November 13, 2025 • 49 mins
Tony and Austin read and react to the advanced data RE: Bengals at Steelers, breakdown the Bearcats, and more in Hour 1.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Tony Pike, Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
sponsored in part by Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili
for a three way or cheese cony today. Feeling good,
It's Skyline Time. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome in and happy Thursday. You just heard right there
at Cincy three sixty and a service of Skyline Chile. Look,
anytime you're feeling good and hungry, it's always Skyline time.
Thanks for joining us, Thanks for being a part of
the show. If you'd like to further that be more
of a part of the show, give us a phone call,
especially here in our number one today. Phone lines will
(00:44):
be open for you. If I've won three seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. We want to hear what you have to say.
We have what we have to say, and we have
our guest line up today on Thursdays, as we know
from Ada's Esports, John Sheeran waiting to join us at
one o'clock this afternoon. Keegan Nicholson of Bearcat Journal dot com.
We'll join us at two. We'll talk Nova care, we'll
(01:06):
talk fractures. Around two twenty we have talkbacks and we
have so much more. It's the Thursday edition of sincey
three to sixty. We invite you to be as much
a part of it as you possibly can. We'll get
into some read and react today as it pertains to
the Bengals in the Steelers this coming Sunday. We'll talk
(01:28):
a little more about UC Arizona on Saturday, and so
much more across the world of sports. Speaking of across
the world of sports, Austin, we've got cy Young winners,
cy Young Award winners.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Isn't it weird? How baseball just like random nights throughout
the week in November they're like, oh yeah, here's our
biggest awards.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Sweeps it under the rug.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
They still haven't announced MVP yet.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Everything they do is swept under the rug. Everything they
do is a is a backseat to whatever else is
going on.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Weird, how like they choose not to make it a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yes, why wouldn't you want to highlight that? Why wouldn't
you want to highlight the best of your sport on
their own night?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Correct, It's just weird. It's very strange. I don't get it.
But congratulations to Terrek school ball and uh, but what's
his name Paul. Yes, I almost said Pat Mahomes, Paul Skans,
and Trek schooball back to back winners school ball is Yeah,
now skiings Austin. They made it a big deal because
(02:34):
you know, his reaction previously wasn't that great. Much different
reaction this year. They had the whole party go super excited. Yeah,
I mean, congrats to Paul Skeins. He he dominated with
thirty first place votes. It was one I mean, it
was an absolute no brainer. Andrew Abbot got a couple
(02:54):
of votes.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Andrew Abbott did get a couple vote votes. He got
four votes.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, got a fourth place vote, a two fifth place votes,
maybe a sixth place vote if I saw that correctly,
which you know, I didn't realize this until today. But like,
you get bonuses, like from the Players Association, if I'm
not mistaken, if you finish in a certain spot in
those awards. So Paul Sken's got an extra two point
(03:19):
five mil for winning the cy Young if you finish fourth,
you get an extra million dollars. So Andrew Abbott narrowly
missed out on that. But yeah, I do think that's
cool that they reared them with a little extra cash
if you win those awards.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Didn't mention the Manager Managers of the Year though Steven
Vote for the Cleveland Guardians won it. Yeah, and then
in the National League Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Both of those guys won it last year too. How
about Pat Murphy the Brewers, Like everybody loves Pat Murphy.
I think that's part of the reason why he wins it,
just like a likable guy. But like, win a game?
Did they do win a playoff game? Do Brewers fans
feel like it was a success? I mean, they exceeded
(04:11):
probably their preseason expectations. That's fine, But like when you
win ninety six games or whatever it was, you set
a new franchise record, you probably expect to at least
go to the old series.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Is there a little disappointment after that?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
I was up in Wisconsin at the time all that
was happening, and I was listening to some of the
sports talk radio up there, and I was astounded by
all they seemed to care about was let's just beat
the Cubs. That's all they cared about. Yep, and they
kind of expected to lose to the Dodgers. I was
blown away by that mentality. But what I one of
(04:47):
the things I learned when I was up there is
that there may not be a disdain or a hatred
between two fan bases that is less talked about than
Milwaukee and Chicago. Yeah, and specifically baseball, Like obviously you
got the Bears and the Packers in there a little
bit as well, but Brewers fans hate Cubs fans, and
(05:12):
they especially hate when they come to Milwaukee to come
to games. I learned that. I was blown away by that. Yeah,
it's a random thought.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
It is, but I'm I'm so with you in the
idea of how they go about with giving away their awards.
Make it a big deal, like you, Everything about the
game of baseball in recent years has been about what
you utilize your players more, put your best players, you know,
up front and center. Make it a big deal, make
(05:42):
it feel like it's a monumental thing instead, Like we've
talked about this with the Major League Baseball Draft every year,
just it's tucked away on a random day where games
are happening. And now, like, look at what the other
sports do. They make it a production, they make it
an event, they draw it out for TV. At the
same time baseball does none of that is said. How
(06:06):
many how many random sports fans often probably even know
that the awards were now given out this week.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I mean, I'm pretty plugged in and I didn't even
know that the cy Young Award was happening until I
saw it on Instagram last night.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, it's just it's it is.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
But that that's the other thing, Like you could go
live on Instagram, you could go live on TikTok, you
can go live on and you know, in some way,
shape or form and let people know what's happening instead
of putting it on MLB network. And I don't know,
it's just it's it's very strange to me how there
is just a complete disregard for that. Yeah, I mean,
(06:46):
I don't know that you have to do what the
NFL does with the NFL Honors and turn it into
an awards show like the Red Carpet a Los Angeles.
I don't know if you're gonna get that, But can
you find a you know, a time to do that
during football season? I feel like you could.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
If you're baseball, just imagine if you could get in
the same room your MVP finalist Otani Swarber Soto judge Raley,
Jose Ramirez like them in a in a space together.
People would want to watch that because you never get
(07:21):
to see all those guys together in baseball.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I don't know if they have started to do that
with the MVP Awards or not. I remember a couple
of years ago, I think it was like twenty sixteen
or seventeen, when Vado was ridiculous and the Reds were awful,
and I think he finished second or third in MVP voting.
He was like on he was live from the Reds
Hall of Fame. Yeah, he was just like sitting in
(07:43):
a chair in the museum. And while that was a
cool backdrop, especially if you're a Reds fan, it's like
he couldn't you know, they couldn't put him in you know,
do it in Cooperstown every year wherever. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Uh. Baseball does a lot of things that don't make sense.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah, yeah, I said, I think it's a miss, but
it is. It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
At this point, I thought Paul Skeen said some pretty
cool stuff last night about being a pirate and all that.
Do you want to get into this really quickly? Yeah,
So he was asked about you know, there was a
report an anonymous teammate of Paul Skeen said that he
says he wants to play for the Yankees. Anonymous doesn't
want to play for the Pirates, and he was naturally
(08:27):
asked about that and asked about, you know, the Pirates
wanting to win and trying to win. He said, quote,
this isn't my city. I'm not from Pittsburgh. I'm adopted
by this city. The fans that show up for us
when we are winning, I personally love that. If we
are losing, the fans don't show up in the same numbers.
(08:48):
It's not like Chicago or Saint Louis. If you want fans,
you gotta win. They deserve it. I appreciated that from
people now Lewis thing.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
That's a little pressure on the organization too.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, the Saint Louis thing is not applicable anymore because
those fans have stopped showing up, and and good for
them for doing so. But I appreciate that Paul has
now multiple times put some pressure on the organization absolutely
to say, okay, listen, man, I can leave. I will
(09:22):
leave if you don't give me a reason to stay.
And I mean if you're if you're a Pirates fan
right now, how do you feel you got the Rookie
of the Year and the Scion back to back years.
You've got the best, arguably the best player in baseball
not named Shoho Tani, and you have an organization that
has flat out disregarded any attempt to win.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think it at the most, I think the word
would be hopeless. Yeah, like you have to feel hopeless,
like we we in a sense we talk about it
in Cincinnati a little bit of well enjoy Elle while
he's here. I mean that has to be magnified with schemes, right, Oh,
I mean you're talking about a once in a generational talent. Yeah,
and it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's not
going to play on a competitive team in Pittsburgh and
(10:06):
eventually he's going to be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I mean even O'tani was when he was with the Angels,
they at least tried, like hell, and they made, you know,
changes and brought in guys and they had Trout obviously.
Mean hell, you could even say that the acquisition of
Otani was trying to build around Trout. They tried, they failed.
It would be like O'tani you know, going to the braves,
(10:29):
and the braves just don't try to put anybody around him.
It'd be amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yep. Some NFL news that's about the wide receiver position.
Antonio Brown has been released from jail. He is a
waiting and attempted murder trial. Keep an eye on that.
And then what do you make, if anything, about what's
going on with the Philadelphia Eagles and AJ Brown? AJ Brown.
I think he was playing like Madden or a video
(10:54):
game online and essentially told people like, if you've got
me in Fantasy, don't play me anymore. Essentially he's talking
about how how hard it is and how hard this
season has been. You know, nothing Everything you say right now,
I feel like is going to be blown up because
(11:14):
of the world of the media that we're in. AJ
Brown is Yeah. AJ Brown is playing video games and
talking on a video game about, you know, essentially how
hard the season has been. And I don't think he
was doing it to try to create a stir. I
think he was doing it to just have a conversation
(11:36):
with a friend. But that obviously gets taken into context.
And what I what I appreciate about AJ Brown, He's
not apologizing for what he said. No, he said, it's
not solely about my situation. I want to win. I
think if we're really focused on winning and doing our job,
we can keep slopping a band aid over the defense
doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At
(11:57):
what point are we going to pick up our slack
on offense? Obviously he feels like picking up the slack
on offense would be getting him involved, and rightfully so,
he's a very very good receiver. He was asked playing
Madden you know if everything was going well? He said, no,
where have you been? Family's good, everything else. No, it's
(12:18):
a bleep show. Yeah, he shouldn't have to apologize for
that because he's telling the truth.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
He's also been pretty open about this in the media
in the past. He was open about it, you know
at times last year when things weren't going well for them. Listen,
Philly is seven and two. That's the thing, and that's fine.
