December 19, 2025 • 19 mins
Tony and Austin talk Bengals and Reds with Charlie Goldsmith on ESPN 1530!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is Tony Pike's Friday Football Frenzy show, brought to you
in part five. Hello Windows and Door Making life writer
Pelean now Hey. Later Skyline Shilly Stealing Good. It's Skyline time.
Encore Technologies, visit OnCore dot Tech, Hudson Oil, Healing Champions,
on and off the field, Game Day, Man's Health, Start
(00:23):
your best life today and by that Creation Museum it's
more than a museum. Visit Creation Museum dot Org today
on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
All right, welcome back. It's our number two, thanks to
our friends here at Cincy Shirts.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Let's get our number two started here on a Friday.
The only way we know how, it's by welcoming to
our guy, Charlie Goldsmith, who joins us each and every
Friday to kick off the second hour. Charlie, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Man? Tony doing well? How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Charlie? I have one question about the Bearcats and then
we'll move on. I have to ask, when March Madness
rolls around and the committee sits down, will they view
the Bearcats with and then without giggle? James? So, can
we just throw the other losses out the door and
view this team going forward since Gigsel James is now back.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
The most fascinating part to me about all this with
Jiggle James, and I'm just speaking from a basketball perspective,
is the maturation and the growth that had to happen
with his own game, being a more consistent player this year.
So how much he's actually improved while he's been away,
you know, I kind of need to see it. But
if he grows, you know, we all know the upside,
(01:39):
but I'm interested to see him more during the rest
of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Let's start with the Bengals, Charlie. Let's start with what
we've recently learned. Zach Taylor speaking after practice. Chris Jenkins
is going on the IR, Joseph Osaiah is out, t
Higgins is questionable. Which of those three is the most
significant for Sunday's game in particular?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
The most significant obviously is Key. But I'm intrigued by
the state of this defensive line right now, like right now,
right now, and how they'd finished the season without us
or not, but potentially without us side and without Jenkins
of course, you know it's an opportunity. How do you
want to use Shamar Stewart inside outside, rushing out of
(02:23):
this spot on early downs, that spot on late downs.
Miles Murphy's another guy. They've never really had an opportunity
to say, all right, Miles, go be the guy this week.
So because of how little infrastructure there is around them,
you know, there's no like Trey Hendrickson lining up on
the left side, you can kind of structure that those
rotations whoever you want. So how do you do that
to try to evaluate those pieces you have on the
(02:44):
defensive line? And then how do you cycle in the depth?
You know your set Johnson, you're McKinley, Jackson's behind them.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
How important are these next three for Miles Murphy? I
feel like we don't know anything about Miles Murphy and
what we do know, we know about the uncertainty of
Trey hen in the future. JOSEPHO Size in a contract
hear Miles Murphy has played better down the stretch. But
how important, how vital are these final three weeks for
Miles Murphy or for su I'm sorry for Shamar Stewart.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
For Shamar Stewart, So Samar had some of the most
like I guess the best way to describe it is
like if you were just looking at the batting average,
even if it was a small sample size, he probably
had the worst batting average of anyone on the Bengals,
just in terms of how many bad plays he was making.
And I think what you saw there was just the
lack of reps and the lack of attention to detail
(03:34):
catching up to him and getting exposed in the biggest way,
and he was literally getting benched to make game every
single game. What I've been told, what I've seen, what
I've heard is that they did fign some things from
a homework, from a preparation, from an attention to detail,
not his attention in meetings, but using what he's learned
in meetings and all that kind of stuff and applying that.
(03:54):
What I've heard is there have been some positives, but
obviously you've got to prove it. So it's not even
about the sacks from him for me down the stretch
that I want to see. It's execute your assignments, make tackles,
find a way to play with a bit more confidence,
and hopefully find something to build on heading into the offeaver.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The linebacker position you're talking about going into the offseason,
do you view Demitrius Night and Barck Carter as linebackers
that are improving each week? Are you there yet or
do you still need to see more they're improving.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
I haven't seen them at a starter level. I thought
Dmitrius played at a starter level against Baltimore and that
was his first time probably since like the Broncos game
in Week four, where you can say that about him.
