October 21, 2025 • 24 mins
Tony and Austin talk Bengals with Joe Danneman from FOX19 on ESPN 1530!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Tony Pike Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
(00:05):
sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts all sincey
all day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Back out an hour two Tuesday afternoon, Cincy three to
sixty thanks to Cincy Shirts. Austen, did you make it
to Loveland or Fort Mitchell yet to get the Hall
of Fame shirt?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I haven't, all right, you just playing on doing that
leading up to the week Sure, it's still early in
the week.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
It's only Tuesday, leading up to the weekend, leading up
to the weekend, already to Okay, the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Leading up to the weekend, gotcha. I know our next guest,
not to mere remissed, I know our next guest has
already probably visited and gotten a couple not just for himself,
but probably for the rest of the crew at Fox
nineteen and his family as well. Our good friend from
Fox nineteen, Joe Daniman hijel Tony.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
P in Austin. Okay, So it is Thursday night football
and for the first time, my two oldest sons are
going to a Bengals game. How cool is that? So
it's about an hour before the game, and I leave
the press box to go down and visit them and
see how they're doing, take a picture. And as I'm
(01:13):
walking back from the concourse to the press box, I hear, hey, Danoman,
that's now three consecutive games where I've been heeded at
a Bengals game. One on a Sunday, one in Green Bay,
(01:34):
one on a Thursday night. We've got to keep it going.
This weekend. I'll be on the field Bengals and Jets
on Sunday, Cincinnati. You know the assignment.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I love it. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I was thinking about buying a ticket now I might
do it, just to do that, just to eat.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, their first time getting down to a game.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
First time. Actually, my oldest went to the Eagles game
last year, which he wanted to delete from his men,
but his middle brother went with him for the first time,
literally the first game he's ever gone to. He's the
biggest Bengals fan in our household, so for them to
go to that game and enjoy it. I told this
to Jeremy Row after the game, that they went to
(02:14):
their first game, and Jeremy said, the Bengals just got
two lifelong fans. Yeah, after that.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Game, it's tough to beat that though, So that's tough
to beat for the next time.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It is. It is, especially considering you got to see
Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco compete at over forty years
old and now they think their dad can do anything for.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
How much? How much does Thursday Night just change the
feel and the vibe around the team itself?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Very much so and expectedly so. And we weren't wrong
for we being everybody who watches this team saying that
it felt like that was a crossroads of the season.
It felt like that outside of the building, and I
think it kind of felt that way inside the building
as well. It was funny yesterday and everybody always gets
(03:05):
their chance to play on the touch screen whatever playlist
they want. But whether the older players had cleared out,
only a couple of rookies were still left inside. It
was Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight, and those guys surprised
everyone and put on a country playlist and Demetrius Knight
put on Travis Tritt. It's a great day to be alive. Wow.
(03:26):
And it just feels like there's this sunshine shining through
pay course stadium right now is the Bengals have gotten
themselves to three and four, and we all know what's
coming up. There are winnable games for the Bengals here
before the bye week, and I would pause on the
Bears being lumped in with the Jets, and a lot
(03:47):
of people seem to be doing that, even though the
Bears have been playing good football and I think their
record would surprise people. But certainly there's a golden opportunity
for this team to get to four and four playing
against the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
If it's a team that can get to four and
four and maybe even possibly five and four, and we
continue to hear positive reports on the possibility of Joe
Burrow joining this team at the end of the year,
does it push this team the way they're constructed to
maybe be an aggressive team at the deadline coming up?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Ooh? I would say sure, yeah. I mean, look, if
you're going to invest in a trade to get Joe
Flacco here and try to keep this thing afloat, and
he's done that not only in the win loss column,
but also just the way it looks and the optics
of what he's done so far. He's been here why
(04:42):
would you not look at adding to your team and
improving your team in other ways? And certainly the Bengalis
have positions and position groups where they could do that. Certainly,
safety is one that jumps to mind. Defensive line jumps
to mind. They need to put more production out of
the offensive line. Offensive line is an area they could address.
(05:03):
So while I look at the Bengals right now as
possibly winning their way back into playoff contention that this
roster in this era is supposed to be about winning
playoff games and competing for super Bowls, and the way
they're constructed right now with this roster, it probably isn't
good enough. And you could argue with me, it isn't
(05:25):
good enough even if Joe is healthy to win a
super Bowl. And it kind of feels like there's no
real super dominant team, even though it feels like Kansas
City might be trending towards that way the way they
played the last couple of weeks. But it feels like
even if Joe were healthy, they would still need some
more additions for this team to feel real comfortable about
making a Super Bowl run. So sure, what two weeks
(05:48):
until the trade deadline, they have multiple position groups they
could upgrade in a lot of times, it isn't the
huge splash that can help you get over the hump.