But I think maybe the point AJ is trying to
make is it's seven and two, but we may not
be good enough to get back to where we want
(12:44):
to go because the offense is not operating, not functioning
the way that it's supposed to. Be and they're not.
That's the thing, correct, He's right, he's not a part
of it. Dude has thirty one catches. Yeah, through nine games,
four yards first in the National Football League. He has
just four hundred yards.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
That's fiftieth in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
And so I get where he's that he's upset. I
don't know that always being public about it is the
best play. Yeah, But also you know, I don't blame
him for being upset. I appreciate his honesty. Yeah, And
I also appreciate him saying no, I'm not apologizing.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
For what I said. Yeah, Like it'd be very easy
to be like, ah, that's my mistake. It's whatever. And
I don't think he was trying to be a huge distraction.
I just think he's being very open about where his
role is and what's going on with the Philadelphia Eagles.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that, nor do
I think you should respond by that now. Jalen Hurts
was asked about it. His quote, we got the Detroit
(13:42):
Lions this week, so I'm definitely gonna put a halt
to it. The more we drive to it, the more
of a distraction it becomes. And I think Ultimately it's
about the group, and I think that's a good response
from the quarterback as well.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Jalen his first team all coach speak like that's just
who he is as a guy. I think there are
times where, like I saw a clip yesterday of like
two thousand and seven where t O and Donovan McNabb
or just hashing it out on the sideline, right, two
alpha personalities too, you know, outgoing dudes that are not
afraid to just make their voice heard. Jalen is a
(14:13):
very buttoned up dude. He has a mentality, a focus.
He's focused on the mission. If aj Brown thinks that
complaining about targets or complaining about you know, his the
way the offense works or whatever is going to get
under the skin of Jalen Hurts or forced Jalen Hurts
to change is the way he operates, then he doesn't
(14:34):
really know Jalen.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Hurts, right, Which maybe that's why he felt like he
could talk about it. Yeah, maybe so, Like I know Jalen,
Jalen knows me. It's who we are. I think I
can talk about it. I view that relationship in that
way of both of them being enough of a professional
to get their job done. Let's take ourselves a break.
We're just getting started. Let's do some read and react
(14:55):
when we get back, Austin, Let's read and react, Bangles Steelers,
your phone calls as well. Five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty at Cincy three to sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Now your chance to win one thousand dollars Internati, brought
to you by Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
All right, it's football in the NATI, so let's do it. Austin,
Let's talk about football here in Cincinnati. On ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. On Thursdays, we like to to do
a little read and react about the upcoming opponent for
the Cincinnati Bengals. And we did what we needed to
do last week. We did some tendency talk, we reacted
(15:38):
to the season up to this point. But now we
can read and react looking ahead to the Pittsburgh Steelers
on Sunday. What do we got today, Well, we got
a few different ones. Let's start with the quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Hey, Rod,
Aaron Rodgers, Tony has not passed for more than three
hundred excuse me, two hundred and thirty yards in his
(16:03):
last three games. However, the last time he did so
was against the Bengals in Wach seven. In that game,
he had thirty four attempts for two hundred and forty
nine passing yards and four touchdowns. The Bengals are one
of just three teams to allow more than two hundred
and sixty passing yards per game this season. Uh, it
(16:26):
speaks to the complete lack of pass rush that the
Bengals have. I mean, listen, it goes further than that.
Austin what he he had two forty nine against the Bengals,
he has not eclipsed two fifty at all this year.
In the opener against the Jets, he had two hundred
and forty four passing yards. Following that two oh three
(16:47):
one thirty nine, two hundred, two thirty five two nineteen,
two oh three, one sixty one. He's not producing the
big plays that we historically see from Aaron Rodgers. And
at the same time, he's throwing the ball thirty thirty three,
thirty four thirty six times a game, so they're putting
up the passes. It just feels like watching this team
(17:10):
outside of Pat Fryarmuth against the Bengals, that everything is
dink and dunk, that everything's the short passes, there's not
much run after the catch. He's not connecting on the
deep shots down the field. And I think there are
multiple factors to that one. I don't think his footwork
is quite what it was when he was younger. I
still think the arms there, but I don't think it
matches with the footwork, and I think he's struggling to
(17:31):
get that timing down. I also think outside of DK Metcalf,
who everyone now is just going to double team, I
don't think their receiving course strikes a lot of fear
into most teams.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Well, I think the other thing with Rogers in that
game from a couple of thursdays ago was the fact
that you know, one of those completions was like a
forty yard touchdown to pat Ryermuth. I mean, without that,
the Bengals probably hold him to about that number around
two hundred a in which makes me, you know, wonder
what exactly the plan for Pittsburgh will be in this game?
(18:03):
How about this?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I also one more on Rogers, sure, I also find
it interesting the Bengals were not able to sack him once.
In the three games that have transpired after the Bengals game,
He's been sacked three times in each game. So nine
times since the Bengals failed to get home at all,
Aaron Rodgers has been sacked. Do you remember Austin It
(18:25):
was like his first touchdown pass against the Bengals. They
were in the low red zone. I don't exactly remember
who he threw it to, but they were in the
low red zone day and it felt like he had
ten seconds in the pocket. He scrambled around and it's
like that looked like thirty year old Aaron Rodgers, not
because he moved well, but just he was able because
(18:48):
the pocket was so open to freely move around it.
He's not been able to do that much this year.
You can't allow him to do that again going forward.
The Bengals defense has struggled with tackling this season, missing
one hundred and nine tackles and allowing seven hundred and
seventy eight yards after missed tackles. Both those numbers are
(19:11):
the most seventy eight football league. Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Most of that stems from poor execution on initial contact
as they've converted just seventy one percent of their first
tackle opportunities, the lowest rate in the league. Wow, you
could have told me seven I would have never guessed
they did at seventy one percent. No, man, that is
(19:36):
I know. There's not a ton to say on that one.
We've talked about it a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
But what I think is most interesting on average, when
they're missing a tackle, the other team is getting an
additional seven yards. That's crazy, Like, it's not like you
make the first guy miss and then the cavalry arrives
and you pick up two extra yards. They're they're dangneering
picking up first downs every time they break a tackle. Yeah,
(20:02):
you can't operate. You can operate in that sense. Again,
one one hundred and nine missed tackles for some teams
is not even the number they hit in the full season.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, to continue on to that point, sixty eight point
seven of the Steelers' passing yards this season have come
after the catch, a higher mark than any other team
in the next Gen stats era. Uh uh. They are
the only team above sixty percent in twenty twenty five
uhh DK metcalf three hundred and five and Jalen Warren
(20:38):
two hundred and fifty eight have recorded the most yak
on the team, combining for forty four percent of the
Steelers team total. The Bengals defense has allowed sixty two
point five percent of their passing yards after the catch
this season, the highest rate in the league. So just tackles,
(21:02):
is it you're not in position to.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It's a little bit of both. Yeah, not even you know,
I think it's a little bit of both. You said
sixty two and a half of their passing yards have
come after the catch. That's insane. One that tells me
you're not connected a lot on your on your back end.
You know again, how many times have we seen a
ball completed against the Bengals and you're like, man, what
tight coverage other than DJ Turner? And it makes sense
(21:28):
for the Steelers, Like that's a high number. But when
you just break it down to DK Metcalf and Jalen
Warre and that makes sense, that's a lot of short
get it out of your hands if Aaron Rodgers and
try to get a ball to a guy in space,
and Jalen Warren that can make guys miss and DK
Metcalf who can still run around people that, to me,
paired with the lack of offense, or paired with the
(21:50):
lack of ability to get after the offensive passer, You're
you're You're not gonna have Trey Hendrickson, likely not gonna
have Shamar Stewart. How do you apply pressure to Aaron
Rodgers to not allow them to allow those routes to
develop and not exploit big openings in the in the
back end.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
The last time these two teams met, the Steelers were
adamant on sticking with their man defense, and the Bengals
picked them apart. T Higgins has caught fourteen of twenty
six targets against man coverage for two hundred and seventeen
yards that's eighth most in the NFL and four touchdowns.
(22:29):
He has averaged fourteen point six air yards per target
against man, the ninth most among players with at least
ten such targets. On man coverage targets traveling ten or
more air yards, Higgins has totaled one hundred and eighty
one yards, tied for third most, and two touchdowns. The
Steelers defense has played man coverage on forty two percent
(22:52):
of opponent dropbacks, the third highest rate in the league.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Some thing's gotta give.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Like they can't do what they did again, right, They can't.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
You can't it, And to me, it's it's what I'm
looking for right away on Sunday, Let's say, first series,
do they do they try at least one more series
to say, let's see if if we've got this figured out,
or do you just come out and say we're taking
our medicine, we know what this was last time, and
we're gonna play zone this week. That to me is
the most interesting part. We talked about it a little bit.
(23:26):
They have made some adjustments. Jalen Ramsey's now playing majority
at the safety role. That's different than the last time
they were here. Because Jalen Ramsey couldn't keep up with
t Higgins or Jamar Chase. There's no way you rewatch
the tape and see Joe Flackill pump at twenty three
times to Jamar Chase and and come back out and say, yes, man,
coverage makes the most sense. I just don't see them
(23:47):
doing that. And the only way I would see them
doing that is if their front four were better than
what we've seen. They're not as dominant on their defensive
front as I think A lot of people thought they
would be, which makes it harder to play man because
you just covering for a longer amount of time.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Well, let's talk about that. Number One makes me think
maybe Zach Taylor dial up a shot first play and
just see what Pittsburgh's thinking. The Steelers defense has generated
quick pressure under two and a half seconds on seventeen
point four percent of opponent dropbacks this season. That's the
fifth highest rate in the NFL. They've averaged a two
(24:23):
point five to three second time to pressure, the quickest
in the NFL. Nick Herbig has fifteen. TJ. Watt has fourteen,
that's ninth and twelfth most in the NFL. They lead
the team in quick pressures, standing as the only Steelers
defenders with ten or more quick pressures this season.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
That's what I was gonna go. It's just not as
balanced along the line as it has been in years past,
and not with TJ. Watt. TJ. Watt's still a great player.