How I view the room next year, and this is
just me right now, is I'd like to go out
and get a let's call him a linebacker, one who
can kind of be the rock of your defense in
(04:49):
the middle, and then let Barrett and Demetrius and Orrin
Burke's kind of rotate around and maybe they all have
sub package roles and mix and match, and maybe one
of the young guys like Carter Knight does pop and
take that step into a development and develop into a
starting linebacker. But Miami is actually a huge game for
both of them. First, because this on paper isn't a
(05:12):
quarterback who should give them a lot of headaches. We'll
probably try to keep things simple and quick in ways
that stressed the linebackers. And then you don't need me
to tell you how much. Miami's versatile and dynamic and
explosive rushing attack with a fullback in front of the
running back challenges and puts a ton on the plate
of the linebackers. One of the more interesting schematic things
(05:33):
to me about this game is they've been taking Night
off when fullbacks are in as a way to kind
of like take things off his plate. I think it's
how it's been described. They don't want him to have
to learn a million packages and a million different looks. Well,
now that they're eliminated, do you just let Night work
through that and you know, see if he can win
a block against Alex Ingold. That's one of the more
(05:54):
interesting schematic things to me about this game. But this
is a game where the linebackers will be in the microscope.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
This game, in general, there are very few teams that
rely more on yards after the catches. The Miami Dolphins
add in a quarterback making his first start, and how
devastating Devin Hang can be in the open field versus
the problems we just outlined with the Cincinnati Bengals is
that what this comes down to on Sunday on the
defensive side is tackling on space in your opinion that and.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
From what I'm getting from what I was hearing in
the locker room yesterday, a lot of pressure looks and
a lot of this guys is trying to throw things
at Quinn. You were that, to be honest, Lamar Jackson
didn't even handle that long, and the Bengals stewarded him
in those games against Baltimore things that yours hadn't seen before.
I think. I don't think yours is going to play
well at all. Like third string linebackers don't get reps,
and it's a short week for Miami and they have
(06:45):
so many guys who were hurt, so I doubt that
they were doing a lot of full speed practice reps
over the course of the week. So that's a really
tough spot for a kid to make his debut. They'll
probably try to run the ball a million times and
throw a screen off it, maybe set up one shot
for him to take a shot and hope you find
a bus that coverage on the other side there. But
that stresses the Bengals just playing clean all around overall football.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Tony and I talked earlier this week about the idea
of winning these games versus losing them, and improving the
potential draft slot. Zach Taylor said, very bluntly, we want
to win. That's why Joe Burrow is playing in these games.
How important do you think it is to the culture
(07:28):
of the team and specifically those young players to win
these games on the way out this season?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Well, this is the chance for you know, Miles Murphy
to start leading, and for DJ Turner to start leading,
and for the rookie linebackers to keep trying to do that.
Jack Kill is the guy you can put in that category,
loop in with the veterans on offense, Chase Brown and
ire Josebash into that tier of players. So it's an
opportunity to try to get a feel for what you
(07:56):
want it to feel like with those guys stepping into
more cential roles. From an intangible perspective, in twenty twenty six,
what I really go back to is I truly, truly,
truly believe said some of the final few games of
the season in twenty nineteen and in twenty twenty for
the Bengals ended up meaning something tangible in the long term,
for Tyler Boyd, for cju Zama, for Sam Hubbard, for
(08:20):
Jesse Bates, Like I really saw like I saw. I
think we all thought carry over from the confidence, you
could start to feel themselves carrying. You saw that translate
then dame to win. The Bengals were good. So you know,
obviously the young core of the Bengals have now not
proven yet. But if they're going to become the next
version of those guys, all right, let's see it.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Go do it offensively, Charlie. Obviously, coming off a game
in which this offense was shut out and at times
across the game lifeless. I know they got inside the
thirty five four times, they came away with zero points.
What are you expecting to see from them now? Coming back?
We know Joe Burrow is gonna play. Historically, Joe Boro
bounces back from a bad performance in a big way.
(09:02):
What are you expecting to see from this offense on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
This was just a very normal week, Like there was
no uh, all right, let's reassess everything.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Now that you know.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Joe Burrow just had a bad game. But I think
they chalked it up to facing a great Ravens defense.
Let's let's call it what it is. The cold was
a part of the equation for both sides. For both offenses,
and we saw the cold impact both teams, and it's
just something the Bengals and Burrow will have to handle
better than the next time. During one of those brutally
cold games, he saw them packed drops by the receivers.
