and it's here we are,
and it's the Bengals. Everybody feels the best abound before
coming from a four and eight hole. Maybe it's not
impossible given the fact that the Ravens and Steelers are
really spinning their wheels at the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Awesome stuff. As always, We will bother you next week.
Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I can't wait. It's never bothered, Thanks mam.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's our guy. Robert Winstraub, Cincinnatimagazine Dot com go read
his Bengals column. It's available right now. Hans Schroeder from
the NFL is going to join us next.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
You've been listening to Football in the NATTI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
From the uc Health Traffic Center. U SE Health's Weight
Loss Center offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise.
Called five one three nine three nine two two sixty three.
That's nine three nine two two sixty three on eastbound
two seventy five, and it's an accident on the Coney
Bridge off on the right shoulder. Watch out for some
debris that's on the roadway from that accident in Ohio
(09:33):
northbound seventy five. Accident on the off ramp to westbound
two seventy five and North Bend Road. An accident at Coleraine.
I'm at EAZELIC with traffic.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
This report is sponsor
This is Football in the NATI, brought to you by
Modern office Methods on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home
of the Cincinnati Bengal.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Twenty three after four o'clock. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Moeger.
We spend time every Thursday chatting with Robert windrab right say,
weekly Bengals column for Cincinnati Magazine. You could read it
right now while we're having this conversation at Cincinnati Magazine
dot com. Robert, how are we doing well?
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I don't want people to have divided attention spans, So
let's wait until the commercial break. Then you can look
at my piece and read it at your leisure.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
How about just wait until after the show so you
can completely engage and the message is provided by our
loyal advertisers.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Even better scenario, Thanks you for correct Thanks.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
There you go.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
You know, all is right with the world. Joe Burrow
is back, and he reminded after he knocked off some
rusts early in that game, reminded the world that he's,
you know, pretty good.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah. It's just such a transformative figure. It really is amazing,
isn't it. I mean, Zach Taylor looks like a genius.
Sal Golden looks confident, even like Brown looks like he's,
you know, got some idea of what's going on as
long as Joe Burrow's out there and playing. And you know,
it might have been a little fluky, but yeah, the
Bengals have nine takeaways and ten quarters with Joe Burrow playing,
(01:22):
and that they gets six turnovers in the other thirty
eight quarters with the backups in there. I mean, you know,
maybe there's not a direct A to B line on
that and it's a little fluky, but I don't think so.
I don't think the Bengals players think so either. You
could see just the way they rally them and everybody
knows this. It's nothing new. You know, your franchise quarterback
obviously makes is the ultimate disinfected, right, and he makes everything.
(01:45):
When he's gone, the warts appear, and when he's out
there things are much more rosy. So we saw that
with Joe. I don't know if I was expecting to
be quite that obvious in his first game back, but
you know, the hard cleats or whatever it is he's
wearing is obviously has magical powers and it was great
for at least one weekend to you know, Thursday night, anyway,
(02:07):
to be reminded of what we've been missing over the
last whatever it's been two and a half months, I mean,
and what we've really been robbed over these first six
years of his career with twenty plus starts missed, you know.
I mean, it's you know, that's looking negativity on what
should be a bit of an optimistic week. But still
it made me a little wistful seeing the Bengals and
Burrow play so well and reminded me of what we've
(02:30):
been missing out on with him out. But at least
for now, it's all good.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
How'd you feel at halftime when he had dropped back
thirty three times?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Yeah, I was a little surprised by that too. I
guess it was all that preseason action. Yeah, that was
for that, right, Yeah, it was a lot, no question
about it. And you know, but it's Joe Burrow. You
just see him telling Zach Taylor out of the game. Hey,
no restrictions, you know, no restrictor plate Let's go call
the game as we would. That's the matchup. They wanted
(02:59):
to take advance. They thought they, you know, could get
the ball moving better through the air, and that's usually
the case with Joe out there, even with see Higgins
out so a little surprising, and you know, you always
worry in the back of your mind when he drops
back a lot like that that maybe it's not the
best idea. But and he got through the game and
we know what he's capable of, and it was it
(03:20):
worked out. So as long as it keeps working out,
I'm fine with it. Let's let's hope they get a
more balance attack going forward down.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, yeah, no question. You you wrote about the Bengals
blitzing Lamar, blitz the Bejesus out of him. First time
I've used the word but Jesus on this show. So
I've wondered this, right, especially for a team that like
linebacker in particular, you got guys who aren't good at coverage,
So why don't you send him in the other direction
and just have them go after the quarterback? Should they
start just pretty much blitzing everybody?
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well, yeah, I think you see, and you and l
Golden are thinking alike in that scenario. Whether that's worth Yeah,
they've definitely up to their blitzing. Take and listen, I mean,
there are a lot of guys and a lot of
offenses you don't blitz. I mean, maybe it's counterintuitive, but
Aaron Rodgers is one of the least blitzed quarterbacks in
the league. So it is the attack of Baila and
(04:10):
why their whole offenses are geared toward getting the ball
out really fast and throwing the guys who the linebackers
and safeties, guys who normally blitz would ordinarily be covering.