I don't think TJ. Watts has a big answer for
double teams right now. He's just not been as big
of a factor. They did get to Joe Flacco twice
in that previous win for the Bengals. But to me, Austin,
(25:04):
it didn't feel like Flacco was just under a barrage
of pressure the whole game. It felt like the running
game and the quick game alleviated a little bit a
little bit of that from the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm a
little surprised that their fifth highest in the NFL at
that quick pressure rate because the first go around with
the Bengals, and again credit Chase Brown, credit Joe Flacco
and the ability to get it out quick. I just
(25:26):
didn't see that being a thing for them. Now if
they were to go zone now, maybe Jamar, Chase and
T Higgins don't break free as quick. Maybe that does
allow that defense of the Steelers to generate some quicker pressures.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
A couple more, Let's go with TJ. Watt. TJ. Watt
needs one sack to pass his brother JJ's NFL career
sack total of one hundred and fourteen and a half.
Both Watt brothers had exactly eleven and a half sacks
in college at Wisconsin, with TJ at one hundred and
(25:58):
fourteen NFL's sacks and JJ at one hundred and fourteen
and a half.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Yeah, that first go round TJ. Watt one hit on
the quarterback, a half sack, and one total tackle in
the game. He was essentially nonexistent in that first go round.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
He is.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
He's got six sacks this year, so it's not a
terrible terrible number, but if you look at what he's
on pace to do each of the last couple of years,
I mean, he's had a twenty two and a half
sack year, he's had a nineteen sack year, he's had
fourteen and a half, fifteen thirteen. He's just not as dominant.
Only thirty seven tackles to this point, fifteen of those solo,
(26:36):
which is well below what he averaged each of the
last couple of years. You hit on this earlier in
the week, Austin. It is why the Bengals, and rightfully so,
were hesitant in dishing out that type of money to
Trey Hendrickson, because at some point, and TJ. Wat's thirty
one years old, at some point, the production is going
(26:58):
to drop, and it feels like it's dropping little bit
for TJ. Watt.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Jamar Chase has six and fifty six receiving yards this
year in his career so far, that's the sixth most
receiving yards by a player in their first five career
seasons in NFL history. Chase needs one hundred and nine
receiving yards to pass Jerry Rice for the fourth most
(27:25):
in his first five seasons. The top three justin Jefferson,
Tory Holt, and Randy Moss. Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I mean, if we're talking about first five seasons and
he's got a legitimate chance to move significantly up that list.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
He's pretty close to be in a Hall of Famer already. Yeah.
Crazy is it can be crazy? Two more years of this,
he'll be in camp.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Yeah. And again that's through the first five seasons. So
he still got what how many games left this year? Yeah,
I mean a lot of opportunities to climb on that list.
He might get the one hundred nine on Sunday, Let's
be honest.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Yeah he could. And here's why. How about this last one.
The Bengals have allowed thirty or more points five times
in regulation this season. That's, as you may have guessed,
the most in the National Football League. They are one
in four in those five games. The Steelers defense has
allowed thirty or more points four times, tied for the
(28:23):
second most in the NFL this season. The teams previously
combined for sixty four points when they faced each other
in Week seven.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Wow, that's the least surprising stat we've done on read
and React to that this defense stinks. They're bad. We've
talked that they're not just league bad, they are historically bad,
tracking to be one of, if not the worst defense
in the history of the NFL. I can't imagine, Austin,
how demoralizing it would be on Monday if we're talking
(28:56):
about a Bengals loss when they score over thirty points
in Pittsburgh. Oh, can you imagine? Because coming out of
the by there is some momentum here. We talked about
Zach Taylor's career numbers on the defensive side of the ball,
and I know much of that was with Luena Rumo
starting in week ten and on during his tenure. We've
talked about the ability to go into a buy and
(29:16):
self scout and correct the things you've needed to do.
Can you imagine? And on top of all that, Joe
Burrow is back practicing. Can you imagine the gut punch
it would be to go to Pittsburgh, put over thirty
on the board and still lose the game. How could
you bounce back from that. I don't think you could.
(29:37):
I honestly don't think you could. You want to keep scoring,
but if the defense comes out and allows this Pittsburgh
Steeler offense to go over thirty again, I don't see
one how you win the game, and two I don't
see how the locker room doesn't fracture. Do you remember
Austin what happened after the Bears game? Remember Jamar Chase?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
I do?
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Remember Chase?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
I do?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
And the bye week I think helped a little bit
of that, because why players get away, settle it down,
settle everything down, defensive players not speaking, then coming in
the next day and talking. The bye week helped a
lot of that. If you pick right back up and
you lose a game thirty six thirty three, it is
going to be madness in that locker room, madness going
(30:23):
forward for the Cincinnati Bengals, Read and React is done.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Read and react, Lartis. We're supposed to be getting some
audio for that sake.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Clardis five one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty. Give
us a call, let's do it. We'll continue on our
number one. John Shearon to kick off our number two
on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
Hey, it's Moagger.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Join me this afternoon starting at three h five on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. I'm doing what Mark
Chase plays here ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Here's holiday.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
I'm the center of Pastor Mario Satan Sir Tomahawk, right
hander bringing the heat in New Orleans.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Chris plays set up. Man, I took your brother away?
Speaker 5 (31:36):
It did?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Pelicans still have a team one more time.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Hey, I'm the center of Pastor Mario. Dude was in
the air for a while. Man, that was I believe
Manduel Sports Network up there in Portland for the Trail Blazers.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Shadon Sharp had thirty five. The Pelicans are two and nine.
I think Zion's heart again or something. That's what a
disaster that's been.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Did I see former Kentucky Wildcat Boogie Cousins say that
you just need to move out of New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, it's all it takes said.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
There's no fans, players don't want to play there. Organization
hasn't done very good. I don't know if I agree
with them. I don't know anything about New World. They've
not done very well at all. When Boogie speaks, I
think we all tend to listen.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Mavericks lost again as well, even without Nico Thunder continue
to win their twelve and one on the season either way,
Bulls fall Dude, Pistons without Kay Cunningham, which did open
up about forty five shot attempts for the rest of
the Pistons and maybe that help. Pistons are ten and two.
(32:47):
Bulls are six and five. Trouble for the Knicks last
night as well. They lose, and then Jalen Brunson, after
rolling his ankles seen leaving the facility on crutches. Ooh,
something to watch out for there.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
By the way, Falcons offense or excuse me, Falcons. I
was thinking of Arthur Smith. I still think of the Falcons,
the former head coach of the Falcons. Steelers offensive coordinator
Arthur Smith was asked about Aaron Rodgers' performance last Sunday. Quote,
it's all of us. It's a collective effort. It's never
on one person. I put it on myself. Not the
(33:20):
result you wanted, but you get a chance to come
back and we got to play well. How about Steelers
defensive coordinator Tarrell Austin. He says new cornerback Sante Samuel
Junior is working exclusively at outside corner right now. The
timetable on his inclusion in games is TBD. Oh something
(33:42):
to watch for. I just I can't help but think
of Tarrell Austin and think back to a game in
twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen when he was a defensive
coordinator for the Bengals and the Saints came in with
Drew Brees and they scored on every single offensive possession.
It was fifty two to seventeen I think the final
score was. And if I'm not mistaken, Tarrell Austin got
(34:04):
fired the next day and Marvin Lewis started calling the
Blaze again. Wow, that's that's all I think about when
I think of Tarrell Austin. Man, you think he ever
stretched with the defense? I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I can't wait to see what this defense looks like
with an Al Golden stretching out.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Now Golden should wear a helmet on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Yeah, how about this? This is yesterday. Now we'll get
updated today on injury reports as well. Flacco did not
practice with the shoulder. Trey Hendrickson now not only the hip,
They've added pelvis to the injury designation for Trey Hendricksons
hip and pelvis injury. Did not practice. Sam A J.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
P Run pulvis injury.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
No, he did not practice, and Shamar Stewart with the
knee did not practice as well. Pittsburgh yesterday, John Neusmith, TJ. Watt,
cam Heyward all did not practice. That was all non
injury related. Just for Rest now. Alex high Smith, their linebacker,
did not practice with the pectoral injury. Cole Holcomb, another linebacker,
(35:01):
did not practice due to illness. Corey Trice and Darius
Slay both did not practice. Trice with a hamstring and
Darius Slay because of the concussion.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Yeah, I mean that secondary is they're just trying to
figure it out. Right now, we think they're just trying
to piece it together, which makes me wonder to go
back to our point, if you have guys that you
know you're not all that confident in, Like if if
you're pulling up Asante Samuel off the practice squad, or
Darius Slay can't go, or you got dudes that have
been coming off the the injured reserve list to play.
(35:36):
Are you gonna put them one on one against Tan
Jamar better not. You wouldn't do that, right or not.
That's unfair to those people. It's unfair to most people,
even the good corners in the NFL, to do that. Yeah,
I just can't imagine Mike Tomlin and his staff look
at the film from this last time these two teams
played and said, Yeah, we're gonna stick to this strategy.
So I hope the Bengals are ready for something different.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
They have to be, like, you have to go into
this game expecting you're gonna see some zone, right.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Omar Flacco said yesterday that he has seen coverages against
t and Jamar that he's never really seen eighteen years
in the NFL. YEP, that's kind of amazing and speaks
to how good those dudes are.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
That is. It is remarkable to think about that that
has been a thing and that he's been around this
long and you don't have it yet or he just
hasn't seen it yet. And I think it goes to
show just how defenses are trying anything they possibly can
to make it work against this Bengals offense.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
I think it's going to be interesting to see how
the Bengals use Chase Brown. He was so good that
first time round against Pittsburgh, kind of stifled that pass rush,
opened up some of those passing concepts that the Bengals used.