I mean, look what the Reds did at the trade deadline,
and we can we can laugh and say, well, though,
the Reds didn't win the World Series, but they made
the playoffs and they got there with the help of
some of the acquisitions they had at their trade deadline.
(06:10):
So certainly, yeah, I think the Bengals should be looking
to be aggressive to upgrade the roster. They've done it
once already at quarterback, and that was to keep a
season afloat, and now that the season is afloat, why
not look to improve at positions they need improvement.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So we discussed them bringing in Joe Flacco, you discussed
the possibility to trade deadline. I look back at what
they chose to do or not to do on Sunday
or on Thursday. They made Cam Taylor britt a healthy scratch.
They started Jalen Rivers and Dalton Reisner. It feels to
me we've seen Logan Wilson at times in his snap counts,
(06:46):
but it seems to me, Joe that we're seeing a
team that's coaching with urgency, not a team that's waiting
to see, Okay, let's see if this player can figure
it out or not. But we need guys on the field.
They're going to help us right now. Do you get
a sense of that that the way they are constructing
these rosters on any game day is literally the urgency
way of can this player help us today or not?
(07:08):
Because we don't have time to wait around and see
if they're going to get better.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
That's really a great point. And yeah, I think so.
I mean, listen, you go back and you listen to
what Zach Taylor has said over the years about coaches
and winning. And I always think of that Miami game
that the Bengals almost one that would have cost them
Joe Burrow. And you know, to paraphrase what Zach Taylor
said in there is coaches are coaching for their jobs
(07:34):
at all times. Players are competing for their jobs at
all times. And I think the urgency and the conversations
that were being had about Dak Taylor, what about this
coaching staff ahead of Thursday night football, There had to
be real urgency for this team to find a way
to get a win, to cool the seat, so to speak.
(07:56):
And if that's playing younger players, If that's committing to
trying different things, I think you have to commend them
for that, turning over every rock they can to try
to find the right combination. Now, you would argue also
at the same time, then why is Geno Stone still playing?
If they're going to do the youth movement at linebacker,
(08:18):
if they're going to do the youth thing at offensive line,
they have younger players at safety, and younger doesn't always
mean better, younger and different doesn't always mean it's going
to be different. But I think certainly we've seen what
Geno Stone is and what he isn't And at this point,
I think a lot of people listening to this would
like to see somebody else get a shot back there,
(08:42):
who can take better angles, who can be a more
consistent player, and give this team a better chance of winning,
Because if they're going to make that kind of commitment
at corner, at linebacker, at offensive line, why not make
that same kind of commitment at safety.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
For many reasons, I haven't been sleeping well the last
couple of weeks, and the biggest reason maybe is that
the Bengals can't tackle. Are they going to do anything
or can they do anything this week to really focus
and hone in on that and practice or otherwise to
improve the tackling moving forward.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
By the way, you mentioned not being able to sleep
the last couple of weeks, I'm sure that's an allude
to what would happened with Tony and Tony I want
two minutes here, okay at the end of this segment.
Save two minutes because I'm in the questions asking business.
Oh boy, and I've got some questions to ask of you,
and you don't have to answer them, right. That happens
(09:40):
to me all the time. I ask questions all the
time and I don't get answered. But save me two
minutes to the end of the segment. Miss the missing
tackles question. I don't know, Austin. We asked this question
to to coaches, but both Zach Taylor and defensive coaches
all the time, and we get the same kind of
echo chamber and are where there just isn't a lot
(10:02):
of that they can do during season and it kind
of is what it is and they are who they are.