(09:33):
Biggest thing for the offense probably be you can't have
the lapses and miss assignments and pass protection that Baltimore
had to let the free runners up the middle going
straight up Burrow, and you throw Burrow into that because
some of those were things you could have corrected and
adjusted up front before the snap. But overall, like they're not,
like their quotes say the opposite, but they view it
(09:54):
as kind of just an outlier and let's go re
you know, gather yourself and get ready to face the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Right now, Chase Brown and some AJ p Ryan, we've
seen games this year that the carries are about fifty
to fifty. I think p Ryn had one more carry
than Chase Brown. What do you think the end all
plan is at running back and how they want in
an ideal situation, and I know the game dictates a
lot of that, but an ideal situation, how do they
want those those snaps to be handled?
Speaker 4 (10:21):
I meant to go through this. I didn't, but I'll
bet you that p Run got I bet he got
like three or four carries on that final give up
drive with seven minutes left. So if you take those
carries out, yeah, a lot of times in peer and
I can, then I can visualize this very clearly off
the top of my head, several second and one third
and one spots where they handed the ball to p
(10:43):
R So he is the backup. This is Chase Brown's show.
Sometimes gain situation. How many start downs you get, how
many red zone snaps you get, all of the specific
nuanced stuff that's truly random about how many of those
situations you get game to game will lead to more
snaps for you know, it will lead to a snap
(11:04):
percentage changing. But this is a Chase Brown show. They
think they know he's a top ten back in the league.
I think he's a top ten back in the league.
Anything that you've seen that has led to a bigger
role for p Ryan for me, is just the product of, oh,
this happened to be a game where there were more
third downs, or oh he got some carries, running the
ball out, running the clock out down the.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Stretch, Charlie the wide receiver three. We've not talked about
it a ton this year, and we don't know t
Higgins status yet for Sunday, but I've seen different opportunities
this year. Andrey Yoshivash won without a catch last week.
Mitchell Tinsley has not really excelled when given the opportunity.
Jermaine Burton is no longer on this roster, do you
(11:46):
still think there is time for Andrey yoshi Vash or
do you view wide receiver three as maybe not currently
on the roster for next year.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I mean, the idea of the Jermaine Burton pick was
right because it's exactly what they need. And that's not
me defending the Bengals because it was just a massive
myths of who he was. Kind of from an intangibles perspective,
that can't happen again, but that skill set is something
you feel they desperately. It's even going all the way
down to Burton's ability on special teams and he was
(12:17):
able to return punts. Yo Sibosh to me has been
one of the most disappointing parts of the season, and
that has been on my mind. So I went back
and I watched all his catches from this year, and
I was stunned how many body catches there were. And
to me, that wasn't a receiver who was going out
and getting the ball. I wasn't seeing that same confidence
(12:38):
at the catchpoint from Andre And that's concerning That's something
that's going to be hard to fix now, you know,
without a chance to really build that up down the
stretch of the season. You know, it's kind of something
you can only build kind of in big games. Maybe
you can do it in a game where you're just
playing out the string. Maybe he gets some catches against
Miami and that becomes a turning point for him. But
(13:00):
to me, it's a thing where he just got to
be more aggressive and you know, challenging and going up
and getting the ball like we've seen him do in
the past. And if he doesn't, well, then you know
we'll be looking at wide receivers during the offseason.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
What was your reaction this week when you saw Paul
Daanner's report that Zach Taylor actually had two years remaining
on his contract and the way that Zach chose not
to really say anything about it. What did you make
of that this week?
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah? Really interesting? My question and this is just all speculation.
Was the idea that this is like a rolling contract
like you often see in college sports? Was Zack interested
in another year headed on to his deal after twenty
twenty three? Where you know, twenty twenty three you said
what you want about, you know, the Bengals not making
(13:49):
the playoffs, But that was the year that got Brian
Callahan a head coaching job. So what was the plan
moving forward? Ideally, if you know in their mind they
were just going to keep making the plas every year,
what was their long term plan from a contract perspective?
Then with Zak? How has that changed? What was their plan? Anyway,
when we got to the end of the twenty twenty
(14:10):
sixth season, they oh, by the way, Zak still worked
you without a new contract extension announced. It raised a
lot of those questions for me. But already heading into
you know, the great work by Paul, I wasn't expecting
a coaching change this season.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Charlie, Have you allowed yourself to start looking at mock
draft simulations?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Have you allowed yourself? Have you allowed yourself the possibility
that they draft like offense? Can they go get Jeremiah
Love and just go all in on the offense.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You can't, it's well, I think that's disrespectful to Chase Brown.
So I think he's just a great player what they need.