Can he do that? And also can he be a
weapon in the past game. We haven't seen him like
explode in the past game yet. And I wonder, you
(36:58):
know what if there's some moments where the are in
shotgun or they're under center, doesn't matter, and then they
motion Chase Brown out. Yeah, he goes out to the slot,
he goes out at the edge of the formation. Maybe
he's one on one with the linebacker. I'm gonna bet
on Chase Brown most of the time.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
I would too, And I think there's been times there's
been one or two drops that feels like from Chase
Brown where if he makes a catch, he's gonna score correct. Yeah,
But I do like how how they've used him in
the passing games as well. I think that's just a
I think that's a new addition to this offense. I
(37:37):
think it's another wrinkle. Of course, you know, you go
back to that Bears game, then't the Bears game feel
like months ago? It does? You go back to that
Bears game second half, Mitchell Tinsley met a huge grab,
Noah Fant made a big play, andre Yoshi Vash had
multiple big plays. Like offensively that they were in a bag.
(37:57):
When you're hitting that many different receivers and kind of
what you want, you feel good about where you're at.
It's just can they get one or two extra stops
a game? I think that's what it comes down to.
Let's talk about another football game happening this weekend. The
Bearcats play Saturday against Arizona. We'll talk about that and
(38:19):
we'll take a phone call when we return. ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to our friends at Skyline.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
Chileikwise Cincinnati, make us the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free, new and improved iHeartRadio
ad Free never.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Sounded so good.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
ESPN fifteen thirty From the Johnson Heating Tempstar webs Our.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
City, our Club, our time, FC Cincinnati Playoff Pride lives here.
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Welcome back since ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, thanks
to Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling good and hungry, it's
always Skyline time. We're happy to have you along. We
welcome your phone call five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. Give us a call, would love to talk
to you. I got questions, okay about the Cincinnati Bearcats,
(39:24):
all right, and I don't know if they get answered
until Saturday. I want to know this team's makeup and
if it's different than it was last year. By far,
the question I've received the most from the Utah loss
(39:48):
to now is is it going to be the same
issue that plagued this team last year? Is it going
to be the same thing for this team where they
started five and two and then didn't win another game?
Now this season has felt different. This season has provided
(40:12):
I think more stability in the UC offense in particular.
Last year sores be down the stretch, just the confidence
wasn't there. But for this team, what I want to
know is it different Because the wins they've had at
Kansas was a good win against Iowa State. You got
(40:36):
Iowa State in a moment where they weren't at full strength,
they were playing shorthanded, and you did find a way
to win at home, but at times felt tense down
the stretch. Outside of Kansas and Iowa State, they beat UCF,
Oklahoma State, and Baylor, who just aren't very good this year.
The two best teams they've played, in my opinion on
(40:57):
Nebraska and Utah, and they fell short in both of
those games I've watched now this week enough of Arizona.
We talked to Dan Hord about Arizona yesterday Austin. I
think Arizona might be the third best team they've played.
Arizona again, for what it's worth, they have a win
(41:20):
over Kansas State, they have a win over Oklahoma State Colorado,
and they did beat Kansas just as the Bearcats did,
and they held a very potent Kansas offense to just
twenty points. Their losses thirty one to twenty eight on
the road at Houston. Houston, by the way, is eight
and two overall, five and two in the league. They
lost at Iowa State, their worst game of the year,
(41:44):
and then they played BYU at home, and they led
BYU I double digits. They at one point, I believe,
in the fourth quarter, and I'm confirming right now, there
was a point in the fourth quarter where Arizona took
(42:04):
a twenty four to fourteen lead. After that, B why
you rallied, B why you tied it, and then B
why you eventually wins it in overtime. Arizona's been good, man.
They have a good quarterback, and they have a good defense.
And in coming off your worst performance of the year
(42:25):
offensively in which you turn the ball over on the
nineteen yard line you through an interception, Swersby never never
really got going in the Utah game. If you look back,
Brendan Sorsby I believe completed thirty three percent of his
passes thirty three percent, eleven of thirty three for two
(42:45):
twenty one with a touchdown and an interception, and of
those two hundred and twenty one yards, much like the
friar Mouth touchdown with Aaron Rodgers Austin, they had Cyrus
Allen for an eighty eight yard touchdown. You take away
that one place. That is a very very poor stat line,
and it still was for Swersby based on who he's been.
(43:07):
The good news for UC they still ran it for
seven yards per carry, but they just didn't get much
going in the passing game. Joe Royer was targeted once,
only made one catch, Noah Jennings, Caleb Goodie, Jeff Cadwell
were all relatively quiet. They played the game without Evan
Pryor'd be interested to see if they can get back
him back to full strength. But it was a comedy
(43:28):
of airs. Offense was inconsistent, defense could not get the
stops when necessary, and a special teams unit who had
been a strength, Stephen Russknack missed his first field goal
of the year and Max Fletcher gave up one big
return and then a return for a touchdown on back
(43:49):
to back punts. So the big news, the big thing
to look for here Austin. Do they look more like
the team that lost the last five down the stretch
last year after a loss or are they a team
that has a different makeup and a team that answers
the bell from a disappointing loss and then moves forward
(44:10):
that to me, not only do I think that defines Saturday,
I think that defines the rest of the year because
if they answer the bell, can you imagine the build
up next week with BYU coming in town, Austin and
what that means and the possibility if you got two
games left, one at home, one on the road, and
if you win both, you're playing for a Big twelve
(44:30):
title in Dallas. Or you lose to Arizona, wheels feel
like they're falling off a little bit. BYU comes into
town and then you've got to go to TCU. You've
built up such a good season, you're in the College
Football Playoff rankings at number twenty five. You can't let
(44:54):
that fall apart. You can't let that crumble because you've
worked so hard to build where you're at. Dante Corleone's health,
Jake golday, Evan pryor the health of this team and
their key players is extremely important. But Austin, we're either
spending time next week talking about a huge matchup at
(45:14):
Nippert Stadium, or we're having the conversation of potentially, oh,
it feels like here we go again and all that
is up for Grams on Saturday at noon in Knippert Stadium.
Should be a great contest, should be a great crowd.
I'm looking here, Austin. We get every morning, we get
a WCPO nine First Warning Forecast presented by Jennifer Ketchmark
(45:38):
kind of left on the desk in here. Listen to
this for Saturday. Yeah, partly cloudy, not getting as cold,
low of forty nine. I'm sorry, that's that's never of mine.
Nu's for Friday night, dude. Read the forecast correctly. Okay,
you see football game day. It's a warm wedge. What
(46:00):
did you just say? Warm wedge? That's what's listed on here.
Mostly cloudy and isolated showers possible, but it won't be
much cooler. Following week is cooler. Saturday's high Austin. This
is a noon kickoff.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
You gotta work on these forecast reads.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Saturday's high sixty nine degrees. Yeah, can't ask for anything more. Yeah,
I saw it's like eighty one in Lexington today. Yea
seventy one in Columbus and it's like fifty five here.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
How's that work? We're in the Elmo. I don't need
the weather people.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
It's an Alberta clipper. The Northeaster's coming down.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Dude, speaking of northeaster tonight, speaking to northeaster tonight, Thursday
night football the Jets and the Patriots. The Patriots are
wearing their rivalry edition Northeaster.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
You.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
Oh yeah, how about that.
Speaker 2 (46:50):
Did you get a chance to see like the Northern
lights or anything in the last couple nights.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Uh no, that was the thing. I know it back
where I'm from in Sydney, they were crazy. Que I
live here now that's a little too bright for me
to see it.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Okay, man, lights is too bright?
Speaker 3 (47:07):
Oh man, my future so braga where shades?
Speaker 2 (47:10):
You know who else's future is bright? John Shearon he's
a star.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
I mean once he started coming up on this show.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
It's just he's a star.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Moon man him An Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
He'll join us next for me Adas Sports Neil John
Shearon definitely not Lance Armstrong. Number two on ESPN fifteen.
Lance Armstrong and Sharon Moore have in common. I don't
know Lance Armstrong beat Michigan or beat Ohio State too.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
They both cheated.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
Wow, unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Write that one down.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
What an accusation?
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Accusation? Oh okay, we gotta talk, No, we gotta talk
about this. This is driving me insane. Number one, you
are a freaking psychopath. With the amount of alarms you
have set on your phone, I got a lot like
it's ridiculous how often your alarm goes off and you
(48:04):
have changed it. It used to be this little diddy.
You know.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
Here's what I do at different times throughout the day,
Like a lot of people will write notes to themselves
if they think of something that I know, there's time.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
You have an iPhone and there's a great app on
it called reminders that will not make remind you every
time you open your phone.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
When I when I have a reminder to myself, I
set it for a sense, Like normally at twelve fifty nine,
we're in the middle of a break to go to
the next hour. Yeah, and there's stuff that I want
to accomplish over the break or need to do that
next hour. That's my way of telling myself that's what
just happened. Like, what what is on there that you
had to be reminded of it? Twelve fifty nine, Well,
(48:48):
right now, I wrote down commissions exclamation point where are they?
So I got stuff to work on. We got to
talk to John Shared in just a few more. That's
ESPN fifteen thirty. I really did. I wrote to myself
dot dot dot where are those?
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Thanks to a magnifying glasshouse, start looking.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
For ESPN fifteen thirty. Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 6 (49:14):
U c k Y Cincinnati, make us the number one
preset on your car radio and on the free new
and improved iHeartRadio app free Never sounded so good ESPN
fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
Another
This is Tony Pike, Sincy three sixty about Cincinnati from Cincinnati,
sponsored in part by Skyline Chili. Stop by Skyline Chili
for a three way or cheese cony today. Feeling good,
It's Skyline Time. This is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome in and happy Thursday. You just heard right there
at Cincy three sixty and a service of Skyline Chile. Look,
anytime you're feeling good and hungry, it's always Skyline time.
Thanks for joining us, Thanks for being a part of
the show. If you'd like to further that be more
of a part of the show, give us a phone call,
especially here in our number one today. Phone lines will
(00:44):
be open for you. If I've won three seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. We want to hear what you have to say.
We have what we have to say, and we have
our guest line up today on Thursdays, as we know
from Ada's Esports, John Sheeran waiting to join us at
one o'clock this afternoon. Keegan Nicholson of Bearcat Journal dot com.