How how that can improve? I don't know. In season
when these guys just don't get a lot of time
actually full go live tackling in practice at all. They
can drill it individually, they can keep doing that, but
(10:25):
at some point professionals need to get guys on the ground,
and if that's what they're paid to do, they need
to do it at a higher clip. It's certainly something
that the Bengals coaches are very aware of that they
stress during training, can that they stress even during the
season as far as any kind of a drill they
can do. But at some point the fingers got to
(10:46):
be pointed right at the players and say they just
have to be better, and they haven't been good enough.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Did this team unlock something that is repeatable in the
running game on Thursday Night? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I hope so. I think so, And I think I
think it's important to understand as well that the Bengals
were going against a lot of really good fronts early
in the season. That's not an excuse why Chase Brown
and some I JP Ryan weren't finding the kind of
success that we would even consider just good enough for
the run game. But I think once you got into
(11:20):
playing the Steelers and playing with the lead, what was
a big deal for this team to kind of stretch
the run game a little bit? And now we got
to stretch against defenses where I think you can get
the run game going against the Jets, against the Bears, twice,
against Baltimore, once against Buffalo. These are teams that you
can't you can run on, and will need to run
(11:41):
on if you're gonna win those games, especially against those
good offenses in Baltimore and Buffalo. I really liked what
I saw. Everybody left the Green Bay game with a
great feeling about Joe Flacco and Jamar Chasen t Higgins,
but I like the way the run games started to
look at moments in that game. Chase Brown I think
had a run or two over over ten yards against
(12:04):
the Green Bay Packers when they pitched to him the
outside and they let him use his speed and playmaking
in some space, and then it carried over and Zach
Taylor talked about this on Monday. The idea that they
played with a lean allowed them to lean on it
just a little bit more, and you could feel it
(12:25):
from Chase Brown after the game. You could feel it
from Chase Brown when they signed and traded for Joe Flacco,
just a kind of a burden that lifted off his
shoulders a little bit. And certainly having his first one
hundred yard game of the season, you could tell his
spirits were lifted a little bit. Now there's a little
more confidence in the run game. I expect. I expect
(12:45):
the next couple of weeks the Bengals run game will
continue to look good and continue to grow. They're going
to need it in the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Am I overreacting to the fact of how important it
was to have Joe Burrow on the sidelines, not just
to help Joe Flacco, but to talk to receiver, to
talk to offensive lineman. There was a story from Albert
Breer about Joe sending in on a meeting with Joe
with Flacco and Ted Terrris. How important is it? I
know he's he's not able to do everything, but how
important is it to have Joe Burrow around and willing
(13:15):
to help Joe Flacco through this?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Well? I think if there's anybody qualified really to answer
that question about what a backup court in the NFL
can do to help a starting quarterback at Austin Elmore, No, Tody,
I mean, you know right, I look at it like this,
It's two points I want to make. Okay, So the
(13:38):
first point is I made the mistake on Thursday night
of sending out a tweet that I thought Zach Taylor
was cooking. I thought Zach Taylor had one of his
best games in recent memory as a play caller, and
Austin and I were texting about this. You were so
far out of mind because I thought you were unemployed.
I didn't even think that bes to you. Tony and
(14:00):
I those mentions the next day, and every Bengals fan
with a keyboard was telling me, didn't you see Joe
Burrow had ahead, like, come on, people, we're smarter than that.
The idea that Joe is in meetings, that to me
is where he can be a difference maker for Joe Flacco.
(14:21):
I have to imagine that an NFL game in between plays,
in between series is just chaos of information coming from
so many different places. It's hard to calm your brain
down enough to hear one voice and have that voice
be the kind of difference maker that we think Joe
(14:42):
Burrow could be. Does it help, certainly? Absolutely. Not Only
does it help mechanically with Joe talking to quarterbacks and
talking to wide receivers, I think it helps emotionally that
that one or two percent of whatever it is of
having him on the sidelines and little bit of juice
to the Bengalis, There's no doubt about it. But having
(15:04):
Joe inside of a meeting room and helping Joe Flacco
understand concepts, understand tendencies, understand what he and Jamar and
andre Yoshibas like, where they like the football, what they
tend to do on certain coverages. That to me is
where Joe Burrows should be a difference maker for this team.
(15:25):
We see him every Monday. He's in every team meeting.
When they break the meeting, he's with the whole group
of players coming back into the room. I'm most certain
he's there during the week in practice and in meetings
helping Joe Flacco when he can, so that I think
that's where the difference comes, and not necessarily the huge
difference that he makes just in between series during games.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
I do think with his absence on the field, we've
seen Jamar Chase grow as a leader, and obviously he's
getting better and better it seems like on the field.
Two parts question, how have you seen Jamar grow his
role as a leader on and off the field, And secondly,
is he's the best Bengals wide receiver of all time
(16:10):
already he is.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, he's the best Bengals wide receiver of all times.
And that's understanding his stats aren't yet there with Aj
Green and Ed Johnson. But if Jamar Chase were to
retire tomorrow and somebody asked me in forty years, who
was the best you ever saw do it in Cincinnati?
Is Jamar Chase. It's just it's pretty obvious at this
point just watching him perform. I think he's the story
(16:36):
of the Bengals season. I agree, I truly do, because
we can talk about what happened with Joe Burrow and
understand the quarterback position is the most important position in football,
It's the most important position in sports. And the Bengals
going forward and making the trade for Joe Flacco, this
doesn't work unless you have one of the most unique
players in football history. And what Jamar Chase brings to
(17:00):
this team not only from what he does physically with
his assignment, and that's playing wide receiver and getting open,
it's also Jamar Chase going out and running a route
and then that plague being a run play and Chase
Brown breaks free and Jamar Chase sees it out of
the corner of his eyes and sprints downfield to make
(17:21):
a block to get Chase Brown an extra ten yards.