And it's just me. I haven't studied Caleb downs enough yet,
but if he depending, I'll be looking for the versatility
from him, and if he can play multiple positions, that
boosts them up significantly. What this team needs is more
(14:59):
help on the defensive, and adding a premier, explosive defensive
lineman with production is something you can do with the
top ten picks. So that's where I'm leaning right now.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
We'll leave you with the Reds question, Charlie. I know
that you've often talked about how the Reds have five
or ten ish million dollars left to spend. They spent
some of it on a relief pitcher in Caleb Ferguson.
I know he met with the media yesterday. What do
we know about him, how does he fit into the bullpen?
And do we expect any more moves from the Reds
(15:30):
considering their budget.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
First of all, like I like the move. I like
to move, it's particularly in a vacuum. Like Cary Francona
called Caleb Ferguson to the you know, like welcome him
to the squad, And Francona said, and we heard this
from Ferguson, thank you, Like you were in need on
our roster last year and like you just can't go
into games like the right the way the Reds were
without a left you felt like you can count on
(15:55):
Ferguson is a lead against left handed hitters, a lot
of playoff experience, a lot of Les Verridge experience. He
was the guy I had a de top rated lefty
on my board and they found up for cheaper than
I thought they would. So you gotta say that's a
good move. But you say that and then it's not
even end of sentence. It's trauma. But what about the best?
And clearly like kind of like I've said all along,
(16:18):
they just viewed bullpen and getting like adults in the
bullpen as the biggest need on the roster because of
how you need that consistency to get you through through
a season. And so now when you'll get opportunities to
improve your lineup, it's platoon. It's complete bilo bounceback guys,
or it'd be like trying to find the next Will Benson,
(16:39):
and I know it hasn't worked out with Will, but
is there a guy and another forty man roster here?
Like you know what we see it? And then in
twenty twenty three, Will Benson was a very good player.
So like some platoon free agents on my radar, Austin
Hayes would be great, even an everyday guy, Rob Refschneider,
the AM I like on the trade market, like the
(16:59):
met a logjam of young infield prospects on one of
them available where you trade one of your young relievers.
You know, Ryan Mountcastle kind of lost his job when
the Orioles got pi Alonzo. Is he available on a
trade now? So it's kind of looking not in the
most premier places, but kind of trying to find diamonds
in the rough for opportunities to get nice offensive players,
(17:23):
even if no one's going to be a big big,
Like all right, this guy changes your lineup.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
That as Charlie Goldsmith before I let you go, Charlie,
Just to kind of round off this conversation of going everywhere,
what were your initial thoughts seeing Brendan Soarzby put his
name in the portal and what that means for the
Bearcat football program?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
You know what first of all, I keep going back
to the point of how hard it's going to be
to find and develop a quarterback who reaches that level.
In terms of the NFL draft buzz, he was getting well,
he could have a nice pro career as a backup
or as a third stringer. It always though, felt that
what they'll need from the quarterback position will be a
(18:05):
bit more than that. So how do you get a
bigger success at quarterback than that when also you probably
won't have as much like running back talent it's shortby
Tad here or tight end talum it's hortsby Tad in Cincinnati.
So how do you reach that level? To me is
the big existential question that I'll be thinking about about
UC football.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Charlie Goldsmith, The easiest way, especially here around the holiday season,
was so much going on. What's the easiest way to
follow along with everything you got happening is.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Charlie shockboard on substack and on Fox nineteen.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Charlie, you're the man. Appreciate you have a great, great
holiday next week and we'll touch base after that.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Thanks Charlie, Happy holidays, guys, Thank you Charlie.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
That is Charlie Goldsmith. By the way, Austin. Have you
seen what Ken Rosenthal put out earlier? I did not
about the Pittsburgh Pirates. No, Brandon Lowell is a pirate
that's been made officials right now. It is officially in
the physical side of things, the medical review. But right now,
(19:09):
according to Ken Rosenthal, Brandon low and I now see
talking Baseball has picked it up as well, Brandon Lowe
in a three team trade involving the Astros and Rays.
The Pirates are going to pick up Brandon low Jake Magnum,
and Mason Montgomery.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
So the Pittsburgh Pirates have added a substantial and significant
bat that's been on the market. Imagine that something else
to keep an eye on as teams continue to make moves.
Let's take a break, let's come back, and let's hear
from you the listener with your talkbacks. Next on the
Friday Football Friends at ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Hey, it's small legger, Join us mon
Is Tony Pike's Friday Football Frenzy show, brought to you
in part five. Hello Windows and Door Making life writer
Pelean now Hey. Later Skyline Shilly Stealing Good. It's Skyline time.