We'll join us at two. We'll talk Nova care, we'll
(01:06):
talk fractures. Around two twenty we have talkbacks and we
have so much more. It's the Thursday edition of sincey
three to sixty. We invite you to be as much
a part of it as you possibly can. We'll get
into some read and react today as it pertains to
the Bengals in the Steelers this coming Sunday. We'll talk
(01:28):
a little more about UC Arizona on Saturday, and so
much more across the world of sports. Speaking of across
the world of sports, Austin, we've got cy Young winners,
cy Young Award winners.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Isn't it weird? How baseball just like random nights throughout
the week in November they're like, oh yeah, here's our
biggest awards.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Sweeps it under the rug.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
They still haven't announced MVP yet.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
Everything they do is swept under the rug. Everything they
do is a is a backseat to whatever else is
going on.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Weird, how like they choose not to make it a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yes, why wouldn't you want to highlight that? Why wouldn't
you want to highlight the best of your sport on
their own night?
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Correct, It's just weird. It's very strange. I don't get it.
But congratulations to Terrek school ball and uh, but what's
his name Paul. Yes, I almost said Pat Mahomes, Paul Skans,
and Trek schooball back to back winners school ball is Yeah,
now skiings Austin. They made it a big deal because
(02:34):
you know, his reaction previously wasn't that great. Much different
reaction this year. They had the whole party go super excited. Yeah,
I mean, congrats to Paul Skeins. He he dominated with
thirty first place votes. It was one I mean, it
was an absolute no brainer. Andrew Abbot got a couple
(02:54):
of votes.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Andrew Abbott did get a couple vote votes. He got
four votes.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Yeah, got a fourth place vote, a two fifth place votes,
maybe a sixth place vote if I saw that correctly,
which you know, I didn't realize this until today. But like,
you get bonuses, like from the Players Association, if I'm
not mistaken, if you finish in a certain spot in
those awards. So Paul Sken's got an extra two point
(03:19):
five mil for winning the cy Young if you finish fourth,
you get an extra million dollars. So Andrew Abbott narrowly
missed out on that. But yeah, I do think that's
cool that they reared them with a little extra cash
if you win those awards.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
Didn't mention the Manager Managers of the Year though Steven
Vote for the Cleveland Guardians won it. Yeah, and then
in the National League Pat Murphy of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
Both of those guys won it last year too. How
about Pat Murphy the Brewers, Like everybody loves Pat Murphy.
I think that's part of the reason why he wins it,
just like a likable guy. But like, win a game?
Did they do win a playoff game? Do Brewers fans
feel like it was a success? I mean, they exceeded
(04:11):
probably their preseason expectations. That's fine, But like when you
win ninety six games or whatever it was, you set
a new franchise record, you probably expect to at least
go to the old series.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Is there a little disappointment after that?
Speaker 3 (04:24):
I was up in Wisconsin at the time all that
was happening, and I was listening to some of the
sports talk radio up there, and I was astounded by
all they seemed to care about was let's just beat
the Cubs. That's all they cared about. Yep, and they
kind of expected to lose to the Dodgers. I was
blown away by that mentality. But what I one of
(04:47):
the things I learned when I was up there is
that there may not be a disdain or a hatred
between two fan bases that is less talked about than
Milwaukee and Chicago. Yeah, and specifically baseball, Like obviously you
got the Bears and the Packers in there a little
bit as well, but Brewers fans hate Cubs fans, and
(05:12):
they especially hate when they come to Milwaukee to come
to games. I learned that. I was blown away by that. Yeah,
it's a random thought.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
It is, but I'm I'm so with you in the
idea of how they go about with giving away their awards.
Make it a big deal, like you, Everything about the
game of baseball in recent years has been about what
you utilize your players more, put your best players, you know,
up front and center. Make it a big deal, make
(05:42):
it feel like it's a monumental thing instead, Like we've
talked about this with the Major League Baseball Draft every year,
just it's tucked away on a random day where games
are happening. And now, like, look at what the other
sports do. They make it a production, they make it
an event, they draw it out for TV. At the
same time baseball does none of that is said. How
(06:06):
many how many random sports fans often probably even know
that the awards were now given out this week.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I mean, I'm pretty plugged in and I didn't even
know that the cy Young Award was happening until I
saw it on Instagram last night.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, it's just it's it is.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
But that that's the other thing, Like you could go
live on Instagram, you could go live on TikTok, you
can go live on and you know, in some way,
shape or form and let people know what's happening instead
of putting it on MLB network. And I don't know,
it's just it's it's very strange to me how there
is just a complete disregard for that. Yeah, I mean,
(06:46):
I don't know that you have to do what the
NFL does with the NFL Honors and turn it into
an awards show like the Red Carpet a Los Angeles.
I don't know if you're gonna get that, But can
you find a you know, a time to do that
during football season? I feel like you could.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
If you're baseball, just imagine if you could get in
the same room your MVP finalist Otani Swarber Soto judge Raley,
Jose Ramirez like them in a in a space together.
People would want to watch that because you never get
(07:21):
to see all those guys together in baseball.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
I don't know if they have started to do that
with the MVP Awards or not. I remember a couple
of years ago, I think it was like twenty sixteen
or seventeen, when Vado was ridiculous and the Reds were awful,
and I think he finished second or third in MVP voting.
He was like on he was live from the Reds
Hall of Fame. Yeah, he was just like sitting in
(07:43):
a chair in the museum. And while that was a
cool backdrop, especially if you're a Reds fan, it's like
he couldn't you know, they couldn't put him in you know,
do it in Cooperstown every year wherever. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, it is.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Uh. Baseball does a lot of things that don't make sense.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yeah, yeah, I said, I think it's a miss, but
it is. It is what it is.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
At this point, I thought Paul Skeen said some pretty
cool stuff last night about being a pirate and all that.
Do you want to get into this really quickly? Yeah,
So he was asked about you know, there was a
report an anonymous teammate of Paul Skeen said that he
says he wants to play for the Yankees. Anonymous doesn't
want to play for the Pirates, and he was naturally
(08:27):
asked about that and asked about, you know, the Pirates
wanting to win and trying to win. He said, quote,
this isn't my city. I'm not from Pittsburgh. I'm adopted
by this city. The fans that show up for us
when we are winning, I personally love that. If we
are losing, the fans don't show up in the same numbers.
(08:48):
It's not like Chicago or Saint Louis. If you want fans,
you gotta win. They deserve it. I appreciated that from
people now Lewis thing.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
That's a little pressure on the organization too.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Yeah, the Saint Louis thing is not applicable anymore because
those fans have stopped showing up, and and good for
them for doing so. But I appreciate that Paul has
now multiple times put some pressure on the organization absolutely
to say, okay, listen, man, I can leave. I will
(09:22):
leave if you don't give me a reason to stay.
And I mean if you're if you're a Pirates fan
right now, how do you feel you got the Rookie
of the Year and the Scion back to back years.
You've got the best, arguably the best player in baseball
not named Shoho Tani, and you have an organization that
has flat out disregarded any attempt to win.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
I think it at the most, I think the word
would be hopeless. Yeah, like you have to feel hopeless,
like we we in a sense we talk about it
in Cincinnati a little bit of well enjoy Elle while
he's here. I mean that has to be magnified with schemes, right, Oh,
I mean you're talking about a once in a generational talent. Yeah,
and it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he's not
going to play on a competitive team in Pittsburgh and
(10:06):
eventually he's going to be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
I mean even O'tani was when he was with the Angels,
they at least tried, like hell, and they made, you know,
changes and brought in guys and they had Trout obviously.
Mean hell, you could even say that the acquisition of
Otani was trying to build around Trout. They tried, they failed.
It would be like O'tani you know, going to the braves,
(10:29):
and the braves just don't try to put anybody around him.
It'd be amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Yep. Some NFL news that's about the wide receiver position.
Antonio Brown has been released from jail. He is a
waiting and attempted murder trial. Keep an eye on that.
And then what do you make, if anything, about what's
going on with the Philadelphia Eagles and AJ Brown? AJ Brown.
I think he was playing like Madden or a video
(10:54):
game online and essentially told people like, if you've got
me in Fantasy, don't play me anymore. Essentially he's talking
about how how hard it is and how hard this
season has been. You know, nothing Everything you say right now,
I feel like is going to be blown up because
(11:14):
of the world of the media that we're in. AJ
Brown is Yeah. AJ Brown is playing video games and
talking on a video game about, you know, essentially how
hard the season has been. And I don't think he
was doing it to try to create a stir. I
think he was doing it to just have a conversation
(11:36):
with a friend. But that obviously gets taken into context.
And what I what I appreciate about AJ Brown, He's
not apologizing for what he said. No, he said, it's
not solely about my situation. I want to win. I
think if we're really focused on winning and doing our job,
we can keep slopping a band aid over the defense
doing their job and getting us out of trouble. At
(11:57):
what point are we going to pick up our slack
on offense? Obviously he feels like picking up the slack
on offense would be getting him involved, and rightfully so,
he's a very very good receiver. He was asked playing
Madden you know if everything was going well? He said, no,
where have you been? Family's good, everything else. No, it's
(12:18):
a bleep show. Yeah, he shouldn't have to apologize for
that because he's telling the truth.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
He's also been pretty open about this in the media
in the past. He was open about it, you know
at times last year when things weren't going well for them. Listen,
Philly is seven and two. That's the thing, and that's fine.
But I think maybe the point AJ is trying to
make is it's seven and two, but we may not
be good enough to get back to where we want
(12:44):
to go because the offense is not operating, not functioning
the way that it's supposed to. Be and they're not.
That's the thing, correct, He's right, he's not a part
of it. Dude has thirty one catches. Yeah, through nine games,
four yards first in the National Football League. He has
just four hundred yards.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
That's fiftieth in the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
And so I get where he's that he's upset. I
don't know that always being public about it is the
best play. Yeah, But also you know, I don't blame
him for being upset. I appreciate his honesty. Yeah, And
I also appreciate him saying no, I'm not apologizing.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
For what I said. Yeah, Like it'd be very easy
to be like, ah, that's my mistake. It's whatever. And
I don't think he was trying to be a huge distraction.