These are the kinds of things that a guy with
a sea on his chest does, and I think Jamar
Chase felt empowered by being named a captain, has reminded
himself publicly multiple times that he is a captain when
answering questions at the podium. I challenge people who don't
(17:44):
follow the Bengles, and I know people who listen to
the show do, but I challenge people who don't follow
the Bengals to watch his weekly press conferences and see
the ease of which he's able to answer questions. Be
a leader, be entertained, but also at the same time,
be the kind of guy that guys look up to
(18:05):
and say that that's the kind of person we need
in this room leading this team. He e to me,
the difference teammates, not only physically but emotionally for this
team has become the story of the Bengals season. And
if this team is able to in the second half
get back in the playoffs contention, it's going to obviously
(18:25):
be what Joe Flacco does. It's going to be can
the defense tackle better? But most importantly is it Ken
Jamar Chase carry this team physically and emotionally in the
second half, Because it feels like to me right now,
he's the number one story in Cincinnati and that story
should be one of the top stories in the NFL.
What he's doing this year should be celebrated, and I
(18:47):
think is being celebrated here, but I think it should
be talked about more nationally.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Speak of another Cincinnati sports story, Joe, how much do
you buying into what's happening in Clifton right now?
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Exciting?
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Man?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
The relevant and that's what we talked about, I think
the last time, and it's interesting, Tony. The last time
I think you and I talked about the Bearcats on
this show was Week one Nebraska, and the whole idea
was can you stay relevant in the Cincinnati sports landscape
as things start to pick up, as the Bengals start,
as the Reds are in a playoff change and that
ce Cincinnati is now in the playoff chase. Yeah, they're relevant,
(19:21):
and I think it's a great thing, not only for
the Bearcats and they're fans, but for Scott Sadderfield. I mean, look,
there's a guy who needed this and he got it.
And this looks like the Scott sadderfield plan is working.
Now the schedule gets harder, and that's cool, that's great.
That's what Bearcats fans want, that's what U see. Wanted
to be playing relevant games in October and November with
(19:44):
a chance to go do some things that at the
beginning of the year they said they could and a
lot of people said you couldn't. There's no way you
could play in the Big Twelve championship. This team doesn't
have that. Here they are, they're in that conversation. And
when you have the kind of momentum day and then
you have the quarterback play that they've got, you're in
a great position. It's exciting. The relevant they they've got
(20:08):
a shot here and they've got a shot against the
teams they need to be to earn their way to Dallas.
And I think that's a cool thing too. If they're
going to get there, they're going to earn it here
the next month and a half.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
You said you had a question as well at the
end of this what do you got Oh boy.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Well, I've got questions, okay, And understand you don't have
to answer these questions. But I've had a lot of
conversations with people and they want these questions answered or
at least asked. Sukay, So when did you find out
you were coming back? Uh?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
The end of last week.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Was that a complete surprise to you or did you
have an inkling.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That I was coming back?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Correct surprise? Okay. Can you explain how you got from
laid off that then being back on the raid? Uh?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
The best way that I can explain it is a
lot of support from either listeners or maybe people that
spend money on this program or at this station. I
would I would imagine that that was kind of what
initially got the ball rolling to revisit these conversations.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Good answer. Two More, is this permanent? Are you back
for good?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yes? Well, I hope nothing in life is permanent, Joe.
I mean if you asked me a couple of weeks ago,
I thought I was permanent as well.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Yeah, last question, will you join me Friday night Live
on Fox nineteen at the UC Holiday.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Absolutely? I can't wait. Really buttered them up to get
to that question. You'd never ask about that. Well, you
wanted to get the tough questions out of the way
early so we could focus on the actual event at
hand on Friday.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I can't wait for that, Tony. I'm so excited for you.
I'm so excited for everybody going into the UC Hall
of Fame. I'm going to be there Friday night, six
o'clock Live on Fox nineteen. I'm bringing a little step
stool so I don't look so short next to you.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Will you?
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Will you be covering the homecoming parade the next day?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I have Saturday off, sir.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Oh my gosh, man, yes, darn it all right.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
See you answered me. Honestly, I have to answer you.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Since you're off, are you coming to the parade?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, let me say this, No, I'm not. You know
why I have to?
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I am helping MC the Ring of Honor event Saturday
night at PEN so I have later focused on Dave
Lapham and Lamar Parrish.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
See, I was trying to figure out which event I
wanted to go to Saturday that might put it over
the top for me.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I think you're going to go on, Joe Dan, I man,
you're the best. I look forward to seeing you on Friday.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Hey, by the way, tomorrow night, Logan Wilson, Evan mc
speerson Yeat big time.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Let's go, dan Iman, you're the best man.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Thank you, Thanks Joe, welcome back, Tony, thank you.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeat Yeat, he's the best. We do have talkbacks up
and running today. I appreciate him asking the hard head
he did. He did. Probably'd let go of now even
if here we go, I'm just gonna leave it there.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
What do we know? Now?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
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It's Tony Pike Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
(00:05):
sponsored in part by Cincy Shirts. Cincy Shirts all sincey
all day. This is ESPN fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Back out an hour two Tuesday afternoon, Cincy three to
sixty thanks to Cincy Shirts. Austen, did you make it
to Loveland or Fort Mitchell yet to get the Hall
of Fame shirt?