Encore Technologies, visit OnCore dot Tech, Hudson Oil, Healing Champions,
on and off the field, Game Day, Man's Health, Start
(00:23):
your best life today and by that Creation Museum it's
more than a museum. Visit Creation Museum dot Org today
on ESPN fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
All right, welcome back. It's our number two, thanks to
our friends here at Cincy Shirts.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Let's get our number two started here on a Friday.
The only way we know how, it's by welcoming to
our guy, Charlie Goldsmith, who joins us each and every
Friday to kick off the second hour. Charlie, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
Man? Tony doing well? How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Charlie? I have one question about the Bearcats and then
we'll move on. I have to ask, when March Madness
rolls around and the committee sits down, will they view
the Bearcats with and then without giggle? James? So, can
we just throw the other losses out the door and
view this team going forward since Gigsel James is now back.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
The most fascinating part to me about all this with
Jiggle James, and I'm just speaking from a basketball perspective,
is the maturation and the growth that had to happen
with his own game, being a more consistent player this year.
So how much he's actually improved while he's been away,
you know, I kind of need to see it. But
if he grows, you know, we all know the upside,
(01:39):
but I'm interested to see him more during the rest
of the season.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Let's start with the Bengals, Charlie. Let's start with what
we've recently learned. Zach Taylor speaking after practice. Chris Jenkins
is going on the IR, Joseph Osaiah is out, t
Higgins is questionable. Which of those three is the most
significant for Sunday's game in particular?
Speaker 4 (02:02):
The most significant obviously is Key. But I'm intrigued by
the state of this defensive line right now, like right now,
right now, and how they'd finished the season without us
or not, but potentially without us side and without Jenkins
of course, you know it's an opportunity. How do you
want to use Shamar Stewart inside outside, rushing out of
(02:23):
this spot on early downs, that spot on late downs.
Miles Murphy's another guy. They've never really had an opportunity
to say, all right, Miles, go be the guy this week.
So because of how little infrastructure there is around them,
you know, there's no like Trey Hendrickson lining up on
the left side, you can kind of structure that those
rotations whoever you want. So how do you do that
to try to evaluate those pieces you have on the
(02:44):
defensive line? And then how do you cycle in the depth?
You know your set Johnson, you're McKinley, Jackson's behind them.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
How important are these next three for Miles Murphy? I
feel like we don't know anything about Miles Murphy and
what we do know, we know about the uncertainty of
Trey hen in the future. JOSEPHO Size in a contract
hear Miles Murphy has played better down the stretch. But
how important, how vital are these final three weeks for
Miles Murphy or for su I'm sorry for Shamar Stewart.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
For Shamar Stewart, So Samar had some of the most
like I guess the best way to describe it is
like if you were just looking at the batting average,
even if it was a small sample size, he probably
had the worst batting average of anyone on the Bengals,
just in terms of how many bad plays he was making.
And I think what you saw there was just the
lack of reps and the lack of attention to detail
(03:34):
catching up to him and getting exposed in the biggest way,
and he was literally getting benched to make game every
single game. What I've been told, what I've seen, what
I've heard is that they did fign some things from
a homework, from a preparation, from an attention to detail,
not his attention in meetings, but using what he's learned
in meetings and all that kind of stuff and applying that.
(03:54):
What I've heard is there have been some positives, but
obviously you've got to prove it. So it's not even
about the sacks from him for me down the stretch
that I want to see. It's execute your assignments, make tackles,
find a way to play with a bit more confidence,
and hopefully find something to build on heading into the offeaver.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
The linebacker position you're talking about going into the offseason,
do you view Demitrius Night and Barck Carter as linebackers
that are improving each week? Are you there yet or
do you still need to see more they're improving.
Speaker 4 (04:28):
I haven't seen them at a starter level. I thought
Dmitrius played at a starter level against Baltimore and that
was his first time probably since like the Broncos game
in Week four, where you can say that about him.