So you know, you think in that scenario you don't
want to do it quite so much. But your point
is valid in that the Bengals have to get some
pressure from anywhere. They've been dying for it all year.
(04:30):
They're still playing without Trey Hendrickson and Shabbar Stewart, and
it's just, you know, you're at the point now where
you've got to find that pressure from anywhere. And you
saw on Thursday what that meant to a team when
they can actually get heat on the opposed quarterback. They
might not get five turnovers every game by doing it,
but I don't think there's any question they'll be blissing
a lot Josh Allen and everyone else they play on
(04:50):
down the line. They get Lamar again, he's the most
blitzed quarterback in the league, and when he's not one
hundred percent, you know, the Bengals have done it before.
They've gone after a hymn rumentlessly. And I think you'll
he'll definitely see a blitz heavy package for the for
the last few games of the season, no question about it.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Robert win trub is with excuse me, Robert wind Trump
is with a Cincinnati magazine dot com. He also contributes
to a website FTN Fantasy And this time of year,
a lot of folks love to hit refresh on their
DVOA odds. Right, So the Bengals right now six point
six percent, which is basically loaded up on the AFC
North six point five percent. How are DVOA odds calculated?
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Well, you start with the overall efficiency of the team,
which is DVOA. Bengals pretty low in that category still
despite the win on Thursday and many we play out
the season twenty for the remainder of the season in
its entirety, twenty five thousand times with the supercomputer in
the back room, I think his name is Gene, and uh,
(05:49):
you know, you take we take recent events into account,
kind of waited a little bit, so the most recent
games and you know, things like Joe Joe Burrow coming
back are taken into account, and many take those twenty
five thousand scenarios and you get the average wins and
losses from it, put into a spreadsheet and see what
happens overall in that scenario as it pertains to the Bengals,
(06:09):
as you say, only six percent of the time, six
point six percent of the time. Today, you know match
basically to win out and steal the AFC North. And
you know that's not that surprising, right, I mean, it's
hard for any NFL team in any scenario to win
five or six straight games. I mean that's not asked.
That asking a lot for any team. But this proof
(06:30):
of concept, you know we did last year, seldom make
the rundown the stretch, win five straight and if not
for the Chiefs turtling, do exactly what they are trying
to do this year, which is, you know, turn a
depressing three months into an amazing last month and and
come from way back in the pack and do it.
So you know, the playoff odds would definitely go up
(06:52):
if they beat Buffalo. And you have to remember to
Raid and the Steelers play each other, and one of
their odds are going to go down and it's gonna
you know, as long as they keep winning, those ads
will go up and up. That's all we can really
hope for this time of year.
Speaker 2 (07:04):
I would describe right now a Raven Steelers game as
a pillow fight. And I don't know that at any
point I ever envisioned myself saying that about those two
teams playing against each other.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
Yeah, it's kind of hard to believe. Right there's two
rock ribbed franchises right now just don't have much booms
behind anything they're doing. And you know, again, especially in
Baltimore's case, a lot of that is tied to the
health of the quarterback. Just like we were talking about
with the Bengals, Lamar Jackson not himself, and they're a
very mortal team, and all the things that you think
about as being strengths are not really the case. And
(07:38):
it all ties back into the fact that their quarterback
is injured. And with Pittsburgh, you know, I think to
coin a phrase or was it Dennis Green who said
they are who we thought they were? You know, a
team coming down the stretch with an ancient quarterback, not
much of an offensive plan. You know, guy spending a
lot of money on the defense that really isn't that capable.
And you know they're a team that when you have fire,
(08:01):
your coach chance. I mean, as much as everybody complains
about Zach Taylor, I don't recall any fire Zach Taylor
chance at the Course Stadium recently. So that's going on
in Pittsburgh. So you can tell right now they're in
the toilet. But you know they play each other. As
I mentioned on Sunday, one of those fan bases are
going to feel a lot better about themselves come Monday morning.
And you know it's the NFL. Things turn on a dime.
(08:24):
So I wouldn't discount either one of those teams at
the moment. But it's ironic and it's here we are,
and it's the Bengals. Everybody feels the best abound before
coming from a four and eight hole. Maybe it's not
impossible given the fact that the Ravens and Steelers are
really spinning their wheels at the moment.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Awesome stuff. As always, We will bother you next week.
Thanks so much.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
I can't wait. It's never bothered, Thanks mam.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
That's our guy. Robert Winstraub, Cincinnatimagazine Dot com go read
his Bengals column. It's available right now. Hans Schroeder from
the NFL is going to join us next.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
You've been listening to Football in the NATTI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals. Cincinnati's
ESPN fifteen thirty Traffic.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
From the uc Health Traffic Center. U SE Health's Weight
Loss Center offers surgical and medical obesity care and expertise.
Called five one three nine three nine two two sixty three.
That's nine three nine two two sixty three on eastbound
two seventy five, and it's an accident on the Coney
Bridge off on the right shoulder. Watch out for some
debris that's on the roadway from that accident in Ohio
(09:33):
northbound seventy five. Accident on the off ramp to westbound
two seventy five and North Bend Road. An accident at Coleraine.
I'm at EAZELIC with traffic.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
This report is sponsor
Mo Egger News
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.