Speaker 3 (00:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
I haven't, all right, you just playing on doing that
leading up to the week Sure, it's still early in
the week.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
It's only Tuesday, leading up to the weekend, leading up
to the weekend, already to Okay, the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Leading up to the weekend, gotcha. I know our next guest,
not to mere remissed, I know our next guest has
already probably visited and gotten a couple not just for himself,
but probably for the rest of the crew at Fox
nineteen and his family as well. Our good friend from
Fox nineteen, Joe Daniman hijel Tony.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
P in Austin. Okay, So it is Thursday night football
and for the first time, my two oldest sons are
going to a Bengals game. How cool is that? So
it's about an hour before the game, and I leave
the press box to go down and visit them and
see how they're doing, take a picture. And as I'm
(01:13):
walking back from the concourse to the press box, I hear, hey, Danoman,
that's now three consecutive games where I've been heeded at
a Bengals game. One on a Sunday, one in Green Bay,
(01:34):
one on a Thursday night. We've got to keep it going.
This weekend. I'll be on the field Bengals and Jets
on Sunday, Cincinnati. You know the assignment.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I love it. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I was thinking about buying a ticket now I might
do it, just to do that, just to eat.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, their first time getting down to a game.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
First time. Actually, my oldest went to the Eagles game
last year, which he wanted to delete from his men,
but his middle brother went with him for the first time,
literally the first game he's ever gone to. He's the
biggest Bengals fan in our household, so for them to
go to that game and enjoy it. I told this
to Jeremy Row after the game, that they went to
(02:14):
their first game, and Jeremy said, the Bengals just got
two lifelong fans. Yeah, after that.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
Game, it's tough to beat that though, So that's tough
to beat for the next time.
Speaker 3 (02:25):
It is. It is, especially considering you got to see
Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco compete at over forty years
old and now they think their dad can do anything for.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
How much? How much does Thursday Night just change the
feel and the vibe around the team itself?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Very much so and expectedly so. And we weren't wrong
for we being everybody who watches this team saying that
it felt like that was a crossroads of the season.
It felt like that outside of the building, and I
think it kind of felt that way inside the building
as well. It was funny yesterday and everybody always gets
(03:05):
their chance to play on the touch screen whatever playlist
they want. But whether the older players had cleared out,
only a couple of rookies were still left inside. It
was Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight, and those guys surprised
everyone and put on a country playlist and Demetrius Knight
put on Travis Tritt. It's a great day to be alive. Wow.
(03:26):
And it just feels like there's this sunshine shining through
pay course stadium right now is the Bengals have gotten
themselves to three and four, and we all know what's
coming up. There are winnable games for the Bengals here
before the bye week, and I would pause on the
Bears being lumped in with the Jets, and a lot
(03:47):
of people seem to be doing that, even though the
Bears have been playing good football and I think their
record would surprise people. But certainly there's a golden opportunity
for this team to get to four and four playing
against the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
If it's a team that can get to four and
four and maybe even possibly five and four, and we
continue to hear positive reports on the possibility of Joe
Burrow joining this team at the end of the year,
does it push this team the way they're constructed to
maybe be an aggressive team at the deadline coming up?
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Ooh? I would say sure, yeah. I mean, look, if
you're going to invest in a trade to get Joe
Flacco here and try to keep this thing afloat, and
he's done that not only in the win loss column,
but also just the way it looks and the optics
of what he's done so far. He's been here why
(04:42):
would you not look at adding to your team and
improving your team in other ways? And certainly the Bengalis
have positions and position groups where they could do that. Certainly,
safety is one that jumps to mind. Defensive line jumps
to mind. They need to put more production out of
the offensive line. Offensive line is an area they could address.
(05:03):
So while I look at the Bengals right now as
possibly winning their way back into playoff contention that this
roster in this era is supposed to be about winning
playoff games and competing for super Bowls, and the way
they're constructed right now with this roster, it probably isn't
good enough. And you could argue with me, it isn't
(05:25):
good enough even if Joe is healthy to win a
super Bowl. And it kind of feels like there's no
real super dominant team, even though it feels like Kansas
City might be trending towards that way the way they
played the last couple of weeks. But it feels like
even if Joe were healthy, they would still need some
more additions for this team to feel real comfortable about
making a Super Bowl run. So sure, what two weeks
(05:48):
until the trade deadline, they have multiple position groups they
could upgrade in a lot of times, it isn't the
huge splash that can help you get over the hump.
I mean, look what the Reds did at the trade deadline,
and we can we can laugh and say, well, though,
the Reds didn't win the World Series, but they made
the playoffs and they got there with the help of
some of the acquisitions they had at their trade deadline.