How I view the room next year, and this is
just me right now, is I'd like to go out
and get a let's call him a linebacker, one who
can kind of be the rock of your defense in
(04:49):
the middle, and then let Barrett and Demetrius and Orrin
Burke's kind of rotate around and maybe they all have
sub package roles and mix and match, and maybe one
of the young guys like Carter Knight does pop and
take that step into a development and develop into a
starting linebacker. But Miami is actually a huge game for
both of them. First, because this on paper isn't a
(05:12):
quarterback who should give them a lot of headaches. We'll
probably try to keep things simple and quick in ways
that stressed the linebackers. And then you don't need me
to tell you how much. Miami's versatile and dynamic and
explosive rushing attack with a fullback in front of the
running back challenges and puts a ton on the plate
of the linebackers. One of the more interesting schematic things
(05:33):
to me about this game is they've been taking Night
off when fullbacks are in as a way to kind
of like take things off his plate. I think it's
how it's been described. They don't want him to have
to learn a million packages and a million different looks. Well,
now that they're eliminated, do you just let Night work
through that and you know, see if he can win
a block against Alex Ingold. That's one of the more
(05:54):
interesting schematic things to me about this game. But this
is a game where the linebackers will be in the microscope.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
This game, in general, there are very few teams that
rely more on yards after the catches. The Miami Dolphins
add in a quarterback making his first start, and how
devastating Devin Hang can be in the open field versus
the problems we just outlined with the Cincinnati Bengals is
that what this comes down to on Sunday on the
defensive side is tackling on space in your opinion that and.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
From what I'm getting from what I was hearing in
the locker room yesterday, a lot of pressure looks and
a lot of this guys is trying to throw things
at Quinn. You were that, to be honest, Lamar Jackson
didn't even handle that long, and the Bengals stewarded him
in those games against Baltimore things that yours hadn't seen before.
I think. I don't think yours is going to play
well at all. Like third string linebackers don't get reps,
and it's a short week for Miami and they have
(06:45):
so many guys who were hurt, so I doubt that
they were doing a lot of full speed practice reps
over the course of the week. So that's a really
tough spot for a kid to make his debut. They'll
probably try to run the ball a million times and
throw a screen off it, maybe set up one shot
for him to take a shot and hope you find
a bus that coverage on the other side there. But
that stresses the Bengals just playing clean all around overall football.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
Tony and I talked earlier this week about the idea
of winning these games versus losing them, and improving the
potential draft slot. Zach Taylor said, very bluntly, we want
to win. That's why Joe Burrow is playing in these games.
How important do you think it is to the culture
(07:28):
of the team and specifically those young players to win
these games on the way out this season?
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Well, this is the chance for you know, Miles Murphy
to start leading, and for DJ Turner to start leading,
and for the rookie linebackers to keep trying to do that.
Jack Kill is the guy you can put in that category,
loop in with the veterans on offense, Chase Brown and
ire Josebash into that tier of players. So it's an
opportunity to try to get a feel for what you
(07:56):
want it to feel like with those guys stepping into
more cential roles. From an intangible perspective, in twenty twenty six,
what I really go back to is I truly, truly,
truly believe said some of the final few games of
the season in twenty nineteen and in twenty twenty for
the Bengals ended up meaning something tangible in the long term,
for Tyler Boyd, for cju Zama, for Sam Hubbard, for
(08:20):
Jesse Bates, Like I really saw like I saw. I
think we all thought carry over from the confidence, you
could start to feel themselves carrying. You saw that translate
then dame to win. The Bengals were good. So you know,
obviously the young core of the Bengals have now not
proven yet. But if they're going to become the next
version of those guys, all right, let's see it.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Go do it offensively, Charlie. Obviously, coming off a game
in which this offense was shut out and at times
across the game lifeless. I know they got inside the
thirty five four times, they came away with zero points.
What are you expecting to see from them now? Coming back?
We know Joe Burrow is gonna play. Historically, Joe Boro
bounces back from a bad performance in a big way.
(09:02):
What are you expecting to see from this offense on Sunday?
Speaker 4 (09:07):
This was just a very normal week, Like there was
no uh, all right, let's reassess everything.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Now that you know.
Speaker 4 (09:13):
Joe Burrow just had a bad game. But I think
they chalked it up to facing a great Ravens defense.
Let's let's call it what it is. The cold was
a part of the equation for both sides. For both offenses,
and we saw the cold impact both teams, and it's
just something the Bengals and Burrow will have to handle
better than the next time. During one of those brutally
cold games, he saw them packed drops by the receivers.