I just think he's being very open about where his
role is and what's going on with the Philadelphia Eagles.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that, nor do
I think you should respond by that now. Jalen Hurts
was asked about it. His quote, we got the Detroit
(13:42):
Lions this week, so I'm definitely gonna put a halt
to it. The more we drive to it, the more
of a distraction it becomes. And I think Ultimately it's
about the group, and I think that's a good response
from the quarterback as well.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Jalen his first team all coach speak like that's just
who he is as a guy. I think there are
times where, like I saw a clip yesterday of like
two thousand and seven where t O and Donovan McNabb
or just hashing it out on the sideline, right, two
alpha personalities too, you know, outgoing dudes that are not
afraid to just make their voice heard. Jalen is a
(14:13):
very buttoned up dude. He has a mentality, a focus.
He's focused on the mission. If aj Brown thinks that
complaining about targets or complaining about you know, his the
way the offense works or whatever is going to get
under the skin of Jalen Hurts or forced Jalen Hurts
to change is the way he operates, then he doesn't
(14:34):
really know Jalen.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Hurts, right, Which maybe that's why he felt like he
could talk about it. Yeah, maybe so, Like I know Jalen,
Jalen knows me. It's who we are. I think I
can talk about it. I view that relationship in that
way of both of them being enough of a professional
to get their job done. Let's take ourselves a break.
We're just getting started. Let's do some read and react
(14:55):
when we get back, Austin, Let's read and react, Bangles Steelers,
your phone calls as well. Five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty at Cincy three to sixty on ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 4 (15:06):
Now your chance to win one thousand dollars Internati, brought
to you by Postman Law on ESPN fifteen thirty, the
official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
All right, it's football in the NATI, so let's do it. Austin,
Let's talk about football here in Cincinnati. On ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. On Thursdays, we like to to do
a little read and react about the upcoming opponent for
the Cincinnati Bengals. And we did what we needed to
do last week. We did some tendency talk, we reacted
(15:38):
to the season up to this point. But now we
can read and react looking ahead to the Pittsburgh Steelers
on Sunday. What do we got today, Well, we got
a few different ones. Let's start with the quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Hey, Rod,
Aaron Rodgers, Tony has not passed for more than three
hundred excuse me, two hundred and thirty yards in his
(16:03):
last three games. However, the last time he did so
was against the Bengals in Wach seven. In that game,
he had thirty four attempts for two hundred and forty
nine passing yards and four touchdowns. The Bengals are one
of just three teams to allow more than two hundred
and sixty passing yards per game this season. Uh, it
(16:26):
speaks to the complete lack of pass rush that the
Bengals have. I mean, listen, it goes further than that.
Austin what he he had two forty nine against the Bengals,
he has not eclipsed two fifty at all this year.
In the opener against the Jets, he had two hundred
and forty four passing yards. Following that two oh three
(16:47):
one thirty nine, two hundred, two thirty five two nineteen,
two oh three, one sixty one. He's not producing the
big plays that we historically see from Aaron Rodgers. And
at the same time, he's throwing the ball thirty thirty three,
thirty four thirty six times a game, so they're putting
up the passes. It just feels like watching this team
(17:10):
outside of Pat Fryarmuth against the Bengals, that everything is
dink and dunk, that everything's the short passes, there's not
much run after the catch. He's not connecting on the
deep shots down the field. And I think there are
multiple factors to that one. I don't think his footwork
is quite what it was when he was younger. I
still think the arms there, but I don't think it
matches with the footwork, and I think he's struggling to
(17:31):
get that timing down. I also think outside of DK Metcalf,
who everyone now is just going to double team, I
don't think their receiving course strikes a lot of fear
into most teams.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
Well, I think the other thing with Rogers in that
game from a couple of thursdays ago was the fact
that you know, one of those completions was like a
forty yard touchdown to pat Ryermuth. I mean, without that,
the Bengals probably hold him to about that number around
two hundred a in which makes me, you know, wonder
what exactly the plan for Pittsburgh will be in this game?
(18:03):
How about this?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Well?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I also one more on Rogers, sure, I also find
it interesting the Bengals were not able to sack him once.
In the three games that have transpired after the Bengals game,
He's been sacked three times in each game. So nine
times since the Bengals failed to get home at all,
Aaron Rodgers has been sacked. Do you remember Austin It
(18:25):
was like his first touchdown pass against the Bengals. They
were in the low red zone. I don't exactly remember
who he threw it to, but they were in the
low red zone day and it felt like he had
ten seconds in the pocket. He scrambled around and it's
like that looked like thirty year old Aaron Rodgers, not
because he moved well, but just he was able because
(18:48):
the pocket was so open to freely move around it.
He's not been able to do that much this year.
You can't allow him to do that again going forward.
The Bengals defense has struggled with tackling this season, missing
one hundred and nine tackles and allowing seven hundred and
seventy eight yards after missed tackles. Both those numbers are
(19:11):
the most seventy eight football league. Oh my god.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
Most of that stems from poor execution on initial contact
as they've converted just seventy one percent of their first
tackle opportunities, the lowest rate in the league. Wow, you
could have told me seven I would have never guessed
they did at seventy one percent. No, man, that is
(19:36):
I know. There's not a ton to say on that one.
We've talked about it a lot.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
But what I think is most interesting on average, when
they're missing a tackle, the other team is getting an
additional seven yards. That's crazy, Like, it's not like you
make the first guy miss and then the cavalry arrives
and you pick up two extra yards. They're they're dangneering
picking up first downs every time they break a tackle. Yeah,
(20:02):
you can't operate. You can operate in that sense. Again,
one one hundred and nine missed tackles for some teams
is not even the number they hit in the full season.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Well, to continue on to that point, sixty eight point
seven of the Steelers' passing yards this season have come
after the catch, a higher mark than any other team
in the next Gen stats era. Uh uh. They are
the only team above sixty percent in twenty twenty five
uhh DK metcalf three hundred and five and Jalen Warren
(20:38):
two hundred and fifty eight have recorded the most yak
on the team, combining for forty four percent of the
Steelers team total. The Bengals defense has allowed sixty two
point five percent of their passing yards after the catch
this season, the highest rate in the league. So just tackles,
(21:02):
is it you're not in position to.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
It's a little bit of both. Yeah, not even you know,
I think it's a little bit of both. You said
sixty two and a half of their passing yards have
come after the catch. That's insane. One that tells me
you're not connected a lot on your on your back end.
You know again, how many times have we seen a
ball completed against the Bengals and you're like, man, what
tight coverage other than DJ Turner? And it makes sense
(21:28):
for the Steelers, Like that's a high number. But when
you just break it down to DK Metcalf and Jalen
Warre and that makes sense, that's a lot of short
get it out of your hands if Aaron Rodgers and
try to get a ball to a guy in space,
and Jalen Warren that can make guys miss and DK
Metcalf who can still run around people that, to me,
paired with the lack of offense, or paired with the
(21:50):
lack of ability to get after the offensive passer, You're
you're You're not gonna have Trey Hendrickson, likely not gonna
have Shamar Stewart. How do you apply pressure to Aaron
Rodgers to not allow them to allow those routes to
develop and not exploit big openings in the in the
back end.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
The last time these two teams met, the Steelers were
adamant on sticking with their man defense, and the Bengals
picked them apart. T Higgins has caught fourteen of twenty
six targets against man coverage for two hundred and seventeen
yards that's eighth most in the NFL and four touchdowns.
(22:29):
He has averaged fourteen point six air yards per target
against man, the ninth most among players with at least
ten such targets. On man coverage targets traveling ten or
more air yards, Higgins has totaled one hundred and eighty
one yards, tied for third most, and two touchdowns. The
Steelers defense has played man coverage on forty two percent
(22:52):
of opponent dropbacks, the third highest rate in the league.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Some thing's gotta give.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
Like they can't do what they did again, right, They can't.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
You can't it, And to me, it's it's what I'm
looking for right away on Sunday, Let's say, first series,
do they do they try at least one more series
to say, let's see if if we've got this figured out,
or do you just come out and say we're taking
our medicine, we know what this was last time, and
we're gonna play zone this week. That to me is
the most interesting part. We talked about it a little bit.
(23:26):
They have made some adjustments. Jalen Ramsey's now playing majority
at the safety role. That's different than the last time
they were here. Because Jalen Ramsey couldn't keep up with
t Higgins or Jamar Chase. There's no way you rewatch
the tape and see Joe Flackill pump at twenty three
times to Jamar Chase and and come back out and say, yes, man,
coverage makes the most sense. I just don't see them
(23:47):
doing that. And the only way I would see them
doing that is if their front four were better than
what we've seen. They're not as dominant on their defensive
front as I think A lot of people thought they
would be, which makes it harder to play man because
you just covering for a longer amount of time.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Well, let's talk about that. Number One makes me think
maybe Zach Taylor dial up a shot first play and
just see what Pittsburgh's thinking. The Steelers defense has generated
quick pressure under two and a half seconds on seventeen
point four percent of opponent dropbacks this season. That's the
fifth highest rate in the NFL. They've averaged a two
(24:23):
point five to three second time to pressure, the quickest
in the NFL. Nick Herbig has fifteen. TJ. Watt has fourteen,
that's ninth and twelfth most in the NFL. They lead
the team in quick pressures, standing as the only Steelers
defenders with ten or more quick pressures this season.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
That's what I was gonna go. It's just not as
balanced along the line as it has been in years past,
and not with TJ. Watt. TJ. Watt's still a great player.
I don't think TJ. Watts has a big answer for
double teams right now. He's just not been as big
of a factor. They did get to Joe Flacco twice
in that previous win for the Bengals. But to me, Austin,
(25:04):
it didn't feel like Flacco was just under a barrage
of pressure the whole game. It felt like the running
game and the quick game alleviated a little bit a
little bit of that from the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm a
little surprised that their fifth highest in the NFL at
that quick pressure rate because the first go around with
the Bengals, and again credit Chase Brown, credit Joe Flacco
and the ability to get it out quick. I just
(25:26):
didn't see that being a thing for them. Now if
they were to go zone now, maybe Jamar, Chase and
T Higgins don't break free as quick. Maybe that does
allow that defense of the Steelers to generate some quicker pressures.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
A couple more, Let's go with TJ. Watt. TJ. Watt
needs one sack to pass his brother JJ's NFL career
sack total of one hundred and fourteen and a half.