(06:10):
So certainly, yeah, I think the Bengals should be looking
to be aggressive to upgrade the roster. They've done it
once already at quarterback, and that was to keep a
season afloat, and now that the season is afloat, why
not look to improve at positions they need improvement.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So we discussed them bringing in Joe Flacco, you discussed
the possibility to trade deadline. I look back at what
they chose to do or not to do on Sunday
or on Thursday. They made Cam Taylor britt a healthy scratch.
They started Jalen Rivers and Dalton Reisner. It feels to
me we've seen Logan Wilson at times in his snap counts,
(06:46):
but it seems to me, Joe that we're seeing a
team that's coaching with urgency, not a team that's waiting
to see, Okay, let's see if this player can figure
it out or not. But we need guys on the field.
They're going to help us right now. Do you get
a sense of that that the way they are constructing
these rosters on any game day is literally the urgency
way of can this player help us today or not?
(07:08):
Because we don't have time to wait around and see
if they're going to get better.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
That's really a great point. And yeah, I think so.
I mean, listen, you go back and you listen to
what Zach Taylor has said over the years about coaches
and winning. And I always think of that Miami game
that the Bengals almost one that would have cost them
Joe Burrow. And you know, to paraphrase what Zach Taylor
said in there is coaches are coaching for their jobs
(07:34):
at all times. Players are competing for their jobs at
all times. And I think the urgency and the conversations
that were being had about Dak Taylor, what about this
coaching staff ahead of Thursday night football, There had to
be real urgency for this team to find a way
to get a win, to cool the seat, so to speak.
(07:56):
And if that's playing younger players, If that's committing to
trying different things, I think you have to commend them
for that, turning over every rock they can to try
to find the right combination. Now, you would argue also
at the same time, then why is Geno Stone still playing?
If they're going to do the youth movement at linebacker,
(08:18):
if they're going to do the youth thing at offensive line,
they have younger players at safety, and younger doesn't always
mean better, younger and different doesn't always mean it's going
to be different. But I think certainly we've seen what
Geno Stone is and what he isn't And at this point,
I think a lot of people listening to this would
like to see somebody else get a shot back there,
(08:42):
who can take better angles, who can be a more
consistent player, and give this team a better chance of winning,
Because if they're going to make that kind of commitment
at corner, at linebacker, at offensive line, why not make
that same kind of commitment at safety.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
For many reasons, I haven't been sleeping well the last
couple of weeks, and the biggest reason maybe is that
the Bengals can't tackle. Are they going to do anything
or can they do anything this week to really focus
and hone in on that and practice or otherwise to
improve the tackling moving forward.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
By the way, you mentioned not being able to sleep
the last couple of weeks, I'm sure that's an allude
to what would happened with Tony and Tony I want
two minutes here, okay at the end of this segment.
Save two minutes because I'm in the questions asking business.
Oh boy, and I've got some questions to ask of you,
and you don't have to answer them, right. That happens
(09:40):
to me all the time. I ask questions all the
time and I don't get answered. But save me two
minutes to the end of the segment. Miss the missing
tackles question. I don't know, Austin. We asked this question
to to coaches, but both Zach Taylor and defensive coaches
all the time, and we get the same kind of
echo chamber and are where there just isn't a lot
(10:02):
of that they can do during season and it kind
of is what it is and they are who they are.
How how that can improve? I don't know. In season
when these guys just don't get a lot of time
actually full go live tackling in practice at all. They
can drill it individually, they can keep doing that, but
(10:25):
at some point professionals need to get guys on the ground,
and if that's what they're paid to do, they need
to do it at a higher clip. It's certainly something
that the Bengals coaches are very aware of that they
stress during training, can that they stress even during the
season as far as any kind of a drill they
can do. But at some point the fingers got to
(10:46):
be pointed right at the players and say they just
have to be better, and they haven't been good enough.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Did this team unlock something that is repeatable in the
running game on Thursday Night? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I hope so. I think so, And I think I
think it's important to understand as well that the Bengals
were going against a lot of really good fronts early
in the season. That's not an excuse why Chase Brown
and some I JP Ryan weren't finding the kind of
success that we would even consider just good enough for
the run game. But I think once you got into
(11:20):
playing the Steelers and playing with the lead, what was
a big deal for this team to kind of stretch
the run game a little bit? And now we got
to stretch against defenses where I think you can get
the run game going against the Jets, against the Bears, twice,
against Baltimore, once against Buffalo. These are teams that you
can't you can run on, and will need to run
(11:41):
on if you're gonna win those games, especially against those
good offenses in Baltimore and Buffalo. I really liked what
I saw. Everybody left the Green Bay game with a
great feeling about Joe Flacco and Jamar Chasen t Higgins,
but I like the way the run games started to
look at moments in that game. Chase Brown I think
had a run or two over over ten yards against
(12:04):
the Green Bay Packers when they pitched to him the
outside and they let him use his speed and playmaking
in some space, and then it carried over and Zach