(09:33):
Biggest thing for the offense probably be you can't have
the lapses and miss assignments and pass protection that Baltimore
had to let the free runners up the middle going
straight up Burrow, and you throw Burrow into that because
some of those were things you could have corrected and
adjusted up front before the snap. But overall, like they're not,
like their quotes say the opposite, but they view it
(09:54):
as kind of just an outlier and let's go re
you know, gather yourself and get ready to face the Dolphins.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Right now, Chase Brown and some AJ p Ryan, we've
seen games this year that the carries are about fifty
to fifty. I think p Ryn had one more carry
than Chase Brown. What do you think the end all
plan is at running back and how they want in
an ideal situation, and I know the game dictates a
lot of that, but an ideal situation, how do they
want those those snaps to be handled?
Speaker 4 (10:21):
I meant to go through this. I didn't, but I'll
bet you that p Run got I bet he got
like three or four carries on that final give up
drive with seven minutes left. So if you take those
carries out, yeah, a lot of times in peer and
I can, then I can visualize this very clearly off
the top of my head, several second and one third
and one spots where they handed the ball to p
(10:43):
R So he is the backup. This is Chase Brown's show.
Sometimes gain situation. How many start downs you get, how
many red zone snaps you get, all of the specific
nuanced stuff that's truly random about how many of those
situations you get game to game will lead to more
snaps for you know, it will lead to a snap
(11:04):
percentage changing. But this is a Chase Brown show. They
think they know he's a top ten back in the league.
I think he's a top ten back in the league.
Anything that you've seen that has led to a bigger
role for p Ryan for me, is just the product of, oh,
this happened to be a game where there were more
third downs, or oh he got some carries, running the
ball out, running the clock out down the.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Stretch, Charlie the wide receiver three. We've not talked about
it a ton this year, and we don't know t
Higgins status yet for Sunday, but I've seen different opportunities
this year. Andrey Yoshivash won without a catch last week.
Mitchell Tinsley has not really excelled when given the opportunity.
Jermaine Burton is no longer on this roster, do you
(11:46):
still think there is time for Andrey yoshi Vash or
do you view wide receiver three as maybe not currently
on the roster for next year.
Speaker 4 (11:55):
I mean, the idea of the Jermaine Burton pick was
right because it's exactly what they need. And that's not
me defending the Bengals because it was just a massive
myths of who he was. Kind of from an intangibles perspective,
that can't happen again, but that skill set is something
you feel they desperately. It's even going all the way
down to Burton's ability on special teams and he was
(12:17):
able to return punts. Yo Sibosh to me has been
one of the most disappointing parts of the season, and
that has been on my mind. So I went back
and I watched all his catches from this year, and
I was stunned how many body catches there were. And
to me, that wasn't a receiver who was going out
and getting the ball. I wasn't seeing that same confidence
(12:38):
at the catchpoint from Andre And that's concerning That's something
that's going to be hard to fix now, you know,
without a chance to really build that up down the
stretch of the season. You know, it's kind of something
you can only build kind of in big games. Maybe
you can do it in a game where you're just
playing out the string. Maybe he gets some catches against
Miami and that becomes a turning point for him. But
(13:00):
to me, it's a thing where he just got to
be more aggressive and you know, challenging and going up
and getting the ball like we've seen him do in
the past. And if he doesn't, well, then you know
we'll be looking at wide receivers during the offseason.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
What was your reaction this week when you saw Paul
Daanner's report that Zach Taylor actually had two years remaining
on his contract and the way that Zach chose not
to really say anything about it. What did you make
of that this week?
Speaker 4 (13:29):
Yeah? Really interesting? My question and this is just all speculation.
Was the idea that this is like a rolling contract
like you often see in college sports? Was Zack interested
in another year headed on to his deal after twenty
twenty three? Where you know, twenty twenty three you said
what you want about, you know, the Bengals not making
(13:49):
the playoffs, But that was the year that got Brian
Callahan a head coaching job. So what was the plan
moving forward? Ideally, if you know in their mind they
were just going to keep making the plas every year,
what was their long term plan from a contract perspective?
Then with Zak? How has that changed? What was their plan? Anyway,
when we got to the end of the twenty twenty
(14:10):
sixth season, they oh, by the way, Zak still worked
you without a new contract extension announced. It raised a
lot of those questions for me. But already heading into
you know, the great work by Paul, I wasn't expecting
a coaching change this season.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Charlie, Have you allowed yourself to start looking at mock
draft simulations?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
No?
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Have you allowed yourself? Have you allowed yourself the possibility
that they draft like offense? Can they go get Jeremiah
Love and just go all in on the offense.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
You can't, it's well, I think that's disrespectful to Chase Brown.
So I think he's just a great player what they need.