Both Watt brothers had exactly eleven and a half sacks
in college at Wisconsin, with TJ at one hundred and
(25:58):
fourteen NFL's sacks and JJ at one hundred and fourteen
and a half.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Yeah, that first go round TJ. Watt one hit on
the quarterback, a half sack, and one total tackle in
the game. He was essentially nonexistent in that first go round.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
He is.
Speaker 2 (26:16):
He's got six sacks this year, so it's not a
terrible terrible number, but if you look at what he's
on pace to do each of the last couple of years,
I mean, he's had a twenty two and a half
sack year, he's had a nineteen sack year, he's had
fourteen and a half, fifteen thirteen. He's just not as dominant.
Only thirty seven tackles to this point, fifteen of those solo,
(26:36):
which is well below what he averaged each of the
last couple of years. You hit on this earlier in
the week, Austin. It is why the Bengals, and rightfully so,
were hesitant in dishing out that type of money to
Trey Hendrickson, because at some point, and TJ. Wat's thirty
one years old, at some point, the production is going
(26:58):
to drop, and it feels like it's dropping little bit
for TJ. Watt.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Jamar Chase has six and fifty six receiving yards this
year in his career so far, that's the sixth most
receiving yards by a player in their first five career
seasons in NFL history. Chase needs one hundred and nine
receiving yards to pass Jerry Rice for the fourth most
(27:25):
in his first five seasons. The top three justin Jefferson,
Tory Holt, and Randy Moss. Wow.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
I mean, if we're talking about first five seasons and
he's got a legitimate chance to move significantly up that list.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
He's pretty close to be in a Hall of Famer already. Yeah.
Crazy is it can be crazy? Two more years of this,
he'll be in camp.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
Yeah. And again that's through the first five seasons. So
he still got what how many games left this year? Yeah,
I mean a lot of opportunities to climb on that list.
He might get the one hundred nine on Sunday, Let's
be honest.
Speaker 3 (28:01):
Yeah he could. And here's why. How about this last one.
The Bengals have allowed thirty or more points five times
in regulation this season. That's, as you may have guessed,
the most in the National Football League. They are one
in four in those five games. The Steelers defense has
allowed thirty or more points four times, tied for the
(28:23):
second most in the NFL this season. The teams previously
combined for sixty four points when they faced each other
in Week seven.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
Wow, that's the least surprising stat we've done on read
and React to that this defense stinks. They're bad. We've
talked that they're not just league bad, they are historically bad,
tracking to be one of, if not the worst defense
in the history of the NFL. I can't imagine, Austin,
how demoralizing it would be on Monday if we're talking
(28:56):
about a Bengals loss when they score over thirty points
in Pittsburgh. Oh, can you imagine? Because coming out of
the by there is some momentum here. We talked about
Zach Taylor's career numbers on the defensive side of the ball,
and I know much of that was with Luena Rumo
starting in week ten and on during his tenure. We've
talked about the ability to go into a buy and
(29:16):
self scout and correct the things you've needed to do.
Can you imagine? And on top of all that, Joe
Burrow is back practicing. Can you imagine the gut punch
it would be to go to Pittsburgh, put over thirty
on the board and still lose the game. How could
you bounce back from that. I don't think you could.
(29:37):
I honestly don't think you could. You want to keep scoring,
but if the defense comes out and allows this Pittsburgh
Steeler offense to go over thirty again, I don't see
one how you win the game, and two I don't
see how the locker room doesn't fracture. Do you remember
Austin what happened after the Bears game? Remember Jamar Chase?
Speaker 3 (29:58):
I do?
Speaker 2 (29:59):
Remember Chase?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
I do?
Speaker 2 (30:01):
And the bye week I think helped a little bit
of that, because why players get away, settle it down,
settle everything down, defensive players not speaking, then coming in
the next day and talking. The bye week helped a
lot of that. If you pick right back up and
you lose a game thirty six thirty three, it is
going to be madness in that locker room, madness going
(30:23):
forward for the Cincinnati Bengals, Read and React is done.
Speaker 3 (30:27):
Read and react, Lartis. We're supposed to be getting some
audio for that sake.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Clardis five one, three, seven, four, nine, fifteen thirty. Give
us a call, let's do it. We'll continue on our
number one. John Shearon to kick off our number two
on ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
You've been listening to football in the NATI on ESPN
fifteen thirty, the official home of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
Hey, it's Moagger.
Speaker 5 (30:54):
Join me this afternoon starting at three h five on
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station. I'm doing what Mark
Chase plays here ESPN fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
Here's holiday.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
I'm the center of Pastor Mario Satan Sir Tomahawk, right
hander bringing the heat in New Orleans.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Chris plays set up. Man, I took your brother away?
Speaker 5 (31:36):
It did?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Pelicans still have a team one more time.
Speaker 3 (31:41):
Hey, I'm the center of Pastor Mario. Dude was in
the air for a while. Man, that was I believe
Manduel Sports Network up there in Portland for the Trail Blazers.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Shadon Sharp had thirty five. The Pelicans are two and nine.
I think Zion's heart again or something. That's what a
disaster that's been.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
Did I see former Kentucky Wildcat Boogie Cousins say that
you just need to move out of New Orleans.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Yeah, it's all it takes said.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
There's no fans, players don't want to play there. Organization
hasn't done very good. I don't know if I agree
with them. I don't know anything about New World. They've
not done very well at all. When Boogie speaks, I
think we all tend to listen.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Mavericks lost again as well, even without Nico Thunder continue
to win their twelve and one on the season either way,
Bulls fall Dude, Pistons without Kay Cunningham, which did open
up about forty five shot attempts for the rest of
the Pistons and maybe that help. Pistons are ten and two.
(32:47):
Bulls are six and five. Trouble for the Knicks last
night as well. They lose, and then Jalen Brunson, after
rolling his ankles seen leaving the facility on crutches. Ooh,
something to watch out for there.
Speaker 3 (33:00):
By the way, Falcons offense or excuse me, Falcons. I
was thinking of Arthur Smith. I still think of the Falcons,
the former head coach of the Falcons. Steelers offensive coordinator
Arthur Smith was asked about Aaron Rodgers' performance last Sunday. Quote,
it's all of us. It's a collective effort. It's never
on one person. I put it on myself. Not the
(33:20):
result you wanted, but you get a chance to come
back and we got to play well. How about Steelers
defensive coordinator Tarrell Austin. He says new cornerback Sante Samuel
Junior is working exclusively at outside corner right now. The
timetable on his inclusion in games is TBD. Oh something
(33:42):
to watch for. I just I can't help but think
of Tarrell Austin and think back to a game in
twenty seventeen or twenty eighteen when he was a defensive
coordinator for the Bengals and the Saints came in with
Drew Brees and they scored on every single offensive possession.
It was fifty two to seventeen I think the final
score was. And if I'm not mistaken, Tarrell Austin got
(34:04):
fired the next day and Marvin Lewis started calling the
Blaze again. Wow, that's that's all I think about when
I think of Tarrell Austin. Man, you think he ever
stretched with the defense? I don't think so.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
I can't wait to see what this defense looks like
with an Al Golden stretching out.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
Now Golden should wear a helmet on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
Yeah, how about this? This is yesterday. Now we'll get
updated today on injury reports as well. Flacco did not
practice with the shoulder. Trey Hendrickson now not only the hip,
They've added pelvis to the injury designation for Trey Hendricksons
hip and pelvis injury. Did not practice. Sam A J.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
P Run pulvis injury.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
No, he did not practice, and Shamar Stewart with the
knee did not practice as well. Pittsburgh yesterday, John Neusmith, TJ. Watt,
cam Heyward all did not practice. That was all non
injury related. Just for Rest now. Alex high Smith, their linebacker,
did not practice with the pectoral injury. Cole Holcomb, another linebacker,
(35:01):
did not practice due to illness. Corey Trice and Darius
Slay both did not practice. Trice with a hamstring and
Darius Slay because of the concussion.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Yeah, I mean that secondary is they're just trying to
figure it out. Right now, we think they're just trying
to piece it together, which makes me wonder to go
back to our point, if you have guys that you
know you're not all that confident in, Like if if
you're pulling up Asante Samuel off the practice squad, or
Darius Slay can't go, or you got dudes that have
been coming off the the injured reserve list to play.
(35:36):
Are you gonna put them one on one against Tan
Jamar better not. You wouldn't do that, right or not.
That's unfair to those people. It's unfair to most people,
even the good corners in the NFL, to do that. Yeah,
I just can't imagine Mike Tomlin and his staff look
at the film from this last time these two teams
played and said, Yeah, we're gonna stick to this strategy.
So I hope the Bengals are ready for something different.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
They have to be, like, you have to go into
this game expecting you're gonna see some zone, right.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Omar Flacco said yesterday that he has seen coverages against
t and Jamar that he's never really seen eighteen years
in the NFL. YEP, that's kind of amazing and speaks
to how good those dudes are.
Speaker 2 (36:18):
That is. It is remarkable to think about that that
has been a thing and that he's been around this
long and you don't have it yet or he just
hasn't seen it yet. And I think it goes to
show just how defenses are trying anything they possibly can
to make it work against this Bengals offense.
Speaker 3 (36:37):
I think it's going to be interesting to see how
the Bengals use Chase Brown. He was so good that
first time round against Pittsburgh, kind of stifled that pass rush,
opened up some of those passing concepts that the Bengals used.