Taylor talked about this on Monday. The idea that they
played with a lean allowed them to lean on it
just a little bit more, and you could feel it
(12:25):
from Chase Brown after the game. You could feel it
from Chase Brown when they signed and traded for Joe Flacco,
just a kind of a burden that lifted off his
shoulders a little bit. And certainly having his first one
hundred yard game of the season, you could tell his
spirits were lifted a little bit. Now there's a little
more confidence in the run game. I expect. I expect
(12:45):
the next couple of weeks the Bengals run game will
continue to look good and continue to grow. They're going
to need it in the second half of the season.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Am I overreacting to the fact of how important it
was to have Joe Burrow on the sidelines, not just
to help Joe Flacco, but to talk to receiver, to
talk to offensive lineman. There was a story from Albert
Breer about Joe sending in on a meeting with Joe
with Flacco and Ted Terrris. How important is it? I
know he's he's not able to do everything, but how
important is it to have Joe Burrow around and willing
(13:15):
to help Joe Flacco through this?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
Well? I think if there's anybody qualified really to answer
that question about what a backup court in the NFL
can do to help a starting quarterback at Austin Elmore, No, Tody,
I mean, you know right, I look at it like this,
It's two points I want to make. Okay, So the
(13:38):
first point is I made the mistake on Thursday night
of sending out a tweet that I thought Zach Taylor
was cooking. I thought Zach Taylor had one of his
best games in recent memory as a play caller, and
Austin and I were texting about this. You were so
far out of mind because I thought you were unemployed.
I didn't even think that bes to you. Tony and
(14:00):
I those mentions the next day, and every Bengals fan
with a keyboard was telling me, didn't you see Joe
Burrow had ahead, like, come on, people, we're smarter than that.
The idea that Joe is in meetings, that to me
is where he can be a difference maker for Joe Flacco.
(14:21):
I have to imagine that an NFL game in between plays,
in between series is just chaos of information coming from
so many different places. It's hard to calm your brain
down enough to hear one voice and have that voice
be the kind of difference maker that we think Joe
(14:42):
Burrow could be. Does it help, certainly? Absolutely. Not Only
does it help mechanically with Joe talking to quarterbacks and
talking to wide receivers, I think it helps emotionally that
that one or two percent of whatever it is of
having him on the sidelines and little bit of juice
to the Bengalis, There's no doubt about it. But having
(15:04):
Joe inside of a meeting room and helping Joe Flacco
understand concepts, understand tendencies, understand what he and Jamar and
andre Yoshibas like, where they like the football, what they
tend to do on certain coverages. That to me is
where Joe Burrows should be a difference maker for this team.
(15:25):
We see him every Monday. He's in every team meeting.
When they break the meeting, he's with the whole group
of players coming back into the room. I'm most certain
he's there during the week in practice and in meetings
helping Joe Flacco when he can, so that I think
that's where the difference comes, and not necessarily the huge
difference that he makes just in between series during games.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
I do think with his absence on the field, we've
seen Jamar Chase grow as a leader, and obviously he's
getting better and better it seems like on the field.
Two parts question, how have you seen Jamar grow his
role as a leader on and off the field, And secondly,
is he's the best Bengals wide receiver of all time
(16:10):
already he is.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, he's the best Bengals wide receiver of all times.
And that's understanding his stats aren't yet there with Aj
Green and Ed Johnson. But if Jamar Chase were to
retire tomorrow and somebody asked me in forty years, who
was the best you ever saw do it in Cincinnati?
Is Jamar Chase. It's just it's pretty obvious at this
point just watching him perform. I think he's the story
(16:36):
of the Bengals season. I agree, I truly do, because
we can talk about what happened with Joe Burrow and
understand the quarterback position is the most important position in football,
It's the most important position in sports. And the Bengals
going forward and making the trade for Joe Flacco, this
doesn't work unless you have one of the most unique
players in football history. And what Jamar Chase brings to
(17:00):
this team not only from what he does physically with
his assignment, and that's playing wide receiver and getting open,
it's also Jamar Chase going out and running a route
and then that plague being a run play and Chase
Brown breaks free and Jamar Chase sees it out of
the corner of his eyes and sprints downfield to make
(17:21):
a block to get Chase Brown an extra ten yards.
These are the kinds of things that a guy with
a sea on his chest does, and I think Jamar
Chase felt empowered by being named a captain, has reminded
himself publicly multiple times that he is a captain when
answering questions at the podium. I challenge people who don't
(17:44):
follow the Bengles, and I know people who listen to
the show do, but I challenge people who don't follow
the Bengals to watch his weekly press conferences and see
the ease of which he's able to answer questions. Be
a leader, be entertained, but also at the same time,
be the kind of guy that guys look up to
(18:05):
and say that that's the kind of person we need
in this room leading this team. He e to me,
the difference teammates, not only physically but emotionally for this
team has become the story of the Bengals season. And
if this team is able to in the second half
get back in the playoffs contention, it's going to obviously
(18:25):
be what Joe Flacco does. It's going to be can
the defense tackle better? But most importantly is it Ken
Jamar Chase carry this team physically and emotionally in the
second half, Because it feels like to me right now,
he's the number one story in Cincinnati and that story
should be one of the top stories in the NFL.