And it's just me. I haven't studied Caleb downs enough yet,
but if he depending, I'll be looking for the versatility
from him, and if he can play multiple positions, that
boosts them up significantly. What this team needs is more
(14:59):
help on the defensive, and adding a premier, explosive defensive
lineman with production is something you can do with the
top ten picks. So that's where I'm leaning right now.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
We'll leave you with the Reds question, Charlie. I know
that you've often talked about how the Reds have five
or ten ish million dollars left to spend. They spent
some of it on a relief pitcher in Caleb Ferguson.
I know he met with the media yesterday. What do
we know about him, how does he fit into the bullpen?
And do we expect any more moves from the Reds
(15:30):
considering their budget.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
First of all, like I like the move. I like
to move, it's particularly in a vacuum. Like Cary Francona
called Caleb Ferguson to the you know, like welcome him
to the squad, And Francona said, and we heard this
from Ferguson, thank you, Like you were in need on
our roster last year and like you just can't go
into games like the right the way the Reds were
without a left you felt like you can count on
(15:55):
Ferguson is a lead against left handed hitters, a lot
of playoff experience, a lot of Les Verridge experience. He
was the guy I had a de top rated lefty
on my board and they found up for cheaper than
I thought they would. So you gotta say that's a
good move. But you say that and then it's not
even end of sentence. It's trauma. But what about the best?
And clearly like kind of like I've said all along,
(16:18):
they just viewed bullpen and getting like adults in the
bullpen as the biggest need on the roster because of
how you need that consistency to get you through through
a season. And so now when you'll get opportunities to
improve your lineup, it's platoon. It's complete bilo bounceback guys,
or it'd be like trying to find the next Will Benson,
(16:39):
and I know it hasn't worked out with Will, but
is there a guy and another forty man roster here?
Like you know what we see it? And then in
twenty twenty three, Will Benson was a very good player.
So like some platoon free agents on my radar, Austin
Hayes would be great, even an everyday guy, Rob Refschneider,
the AM I like on the trade market, like the
(16:59):
met a logjam of young infield prospects on one of
them available where you trade one of your young relievers.
You know, Ryan Mountcastle kind of lost his job when
the Orioles got pi Alonzo. Is he available on a
trade now? So it's kind of looking not in the
most premier places, but kind of trying to find diamonds
in the rough for opportunities to get nice offensive players,
(17:23):
even if no one's going to be a big big,
Like all right, this guy changes your lineup.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
That as Charlie Goldsmith before I let you go, Charlie,
Just to kind of round off this conversation of going everywhere,
what were your initial thoughts seeing Brendan Soarzby put his
name in the portal and what that means for the
Bearcat football program?
Speaker 4 (17:41):
You know what first of all, I keep going back
to the point of how hard it's going to be
to find and develop a quarterback who reaches that level.
In terms of the NFL draft buzz, he was getting well,
he could have a nice pro career as a backup
or as a third stringer. It always though, felt that
what they'll need from the quarterback position will be a
(18:05):
bit more than that. So how do you get a
bigger success at quarterback than that when also you probably
won't have as much like running back talent it's shortby
Tad here or tight end talum it's hortsby Tad in Cincinnati.
So how do you reach that level? To me is
the big existential question that I'll be thinking about about
UC football.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
Charlie Goldsmith, The easiest way, especially here around the holiday season,
was so much going on. What's the easiest way to
follow along with everything you got happening is.
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Charlie shockboard on substack and on Fox nineteen.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
Charlie, you're the man. Appreciate you have a great, great
holiday next week and we'll touch base after that.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Thanks Charlie, Happy holidays, guys, Thank you Charlie.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
That is Charlie Goldsmith. By the way, Austin. Have you
seen what Ken Rosenthal put out earlier? I did not
about the Pittsburgh Pirates. No, Brandon Lowell is a pirate
that's been made officials right now. It is officially in
the physical side of things, the medical review. But right now,
(19:09):
according to Ken Rosenthal, Brandon low and I now see
talking Baseball has picked it up as well, Brandon Lowe
in a three team trade involving the Astros and Rays.
The Pirates are going to pick up Brandon low Jake Magnum,
and Mason Montgomery.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
So the Pittsburgh Pirates have added a substantial and significant
bat that's been on the market. Imagine that something else
to keep an eye on as teams continue to make moves.
Let's take a break, let's come back, and let's hear
from you the listener with your talkbacks. Next on the
Friday Football Friends at ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Hey, it's small legger, Join us mon
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