Can he do that? And also can he be a
weapon in the past game. We haven't seen him like
explode in the past game yet. And I wonder, you
(36:58):
know what if there's some moments where the are in
shotgun or they're under center, doesn't matter, and then they
motion Chase Brown out. Yeah, he goes out to the slot,
he goes out at the edge of the formation. Maybe
he's one on one with the linebacker. I'm gonna bet
on Chase Brown most of the time.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
I would too, And I think there's been times there's
been one or two drops that feels like from Chase
Brown where if he makes a catch, he's gonna score correct. Yeah,
But I do like how how they've used him in
the passing games as well. I think that's just a
I think that's a new addition to this offense. I
(37:37):
think it's another wrinkle. Of course, you know, you go
back to that Bears game, then't the Bears game feel
like months ago? It does? You go back to that
Bears game second half, Mitchell Tinsley met a huge grab,
Noah Fant made a big play, andre Yoshi Vash had
multiple big plays. Like offensively that they were in a bag.
(37:57):
When you're hitting that many different receivers and kind of
what you want, you feel good about where you're at.
It's just can they get one or two extra stops
a game? I think that's what it comes down to.
Let's talk about another football game happening this weekend. The
Bearcats play Saturday against Arizona. We'll talk about that and
(38:19):
we'll take a phone call when we return. ESPN fifteen thirty,
Cincinnati Sports Station. Thanks to our friends at Skyline.
Speaker 6 (38:24):
Chileikwise Cincinnati, make us the number one preset on your
car radio and on the free, new and improved iHeartRadio
ad Free never.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Sounded so good.
Speaker 4 (38:33):
ESPN fifteen thirty From the Johnson Heating Tempstar webs Our.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
City, our Club, our time, FC Cincinnati Playoff Pride lives here.
ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
Welcome back since ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station, thanks
to Skyline Chili. Anytime you're feeling good and hungry, it's
always Skyline time. We're happy to have you along. We
welcome your phone call five one, three, seven, four, nine,
fifteen thirty. Give us a call, would love to talk
to you. I got questions, okay about the Cincinnati Bearcats,
(39:24):
all right, and I don't know if they get answered
until Saturday. I want to know this team's makeup and
if it's different than it was last year. By far,
the question I've received the most from the Utah loss
(39:48):
to now is is it going to be the same
issue that plagued this team last year? Is it going
to be the same thing for this team where they
started five and two and then didn't win another game?
Now this season has felt different. This season has provided
(40:12):
I think more stability in the UC offense in particular.
Last year sores be down the stretch, just the confidence
wasn't there. But for this team, what I want to
know is it different Because the wins they've had at
Kansas was a good win against Iowa State. You got
(40:36):
Iowa State in a moment where they weren't at full strength,
they were playing shorthanded, and you did find a way
to win at home, but at times felt tense down
the stretch. Outside of Kansas and Iowa State, they beat UCF,
Oklahoma State, and Baylor, who just aren't very good this year.
The two best teams they've played, in my opinion on
(40:57):
Nebraska and Utah, and they fell short in both of
those games I've watched now this week enough of Arizona.
We talked to Dan Hord about Arizona yesterday Austin. I
think Arizona might be the third best team they've played.
Arizona again, for what it's worth, they have a win
(41:20):
over Kansas State, they have a win over Oklahoma State Colorado,
and they did beat Kansas just as the Bearcats did,
and they held a very potent Kansas offense to just
twenty points. Their losses thirty one to twenty eight on
the road at Houston. Houston, by the way, is eight
and two overall, five and two in the league. They
lost at Iowa State, their worst game of the year,
(41:44):
and then they played BYU at home, and they led
BYU I double digits. They at one point, I believe,
in the fourth quarter, and I'm confirming right now, there
was a point in the fourth quarter where Arizona took
(42:04):
a twenty four to fourteen lead. After that, B why
you rallied, B why you tied it, and then B
why you eventually wins it in overtime. Arizona's been good, man.
They have a good quarterback, and they have a good defense.
And in coming off your worst performance of the year
(42:25):
offensively in which you turn the ball over on the
nineteen yard line you through an interception, Swersby never never
really got going in the Utah game. If you look back,
Brendan Sorsby I believe completed thirty three percent of his
passes thirty three percent, eleven of thirty three for two
(42:45):
twenty one with a touchdown and an interception, and of
those two hundred and twenty one yards, much like the
friar Mouth touchdown with Aaron Rodgers Austin, they had Cyrus
Allen for an eighty eight yard touchdown. You take away
that one place. That is a very very poor stat line,
and it still was for Swersby based on who he's been.
(43:07):
The good news for UC they still ran it for
seven yards per carry, but they just didn't get much
going in the passing game. Joe Royer was targeted once,
only made one catch, Noah Jennings, Caleb Goodie, Jeff Cadwell
were all relatively quiet. They played the game without Evan
Pryor'd be interested to see if they can get back
him back to full strength. But it was a comedy
(43:28):
of airs. Offense was inconsistent, defense could not get the
stops when necessary, and a special teams unit who had
been a strength, Stephen Russknack missed his first field goal
of the year and Max Fletcher gave up one big
return and then a return for a touchdown on back
(43:49):
to back punts. So the big news, the big thing
to look for here Austin. Do they look more like
the team that lost the last five down the stretch
last year after a loss or are they a team
that has a different makeup and a team that answers
the bell from a disappointing loss and then moves forward
(44:10):
that to me, not only do I think that defines Saturday,
I think that defines the rest of the year because
if they answer the bell, can you imagine the build
up next week with BYU coming in town, Austin and
what that means and the possibility if you got two
games left, one at home, one on the road, and
if you win both, you're playing for a Big twelve
(44:30):
title in Dallas. Or you lose to Arizona, wheels feel
like they're falling off a little bit. BYU comes into
town and then you've got to go to TCU. You've
built up such a good season, you're in the College
Football Playoff rankings at number twenty five. You can't let
(44:54):
that fall apart. You can't let that crumble because you've
worked so hard to build where you're at. Dante Corleone's health,
Jake golday, Evan pryor the health of this team and
their key players is extremely important. But Austin, we're either
spending time next week talking about a huge matchup at
(45:14):
Nippert Stadium, or we're having the conversation of potentially, oh,
it feels like here we go again and all that
is up for Grams on Saturday at noon in Knippert Stadium.
Should be a great contest, should be a great crowd.
I'm looking here, Austin. We get every morning, we get
a WCPO nine First Warning Forecast presented by Jennifer Ketchmark
(45:38):
kind of left on the desk in here. Listen to
this for Saturday. Yeah, partly cloudy, not getting as cold,
low of forty nine. I'm sorry, that's that's never of mine.
Nu's for Friday night, dude. Read the forecast correctly. Okay,
you see football game day. It's a warm wedge. What
(46:00):
did you just say? Warm wedge? That's what's listed on here.
Mostly cloudy and isolated showers possible, but it won't be
much cooler. Following week is cooler. Saturday's high Austin. This
is a noon kickoff.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
You gotta work on these forecast reads.
Speaker 2 (46:15):
Saturday's high sixty nine degrees. Yeah, can't ask for anything more. Yeah,
I saw it's like eighty one in Lexington today. Yea
seventy one in Columbus and it's like fifty five here.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
How's that work? We're in the Elmo. I don't need
the weather people.
Speaker 2 (46:32):
It's an Alberta clipper. The Northeaster's coming down.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Dude, speaking of northeaster tonight, speaking to northeaster tonight, Thursday
night football the Jets and the Patriots. The Patriots are
wearing their rivalry edition Northeaster.
Speaker 5 (46:47):
You.
Speaker 3 (46:48):
Oh yeah, how about that.
Speaker 2 (46:50):
Did you get a chance to see like the Northern
lights or anything in the last couple nights.
Speaker 3 (46:54):
Uh no, that was the thing. I know it back
where I'm from in Sydney, they were crazy. Que I
live here now that's a little too bright for me
to see it.
Speaker 2 (47:05):
Okay, man, lights is too bright?
Speaker 3 (47:07):
Oh man, my future so braga where shades?
Speaker 2 (47:10):
You know who else's future is bright? John Shearon he's
a star.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
I mean once he started coming up on this show.
Speaker 2 (47:16):
It's just he's a star.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Moon man him An Armstrong.
Speaker 2 (47:20):
He'll join us next for me Adas Sports Neil John
Shearon definitely not Lance Armstrong. Number two on ESPN fifteen.
Lance Armstrong and Sharon Moore have in common. I don't
know Lance Armstrong beat Michigan or beat Ohio State too.
Speaker 3 (47:37):
They both cheated.
Speaker 2 (47:38):
Wow, unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
Write that one down.
Speaker 2 (47:42):
What an accusation?
Speaker 3 (47:43):
Accusation? Oh okay, we gotta talk, No, we gotta talk
about this. This is driving me insane. Number one, you
are a freaking psychopath. With the amount of alarms you
have set on your phone, I got a lot like
it's ridiculous how often your alarm goes off and you
(48:04):
have changed it. It used to be this little diddy.
You know.
Speaker 2 (48:12):
Here's what I do at different times throughout the day,
Like a lot of people will write notes to themselves
if they think of something that I know, there's time.
Speaker 3 (48:19):
You have an iPhone and there's a great app on
it called reminders that will not make remind you every
time you open your phone.
Speaker 2 (48:25):
When I when I have a reminder to myself, I
set it for a sense, Like normally at twelve fifty nine,
we're in the middle of a break to go to
the next hour. Yeah, and there's stuff that I want
to accomplish over the break or need to do that
next hour. That's my way of telling myself that's what
just happened. Like, what what is on there that you
had to be reminded of it? Twelve fifty nine, Well,
(48:48):
right now, I wrote down commissions exclamation point where are they?
So I got stuff to work on. We got to
talk to John Shared in just a few more. That's
ESPN fifteen thirty. I really did. I wrote to myself
dot dot dot where are those?
Speaker 3 (49:08):
Thanks to a magnifying glasshouse, start looking.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
For ESPN fifteen thirty. Cincinnati Sports Station.
Speaker 6 (49:14):
U c k Y Cincinnati, make us the number one
preset on your car radio and on the free new
and improved iHeartRadio app free Never sounded so good ESPN
fifteen thirty.
Speaker 3 (49:24):
Another
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