What he's doing this year should be celebrated, and I
(18:47):
think is being celebrated here, but I think it should
be talked about more nationally.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Speak of another Cincinnati sports story, Joe, how much do
you buying into what's happening in Clifton right now?
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Exciting?
Speaker 5 (18:57):
Man?
Speaker 3 (18:58):
The relevant and that's what we talked about, I think
the last time, and it's interesting, Tony. The last time
I think you and I talked about the Bearcats on
this show was Week one Nebraska, and the whole idea
was can you stay relevant in the Cincinnati sports landscape
as things start to pick up, as the Bengals start,
as the Reds are in a playoff change and that
ce Cincinnati is now in the playoff chase. Yeah, they're relevant,
(19:21):
and I think it's a great thing, not only for
the Bearcats and they're fans, but for Scott Sadderfield. I mean, look,
there's a guy who needed this and he got it.
And this looks like the Scott sadderfield plan is working.
Now the schedule gets harder, and that's cool, that's great.
That's what Bearcats fans want, that's what U see. Wanted
to be playing relevant games in October and November with
(19:44):
a chance to go do some things that at the
beginning of the year they said they could and a
lot of people said you couldn't. There's no way you
could play in the Big Twelve championship. This team doesn't
have that. Here they are, they're in that conversation. And
when you have the kind of momentum day and then
you have the quarterback play that they've got, you're in
a great position. It's exciting. The relevant they they've got
(20:08):
a shot here and they've got a shot against the
teams they need to be to earn their way to Dallas.
And I think that's a cool thing too. If they're
going to get there, they're going to earn it here
the next month and a half.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
You said you had a question as well at the
end of this what do you got Oh boy.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Well, I've got questions, okay, And understand you don't have
to answer these questions. But I've had a lot of
conversations with people and they want these questions answered or
at least asked. Sukay, So when did you find out
you were coming back? Uh?
Speaker 2 (20:41):
The end of last week.
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Was that a complete surprise to you or did you
have an inkling.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That I was coming back?
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Correct surprise? Okay. Can you explain how you got from
laid off that then being back on the raid? Uh?
Speaker 2 (21:01):
The best way that I can explain it is a
lot of support from either listeners or maybe people that
spend money on this program or at this station. I
would I would imagine that that was kind of what
initially got the ball rolling to revisit these conversations.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
Good answer. Two More, is this permanent? Are you back
for good?
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yes? Well, I hope nothing in life is permanent, Joe.
I mean if you asked me a couple of weeks ago,
I thought I was permanent as well.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Yeah, last question, will you join me Friday night Live
on Fox nineteen at the UC Holiday.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Absolutely? I can't wait. Really buttered them up to get
to that question. You'd never ask about that. Well, you
wanted to get the tough questions out of the way
early so we could focus on the actual event at
hand on Friday.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I can't wait for that, Tony. I'm so excited for you.
I'm so excited for everybody going into the UC Hall
of Fame. I'm going to be there Friday night, six
o'clock Live on Fox nineteen. I'm bringing a little step
stool so I don't look so short next to you.
Speaker 5 (22:06):
Will you?
Speaker 2 (22:06):
Will you be covering the homecoming parade the next day?
Speaker 3 (22:11):
I have Saturday off, sir.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
Oh my gosh, man, yes, darn it all right.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
See you answered me. Honestly, I have to answer you.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
Since you're off, are you coming to the parade?
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Well, let me say this, No, I'm not. You know
why I have to?
Speaker 4 (22:27):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
I am helping MC the Ring of Honor event Saturday
night at PEN so I have later focused on Dave
Lapham and Lamar Parrish.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
See, I was trying to figure out which event I
wanted to go to Saturday that might put it over
the top for me.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
I think you're going to go on, Joe Dan, I man,
you're the best. I look forward to seeing you on Friday.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Hey, by the way, tomorrow night, Logan Wilson, Evan mc
speerson Yeat big time.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Let's go, dan Iman, you're the best man.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Thank you, Thanks Joe, welcome back, Tony, thank you.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Yeat Yeat, he's the best. We do have talkbacks up
and running today. I appreciate him asking the hard head
he did. He did. Probably'd let go of now even
if here we go, I'm just gonna leave it there.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
What do we know? Now?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
Talkbacks working? Talkbacks are working next Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 6 (23:33):
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Speaker 5 (23:41):
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Joe Cordell of Cordell and Cordell, the largest family law
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